[[testcontext-ctx-management]]
= Context Management

Each `TestContext` provides context management and caching support for the test instance
for which it is responsible. Test instances do not automatically receive access to the
configured `ApplicationContext`. However, if a test class implements the
`ApplicationContextAware` interface, a reference to the `ApplicationContext` is supplied
to the test instance. Note that `AbstractJUnit4SpringContextTests` and
`AbstractTestNGSpringContextTests` implement `ApplicationContextAware` and, therefore,
provide access to the `ApplicationContext` automatically.

.@Autowired ApplicationContext
[TIP]
=====
As an alternative to implementing the `ApplicationContextAware` interface, you can inject
the application context for your test class through the `@Autowired` annotation on either
a field or setter method, as the following example shows:

[tabs]
======
Java::
+
[source,java,indent=0,subs="verbatim,quotes",role="primary"]
----
	@SpringJUnitConfig
	class MyTest {

		@Autowired // <1>
		ApplicationContext applicationContext;

		// class body...
	}
----
<1> Injecting the `ApplicationContext`.

Kotlin::
+
[source,kotlin,indent=0,subs="verbatim,quotes",role="secondary"]
----
	@SpringJUnitConfig
	class MyTest {

		@Autowired // <1>
		lateinit var applicationContext: ApplicationContext

		// class body...
	}
----
<1> Injecting the `ApplicationContext`.
======


Similarly, if your test is configured to load a `WebApplicationContext`, you can inject
the web application context into your test, as follows:

[tabs]
======
Java::
+
[source,java,indent=0,subs="verbatim,quotes",role="primary"]
----
	@SpringJUnitWebConfig // <1>
	class MyWebAppTest {

		@Autowired // <2>
		WebApplicationContext wac;

		// class body...
	}
----
<1> Configuring the `WebApplicationContext`.
<2> Injecting the `WebApplicationContext`.

Kotlin::
+
[source,kotlin,indent=0,subs="verbatim,quotes",role="secondary"]
----
	@SpringJUnitWebConfig // <1>
	class MyWebAppTest {

		@Autowired // <2>
		lateinit var wac: WebApplicationContext
		// class body...
	}
----
<1> Configuring the `WebApplicationContext`.
<2> Injecting the `WebApplicationContext`.
======


Dependency injection by using `@Autowired` is provided by the
`DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener`, which is configured by default
(see xref:testing/testcontext-framework/fixture-di.adoc[Dependency Injection of Test Fixtures]).
=====

Test classes that use the TestContext framework do not need to extend any particular
class or implement a specific interface to configure their application context. Instead,
configuration is achieved by declaring the `@ContextConfiguration` annotation at the
class level. If your test class does not explicitly declare application context resource
locations or component classes, the configured `ContextLoader` determines how to load a
context from a default location or default configuration classes. In addition to context
resource locations and component classes, an application context can also be configured
through application context initializers.

The following sections explain how to use Spring's `@ContextConfiguration` annotation to
configure a test `ApplicationContext` by using XML configuration files, Groovy scripts,
component classes (typically `@Configuration` classes), or context initializers.
Alternatively, you can implement and configure your own custom `SmartContextLoader` for
advanced use cases.

* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/xml.adoc[Context Configuration with XML resources]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/groovy.adoc[Context Configuration with Groovy Scripts]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/javaconfig.adoc[Context Configuration with Component Classes]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/mixed-config.adoc[Mixing XML, Groovy Scripts, and Component Classes]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/context-customizers.adoc[Context Configuration with Context Customizers]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/initializers.adoc[Context Configuration with Context Initializers]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/inheritance.adoc[Context Configuration Inheritance]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/env-profiles.adoc[Context Configuration with Environment Profiles]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/property-sources.adoc[Context Configuration with Test Property Sources]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/dynamic-property-sources.adoc[Context Configuration with Dynamic Property Sources]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/web.adoc[Loading a `WebApplicationContext`]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/caching.adoc[Context Caching]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/failure-threshold.adoc[Context Failure Threshold]
* xref:testing/testcontext-framework/ctx-management/hierarchies.adoc[Context Hierarchies]

