spring-projects/spring-framework · error · IllegalArgumentException

Specify 'targetObject' or 'targetBeanName' in combination wi

Error message

Specify 'targetObject' or 'targetBeanName' in combination with 'propertyPath'

What it means

Error "Specify 'targetObject' or 'targetBeanName' in combination with 'propertyPath'" thrown in spring-projects/spring-framework.

Source

Thrown at spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/PropertyPathFactoryBean.java:169

	 */
	@Override
	public void setBeanName(String beanName) {
		this.beanName = StringUtils.trimAllWhitespace(BeanFactoryUtils.originalBeanName(beanName));
	}


	@Override
	public void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) {
		this.beanFactory = beanFactory;
		String targetBeanName = this.targetBeanName;

		if (this.targetBeanWrapper != null && targetBeanName != null) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Specify either 'targetObject' or 'targetBeanName', not both");
		}

		if (this.targetBeanWrapper == null && targetBeanName == null) {
			if (this.propertyPath != null) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
						"Specify 'targetObject' or 'targetBeanName' in combination with 'propertyPath'");
			}

			// No other properties specified: check bean name.
			int dotIndex;
			if (this.beanName == null || (dotIndex = this.beanName.indexOf('.')) <= 0) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
						"Neither 'targetObject' nor 'targetBeanName' specified, and PropertyPathFactoryBean " +
						"bean name '" + this.beanName + "' does not follow 'beanName.property' syntax");
			}
			targetBeanName = this.beanName.substring(0, dotIndex);
			this.targetBeanName = targetBeanName;
			this.propertyPath = this.beanName.substring(dotIndex + 1);
		}

		else if (this.propertyPath == null) {
			// either targetObject or targetBeanName specified
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("'propertyPath' is required");

View on GitHub (pinned to e8729d0438)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/PropertyPathFactoryBean.java:169 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of spring-projects/spring-framework@e8729d0438 (2026-08-04). Data as JSON: /data/errors/fffe9793083bec82.json. Report an issue: GitHub.