BATCH-263:XML and FlatFile item readers will no longer throw IllegalStateException on afterPropertiesSet if resource.exists() == false. Instead, they will check that a resource exists when initialized by the first call to read().

spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/SimpleFlatFileItemReader.java

@@ -123,8 +123,6 @@ public class SimpleFlatFileItemReader extends AbstractItemReader implements Item
 
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
 		Assert.notNull(resource);
-		Assert.state(resource.exists(), "Resource must exist: [" + resource
-				+ "]");
 		Assert.notNull(fieldSetMapper, "FieldSetMapper must not be null.");
 	}
 
@@ -133,6 +131,10 @@ public class SimpleFlatFileItemReader extends AbstractItemReader implements Item
 	 * @throws IllegalStateException if the resource cannot be opened 
 	 */
 	public void open() throws IllegalStateException {
+		
+		Assert.state(resource.exists(), "Resource must exist: [" + resource
+				+ "]");
+		
 		if (this.reader == null) {
 			ResourceLineReader reader = new ResourceLineReader(resource, encoding);
 			if (recordSeparatorPolicy != null) {

spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/io/xml/StaxEventItemReader.java

@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ public class StaxEventItemReader extends AbstractItemReader implements ItemReade
 	}
 
 	public void open() {
+		Assert.state(resource.exists(), "Input resource does not exist: [" + resource + "]");
+		
 		registerSynchronization();
 		try {
 			inputStream = resource.getInputStream();
@@ -184,7 +186,6 @@ public class StaxEventItemReader extends AbstractItemReader implements ItemReade
 	 */
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
 		Assert.notNull(resource, "The Resource must not be null.");
-		Assert.state(resource.exists(), "Input resource does not exist: [" + resource + "]");
 		Assert.notNull(eventReaderDeserializer, "The FragmentDeserializer must not be null.");
 		Assert.hasLength(fragmentRootElementName, "The FragmentRootElementName must not be null");
 	}