Description

PullRequestControllerTest consistently fails to initialize the Spring ApplicationContext during test startup with the following exception:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: ApplicationContext failure threshold (1) exceeded:
skipping repeated attempt to load context for [WebMergedContextConfiguration...]

The error occurs before any controller logic executes.
Stack traces show the test context being loaded via:

contextLoader = org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootContextLoader
propertySourceProperties = ["org.springframework.boot.test.autoconfigure.web.servlet.WebMvcTestContextBootstrapper=true"]

This indicates that @WebMvcTest is not using its intended lightweight slice loader but instead triggering a full Spring Boot application context, causing initialization failure.

Observed Behavior

• All controller tests in PullRequestControllerTest fail with identical context load errors.
• The root cause appears tied to a rogue property (WebMvcTestContextBootstrapper=true) that forces the wrong ContextLoader.
• The failure happens before any MockMvc interaction.
• Disabling the test allows the rest of the suite to pass cleanly.

Expected Behavior

@WebMvcTest(PullRequestController.class) should initialize a minimal web slice context with:

• MockMvc
• The target controller
• Mocked service beans
• Imported GlobalExceptionHandler

and should not attempt to start the full Spring Boot application context.

Impact

• Affects: PullRequestControllerTest only
• Other controller and service tests remain unaffected
• Prevents validation of REST endpoint behavior and exception handling

Temporary Workaround

Disable the entire test class:

@Disabled("FIXIT: ApplicationContext bootstrap failure – tracked under SZ-XX")

This preserves suite stability while the root cause is investigated.

Next Steps

1. Investigate the source of "WebMvcTestContextBootstrapper=true".
2. Verify that no @TestPropertySource or external configuration injects internal Boot flags.
3. Confirm that @WebMvcTest defaults to the proper loader (AnnotationConfigContextLoader).
4. Re-enable the test once the correct lightweight slice behavior is restored.

Estimate: 2h
Priority: Medium
Status: OPEN
Assignee: Rk
File: backend/src/test/java/com/sztab/controller/PullRequestControllerTest.java