Lazily override default editors when actually needed

Closes gh-34361

Author: jhoeller

spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/PropertyEditorRegistrar.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2012 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -45,4 +45,18 @@ public interface PropertyEditorRegistrar {
 	 */
 	void registerCustomEditors(PropertyEditorRegistry registry);
 
+	/**
+	 * Indicate whether this registrar exclusively overrides default editors
+	 * rather than registering custom editors, intended to be applied lazily.
+	 * <p>This has an impact on registrar handling in a bean factory: see
+	 * {@link org.springframework.beans.factory.config.ConfigurableBeanFactory#addPropertyEditorRegistrar}.
+	 * @since 6.2.3
+	 * @see PropertyEditorRegistry#registerCustomEditor
+	 * @see PropertyEditorRegistrySupport#overrideDefaultEditor
+	 * @see PropertyEditorRegistrySupport#setDefaultEditorRegistrar
+	 */
+	default boolean overridesDefaultEditors() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 }

spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/PropertyEditorRegistrySupport.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ public class PropertyEditorRegistrySupport implements PropertyEditorRegistry {
 
 	private boolean configValueEditorsActive = false;
 
+	@Nullable
+	private PropertyEditorRegistrar defaultEditorRegistrar;
+
 	@Nullable
 	private Map<Class<?>, PropertyEditor> defaultEditors;
 
@@ -155,6 +158,19 @@ public void useConfigValueEditors() {
 		this.configValueEditorsActive = true;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Set a registrar for default editors, as a lazy way of overriding default editors.
+	 * <p>This is expected to be a collaborator with {@link PropertyEditorRegistrySupport},
+	 * downcasting the given {@link PropertyEditorRegistry} accordingly and calling
+	 * {@link #overrideDefaultEditor} for registering additional default editors on it.
+	 * @param registrar the registrar to call when default editors are actually needed
+	 * @since 6.2.3
+	 * @see #overrideDefaultEditor
+	 */
+	public void setDefaultEditorRegistrar(PropertyEditorRegistrar registrar) {
+		this.defaultEditorRegistrar = registrar;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Override the default editor for the specified type with the given property editor.
 	 * <p>Note that this is different from registering a custom editor in that the editor
@@ -184,6 +200,9 @@ public PropertyEditor getDefaultEditor(Class<?> requiredType) {
 		if (!this.defaultEditorsActive) {
 			return null;
 		}
+		if (this.overriddenDefaultEditors == null && this.defaultEditorRegistrar != null) {
+			this.defaultEditorRegistrar.registerCustomEditors(this);
+		}
 		if (this.overriddenDefaultEditors != null) {
 			PropertyEditor editor = this.overriddenDefaultEditors.get(requiredType);
 			if (editor != null) {

spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/ConfigurableBeanFactory.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -183,7 +183,11 @@ public interface ConfigurableBeanFactory extends HierarchicalBeanFactory, Single
 	 * on the given registry, fresh for each bean creation attempt. This avoids
 	 * the need for synchronization on custom editors; hence, it is generally
 	 * preferable to use this method instead of {@link #registerCustomEditor}.
+	 * <p>If the given registrar implements
+	 * {@link PropertyEditorRegistrar#overridesDefaultEditors()} to return {@code true},
+	 * it will be applied lazily (only when default editors are actually needed).
 	 * @param registrar the PropertyEditorRegistrar to register
+	 * @see PropertyEditorRegistrar#overridesDefaultEditors()
 	 */
 	void addPropertyEditorRegistrar(PropertyEditorRegistrar registrar);
 

spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractBeanFactory.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractBeanFactory extends FactoryBeanRegistrySupport imp
 	@Nullable
 	private ConversionService conversionService;
 
+	/** Default PropertyEditorRegistrars to apply to the beans of this factory. */
+	private final Set<PropertyEditorRegistrar> defaultEditorRegistrars = new LinkedHashSet<>(4);
+
 	/** Custom PropertyEditorRegistrars to apply to the beans of this factory. */
 	private final Set<PropertyEditorRegistrar> propertyEditorRegistrars = new LinkedHashSet<>(4);
 
@@ -883,7 +886,12 @@ public ConversionService getConversionService() {
 	@Override
 	public void addPropertyEditorRegistrar(PropertyEditorRegistrar registrar) {
 		Assert.notNull(registrar, "PropertyEditorRegistrar must not be null");
-		this.propertyEditorRegistrars.add(registrar);
+		if (registrar.overridesDefaultEditors()) {
+			this.defaultEditorRegistrars.add(registrar);
+		}
+		else {
+			this.propertyEditorRegistrars.add(registrar);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -1114,6 +1122,7 @@ public void copyConfigurationFrom(ConfigurableBeanFactory otherFactory) {
 		setBeanExpressionResolver(otherFactory.getBeanExpressionResolver());
 		setConversionService(otherFactory.getConversionService());
 		if (otherFactory instanceof AbstractBeanFactory otherAbstractFactory) {
+			this.defaultEditorRegistrars.addAll(otherAbstractFactory.defaultEditorRegistrars);
 			this.propertyEditorRegistrars.addAll(otherAbstractFactory.propertyEditorRegistrars);
 			this.customEditors.putAll(otherAbstractFactory.customEditors);
 			this.typeConverter = otherAbstractFactory.typeConverter;
@@ -1313,36 +1322,48 @@ protected void initBeanWrapper(BeanWrapper bw) {
 	protected void registerCustomEditors(PropertyEditorRegistry registry) {
 		if (registry instanceof PropertyEditorRegistrySupport registrySupport) {
 			registrySupport.useConfigValueEditors();
+			if (!this.defaultEditorRegistrars.isEmpty()) {
+				// Optimization: lazy overriding of default editors only when needed
+				registrySupport.setDefaultEditorRegistrar(new BeanFactoryDefaultEditorRegistrar());
+			}
+		}
+		else if (!this.defaultEditorRegistrars.isEmpty()) {
+			// Fallback: proactive overriding of default editors
+			applyEditorRegistrars(registry, this.defaultEditorRegistrars);
 		}
+
 		if (!this.propertyEditorRegistrars.isEmpty()) {
-			for (PropertyEditorRegistrar registrar : this.propertyEditorRegistrars) {
-				try {
-					registrar.registerCustomEditors(registry);
-				}
-				catch (BeanCreationException ex) {
-					Throwable rootCause = ex.getMostSpecificCause();
-					if (rootCause instanceof BeanCurrentlyInCreationException bce) {
-						String bceBeanName = bce.getBeanName();
-						if (bceBeanName != null && isCurrentlyInCreation(bceBeanName)) {
-							if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-								logger.debug("PropertyEditorRegistrar [" + registrar.getClass().getName() +
-										"] failed because it tried to obtain currently created bean '" +
-										ex.getBeanName() + "': " + ex.getMessage());
-							}
-							onSuppressedException(ex);
-							continue;
-						}
-					}
-					throw ex;
-				}
-			}
+			applyEditorRegistrars(registry, this.propertyEditorRegistrars);
 		}
 		if (!this.customEditors.isEmpty()) {
 			this.customEditors.forEach((requiredType, editorClass) ->
 					registry.registerCustomEditor(requiredType, BeanUtils.instantiateClass(editorClass)));
 		}
 	}
 
+	private void applyEditorRegistrars(PropertyEditorRegistry registry, Set<PropertyEditorRegistrar> registrars) {
+		for (PropertyEditorRegistrar registrar : registrars) {
+			try {
+				registrar.registerCustomEditors(registry);
+			}
+			catch (BeanCreationException ex) {
+				Throwable rootCause = ex.getMostSpecificCause();
+				if (rootCause instanceof BeanCurrentlyInCreationException bce) {
+					String bceBeanName = bce.getBeanName();
+					if (bceBeanName != null && isCurrentlyInCreation(bceBeanName)) {
+						if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+							logger.debug("PropertyEditorRegistrar [" + registrar.getClass().getName() +
+									"] failed because it tried to obtain currently created bean '" +
+									ex.getBeanName() + "': " + ex.getMessage());
+						}
+						onSuppressedException(ex);
+						return;
+					}
+				}
+				throw ex;
+			}
+		}
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Return a merged RootBeanDefinition, traversing the parent bean definition
@@ -2095,4 +2116,20 @@ static class BeanPostProcessorCache {
 		final List<MergedBeanDefinitionPostProcessor> mergedDefinition = new ArrayList<>();
 	}
 
+
+	/**
+	 * {@link PropertyEditorRegistrar} that delegates to the bean factory's
+	 * default registrars, adding exception handling for circular reference
+	 * scenarios where an editor tries to refer back to the currently created bean.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.2.3
+	 */
+	class BeanFactoryDefaultEditorRegistrar implements PropertyEditorRegistrar {
+
+		@Override
+		public void registerCustomEditors(PropertyEditorRegistry registry) {
+			applyEditorRegistrars(registry, defaultEditorRegistrars);
+		}
+	}
+
 }

spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/support/ResourceEditorRegistrar.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -135,4 +135,12 @@ private void doRegisterEditor(PropertyEditorRegistry registry, Class<?> required
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Indicate the use of {@link PropertyEditorRegistrySupport#overrideDefaultEditor} above.
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public boolean overridesDefaultEditors() {
+		return true;
+	}
+
 }