'Deep stubbing java.util.Function.apply does not work

The following code is given:

@Test
void mockitoBug() {
    Function<String, List<String>> mock = mock(Function.class, Answers.RETURNS_DEEP_STUBS);
    when(mock.apply("foo").get(1)).thenReturn("bar"); //Line 76
    assertThat(mock.apply("foo").get(1)).isEqualTo("bar");
}

I get a NPE, because mock.apply("foo") is null. Exception:

java.lang.NullPointerException
    at xxxxxxx.x.xx.x.xx.MyTest.mockitoBug(MyTest.java:76)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at org.junit.platform.commons.util.ReflectionUtils.invokeMethod(ReflectionUtils.java:688)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.MethodInvocation.proceed(MethodInvocation.java:60)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain$ValidatingInvocation.proceed(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:131)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.extension.TimeoutExtension.intercept(TimeoutExtension.java:149)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.extension.TimeoutExtension.interceptTestableMethod(TimeoutExtension.java:140)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.extension.TimeoutExtension.interceptTestMethod(TimeoutExtension.java:84)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.ExecutableInvoker$ReflectiveInterceptorCall.lambda$ofVoidMethod$0(ExecutableInvoker.java:115)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.ExecutableInvoker.lambda$invoke$0(ExecutableInvoker.java:105)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain$InterceptedInvocation.proceed(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:106)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain.proceed(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:64)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain.chainAndInvoke(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:45)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain.invoke(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:37)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.ExecutableInvoker.invoke(ExecutableInvoker.java:104)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.ExecutableInvoker.invoke(ExecutableInvoker.java:98)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.lambda$invokeTestMethod$6(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:210)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.invokeTestMethod(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:206)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.execute(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:131)
    at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.execute(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:65)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$5(NodeTestTask.java:139)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$7(NodeTestTask.java:129)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.Node.around(Node.java:137)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$8(NodeTestTask.java:127)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.executeRecursively(NodeTestTask.java:126)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.execute(NodeTestTask.java:84)
    at java.util.ArrayList.forEach(ArrayList.java:1259)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.invokeAll(SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.java:38)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$5(NodeTestTask.java:143)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$7(NodeTestTask.java:129)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.Node.around(Node.java:137)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$8(NodeTestTask.java:127)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.executeRecursively(NodeTestTask.java:126)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.execute(NodeTestTask.java:84)
    at java.util.ArrayList.forEach(ArrayList.java:1259)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.invokeAll(SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.java:38)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$5(NodeTestTask.java:143)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$7(NodeTestTask.java:129)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.Node.around(Node.java:137)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$8(NodeTestTask.java:127)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.executeRecursively(NodeTestTask.java:126)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.execute(NodeTestTask.java:84)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.submit(SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.java:32)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.HierarchicalTestExecutor.execute(HierarchicalTestExecutor.java:57)
    at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.HierarchicalTestEngine.execute(HierarchicalTestEngine.java:51)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:108)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:88)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.lambda$execute$0(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:54)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.withInterceptedStreams(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:67)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:52)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncher.java:96)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncher.java:75)
    at com.intellij.junit5.JUnit5IdeaTestRunner.startRunnerWithArgs(JUnit5IdeaTestRunner.java:71)
    at com.intellij.rt.junit.IdeaTestRunner$Repeater$1.execute(IdeaTestRunner.java:38)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.TestsRepeater.repeat(TestsRepeater.java:11)
    at com.intellij.rt.junit.IdeaTestRunner$Repeater.startRunnerWithArgs(IdeaTestRunner.java:35)
    at com.intellij.rt.junit.JUnitStarter.prepareStreamsAndStart(JUnitStarter.java:235)
    at com.intellij.rt.junit.JUnitStarter.main(JUnitStarter.java:54)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.CommandLineWrapper.main(CommandLineWrapper.java:64)

Why is it happening? Function.apply is not final, inside Mockito.when it should be inside a stubbing process, where an NPE should not happen if I use deep stubbing. Do I make something wrong, or it is a Mockito bug/known limitation?

Mockito Version: 3.9.0

javajunitmockito


Solution 1:[1]

On top of the answer by @Chaosfire:

ReturnsDeepStubs.answer has a nice explanation why null is returned in code comments:

public Object answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) throws Throwable {
    GenericMetadataSupport returnTypeGenericMetadata =
            actualParameterizedType(invocation.getMock())
                    .resolveGenericReturnType(invocation.getMethod());

    Class<?> rawType = returnTypeGenericMetadata.rawType();
    if (!mockitoCore().isTypeMockable(rawType)) {
        if (invocation.getMethod().getReturnType().equals(rawType)) {
            return delegate().answer(invocation);
        } else {
            return delegate().returnValueFor(rawType);
        }
    }

    // When dealing with erased generics, we only receive the Object type as rawType. At this
    // point, there is nothing to salvage for Mockito. Instead of trying to be smart and
    // generate
    // a mock that would potentially match the return signature, instead return `null`. This
    // is valid per the CheckCast JVM instruction and is better than causing a
    // ClassCastException
    // on runtime.
    if (rawType.equals(Object.class) && !returnTypeGenericMetadata.hasRawExtraInterfaces()) {
        return null;
    }

    return deepStub(invocation, returnTypeGenericMetadata);
}

See also corresponding pull request: Return null instead of causing a CCE #1612

Solution 2:[2]

I believe the root of the problem is that you are not able to provide information about generic types. mock() methods work with Class<T> object making it very hard to provide type information. The function you want to mock is Function<String, List<String>>, but Function.class is provided. And i am not aware of a way to provide information about generics through the mockito API, not with MockSettings or anything else, unfortunately.

How to workaround this limitation - the Class parameter you provide must contain information about generic parameters. That means either:

  1. empty implementation of Function<String, List<String>>
private static class MyFunc implements Function<String, List<String>> {

  @Override
  public List<String> apply(String s) {
    return null;
  }
}

I really don't like this one. Or:

  1. another interface:
public interface TestFunction extends Function<String, List<String>> {
}

I'd say that's more elegant solution.

Both mocks

Function<String, List<String>> mock = mock(MyFunc.class, Answers.RETURNS_DEEP_STUBS);

or

Function<String, List<String>> mock = mock(TestFunction.class, Answers.RETURNS_DEEP_STUBS);

will work as expected.

Edit:

After some digging in mockito docs i found this. It makes me believe that this is the only way to provide generic information. The link is about version 3.8.0, but the feature should be available since 1.10.0.

Sources

This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Stack Overflow

Solution Source
Solution 1
Solution 2

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