spring-projects/spring-framework · error · IllegalArgumentException

Throwing name '{}' is neither a valid argument name nor the

Error message

Throwing name '{}' is neither a valid argument name nor the fully-qualified name of a Java type on the classpath. Root cause: {}

What it means

Thrown by setThrowingNameNoCheck (line 333-349) when the throwing value is not a Java variable name and ClassUtils.forName cannot resolve it as a Throwable type on the aspect's classloader. Non-identifier throwing values are interpreted as fully-qualified exception types used to narrow which exceptions match; failure to load means binding is impossible.

Source

Thrown at spring-aop/src/main/java/org/springframework/aop/aspectj/AbstractAspectJAdvice.java:344

		throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Only afterThrowing advice can be used to bind a thrown exception");
	}

	/**
	 * We need to hold the throwing name at this level for argument binding calculations,
	 * this method allows the afterThrowing advice subclass to set the name.
	 */
	protected void setThrowingNameNoCheck(String name) {
		// name could be a variable or a type...
		if (isVariableName(name)) {
			this.throwingName = name;
		}
		else {
			// assume a type
			try {
				this.discoveredThrowingType = ClassUtils.forName(name, getAspectClassLoader());
			}
			catch (Throwable ex) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException("Throwing name '" + name +
						"' is neither a valid argument name nor the fully-qualified " +
						"name of a Java type on the classpath. Root cause: " + ex);
			}
		}
	}

	protected Class<?> getDiscoveredThrowingType() {
		return this.discoveredThrowingType;
	}

	@Contract("null -> false")
	private static boolean isVariableName(@Nullable String name) {
		return AspectJProxyUtils.isVariableName(name);
	}


	/**
	 * Do as much work as we can as part of the set-up so that argument binding

View on GitHub (pinned to e8729d0438)

Solutions

1. If throwing should bind a parameter, use the exact advice parameter name (a valid Java identifier).
2. If throwing is meant to narrow by type, supply the fully-qualified Throwable subtype name and confirm it is on the classpath.
3. Fix typos/package names and add the missing dependency jar.
4. Remove the throwing attribute if no exception binding/narrowing is intended.

Example fix

// before
<aop:after-throwing method="onEx" throwing="java.lang.RunntimeException" pointcut="..."/>
// after
<aop:after-throwing method="onEx" throwing="java.lang.RuntimeException" pointcut="..."/>

// Validate a throwing value before setting it: identifier or loadable Throwable type.
String name = throwingValue.strip();
boolean ok = AspectJProxyUtils.isVariableName(name);
if (!ok) {
    try {
        Class<?> c = ClassUtils.forName(name, aspectClassLoader);
        ok = Throwable.class.isAssignableFrom(c);
    } catch (Throwable t) { ok = false; }
}
if (!ok) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid throwing value: " + name);

try {
    ((AspectJAfterThrowingAdvice) advice).setThrowingName(name);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException(
        "'throwing' must be a parameter name or fully-qualified Throwable type on the classpath: " + name, ex);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Setting 'throwing' to a string that is neither a valid Java identifier nor a fully-qualified Throwable subtype resolvable by the aspect ClassLoader (typo, wrong package, missing dependency, non-Throwable type).

Common situations: Typo in the throwing attribute; using a simple class name instead of fully-qualified; the exception type lives in a jar not present at runtime; refactoring that moved the exception class without updating the aspect config.

Related errors

• Returning name '{}' is neither a valid argument name nor the
• Throwing argument name '{}' was not bound in advice argument
• Binding of throwing parameter '{}' could not be completed as
• 'argumentNames' property of AbstractAspectJAdvice contains a
• Only afterThrowing advice can be used to bind a thrown excep

AI-assisted analysis of spring-projects/spring-framework@e8729d0438 (2026-08-04). Data as JSON: /data/errors/f59a4db5f7231f69.json. Report an issue: GitHub.