Can't create map in velocity

Question

In my velocity template i am creating map like this :

#set($mymap.Map={"key":"value","key2":"value2"})                             

I think it must work according to the documentation of velocity, but there is next error:

HTTP Status 500 - Could not load Velocity template for URL [editEmployee.vsl]; nested exception is org.apache.velocity.exception.ParseErrorException: Lexical error: org.apache.velocity.runtime.parser.TokenMgrError: Lexical error at line 44, column 36. Encountered: "{" (123), after : ""

type Exception report

message Could not load Velocity template for URL [editEmployee.vsl]; nested exception is org.apache.velocity.exception.ParseErrorException: Lexical error: org.apache.velocity.runtime.parser.TokenMgrError: Lexical error at line 44, column 36. Encountered: "{" (123), after : ""

description The server encountered an internal error (Could not load Velocity template for URL [editEmployee.vsl]; nested exception is org.apache.velocity.exception.ParseErrorException: Lexical error: org.apache.velocity.runtime.parser.TokenMgrError: Lexical error at line 44, column 36. Encountered: "{" (123), after : "") that prevented it from fulfilling this request.

exception

org.springframework.core.NestedIOException: Could not load Velocity template for URL [editEmployee.vsl]; nested exception is org.apache.velocity.exception.ParseErrorException: Lexical error: org.apache.velocity.runtime.parser.TokenMgrError: Lexical error at line 44, column 36.  Encountered: "{" (123), after : ""
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.velocity.VelocityView.checkResource(VelocityView.java:270)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.UrlBasedViewResolver.loadView(UrlBasedViewResolver.java:421)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.AbstractCachingViewResolver.createView(AbstractCachingViewResolver.java:158)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.UrlBasedViewResolver.createView(UrlBasedViewResolver.java:384)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.AbstractCachingViewResolver.resolveViewName(AbstractCachingViewResolver.java:77)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.resolveViewName(DispatcherServlet.java:1078)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.render(DispatcherServlet.java:1027)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:817)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:719)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:669)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:574)
    javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:621)
    javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:722)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:369)
    org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:109)
    org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:83)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:97)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:100)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:78)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.rememberme.RememberMeAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(RememberMeAuthenticationFilter.java:119)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:54)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:35)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:187)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:105)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:79)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:168)
    org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:237)
    org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:167)
    org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:88)
    org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)

root cause

org.apache.velocity.exception.ParseErrorException: Lexical error: org.apache.velocity.runtime.parser.TokenMgrError: Lexical error at line 44, column 36.  Encountered: "{" (123), after : ""
    org.apache.velocity.Template.process(Template.java:141)
    org.apache.velocity.runtime.resource.ResourceManagerImpl.loadResource(ResourceManagerImpl.java:423)
    org.apache.velocity.runtime.resource.ResourceManagerImpl.getResource(ResourceManagerImpl.java:341)
    org.apache.velocity.runtime.RuntimeInstance.getTemplate(RuntimeInstance.java:831)
    org.apache.velocity.runtime.RuntimeInstance.getTemplate(RuntimeInstance.java:813)
    org.apache.velocity.app.VelocityEngine.getTemplate(VelocityEngine.java:470)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.velocity.VelocityView.getTemplate(VelocityView.java:501)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.velocity.VelocityView.checkResource(VelocityView.java:260)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.UrlBasedViewResolver.loadView(UrlBasedViewResolver.java:421)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.AbstractCachingViewResolver.createView(AbstractCachingViewResolver.java:158)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.UrlBasedViewResolver.createView(UrlBasedViewResolver.java:384)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.view.AbstractCachingViewResolver.resolveViewName(AbstractCachingViewResolver.java:77)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.resolveViewName(DispatcherServlet.java:1078)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.render(DispatcherServlet.java:1027)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:817)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:719)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:669)
    org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:574)
    javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:621)
    javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:722)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:369)
    org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:109)
    org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:83)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:97)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:100)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:78)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.rememberme.RememberMeAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(RememberMeAuthenticationFilter.java:119)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:54)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:35)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:187)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:105)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:79)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
    org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:168)
    org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:237)
    org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:167)
    org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:88)
    org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)

There is my pom with velocity:

<dependency>
            <groupId>org.apache.velocity</groupId>
            <artifactId>velocity</artifactId>
            <version>1.6.2</version>
        </dependency>   
        <dependency>
            <groupId>velocity-tools</groupId>
            <artifactId>velocity-tools</artifactId>
            <version>2.0</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>velocity-tools</groupId>
            <artifactId>velocity-tools-generic</artifactId>
            <version>1.4</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>commons-collections</groupId>
            <artifactId>commons-collections</artifactId>
            <version>3.1</version>
        </dependency>

Answer 1

try

#set($mymap={"key":"value","key2":"value2"})     
$mymap 

Answer 2

This is supposed to work in Velocity. I tried the following simple snippet, both in 1.7 and 1.6.2, and it printed the correct response:

#set ($mymap = {})
#set ($mymap.Map={"key":"value","key2":"value2"})
$mymap

Prints:

{Map={key=value, key2=value2}}

So, make sure that the error is indeed here:

1. Does the suggested error position (line 44, column 36) match the line you quoted?
2. Does the error remain if you comment out that line?
3. Does another component from Spring pre-process the template, so that in the end Velocity sees another thing than what you think it does?
   • Does the error remain if you re-format the code with some more whitespaces?
4. Does the error remain if you use this alternative syntax?

#set($discard = $mymap.put('Map', {'key':'value','key2':'value2'}))