Spring AI Alibaba Playground: Bug Report

Nov 27, 2025 by Admin 41 views

Spring AI Alibaba Playground Bug: Troubleshooting and Solutions

Hey guys! 👋 Let's dive into a reported bug in the spring-ai-alibaba-playground. It's crucial to address this, especially when you're working with the latest versions and trying to get everything up and running smoothly. This article covers the issue, the error messages, potential causes, and how to fix it, ensuring you have a seamless experience with Spring AI and Alibaba Cloud.

The Bug: NoSuchMethodError in DashScopeChatModel

The Problem:

The core of the issue lies in a java.lang.NoSuchMethodError. This error occurs when the code tries to use a method that doesn't exist in the version of a library it's using. In this specific case, it's happening within the DashScopeChatModel of the spring-ai-alibaba project. The error message explicitly points to a missing constructor: void org.springframework.ai.chat.messages.AssistantMessage.<init>(java.lang.String, java.util.Map, java.util.List). This means that the AssistantMessage class, which is part of Spring AI, is missing a constructor that accepts a String, a Map, and a List as parameters. This is a telltale sign of an incompatibility between the Spring AI version and the spring-ai-alibaba integration.

Impact of the Bug:

This bug will likely break the chat functionality when you deploy the application. Because the DashScopeChatModel uses the missing constructor to construct the Assistant Message, any calls to the Alibaba Cloud's DashScope service will fail, preventing the application from generating responses.

Technical Details of the Error:

The stack trace provided highlights the exact locations where the error is triggered. It indicates that the error is rooted in the DashScopeChatModel.java file, specifically in the buildGeneration and toChatResponse methods. The error cascades through various Reactor and Netty components, leading to a complete failure. This underscores how a seemingly small incompatibility can have a ripple effect throughout the entire system.

Root Cause Analysis: Version Mismatch and Compatibility

Identifying the Culprit:

The primary reason for this NoSuchMethodError is a version mismatch between Spring AI and the Spring AI Alibaba integration. The error message suggests that the spring-ai-alibaba code, specifically the DashScopeChatModel, is compiled against a version of Spring AI that has a different definition for the AssistantMessage constructor. This is usually due to the code referencing an older or a newer version of the Spring AI library than the one actually being used at runtime.

Deep Dive into Dependencies:

When we're dealing with Spring and its ecosystem, dependency management is key. The POM (Project Object Model) or Gradle build files specify which versions of various libraries are used. This includes Spring AI and the Alibaba integration. In this case, when upgrading both Spring AI to 1.1.0 and Spring AI Alibaba to 1.1.0.0-M5, developers need to ensure that the dependencies are compatible. The error occurs when these dependencies are not correctly aligned or there are conflicts between the dependencies.

Resolution: Aligning Versions and Dependencies

Step-by-Step Resolution:

Check Spring AI and Spring AI Alibaba Versions:
- Verify the exact versions of spring-ai and spring-ai-alibaba that you are using in your project's pom.xml or build.gradle file. Ensure that spring-ai-alibaba version is compatible with your Spring AI version. The issue description indicates that the project has upgraded to Spring AI 1.1.0, but the compatibility with the Spring AI Alibaba 1.1.0.0-M5 version needs to be double-checked.
- In your pom.xml or build.gradle, locate the dependencies for spring-ai-alibaba and spring-ai. Ensure that they are declared correctly, and that the versions are as per the official documentation for the Spring AI Alibaba integration.
Clean and Rebuild the Project:
- Sometimes, cached artifacts or old builds can lead to errors like this. Clean your project. In IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse, you can usually do this by going to Build -> Clean Project. With Maven, use mvn clean install, and with Gradle, use ./gradlew clean build. Rebuild the project to ensure that all dependencies are correctly resolved.
Update Dependencies:
- Maven: If you're using Maven, you can try updating your dependencies by running mvn dependency:resolve or mvn dependency:update.
- Gradle: For Gradle, try refreshing the dependencies using ./gradlew clean build. Make sure that the dependencies are correctly declared in the build.gradle file, for example:
```
dependencies {
    implementation 'org.springframework.ai:spring-ai-core:1.1.0'
    implementation 'com.alibaba.cloud:spring-ai-alibaba:1.1.0.0-M5'
}
```
  Make sure to sync the changes in your IDE after modifying the build files.
Inspect Your Code:
- Carefully review your code that interacts with DashScopeChatModel and AssistantMessage. Ensure that your code is compatible with the constructor signatures in the version of Spring AI you are using. If you have custom implementations or extensions, update them accordingly to match the expected parameters of the AssistantMessage constructor in Spring AI 1.1.0.
Test Thoroughly:
- After making the changes, thoroughly test your application. This includes unit tests and integration tests, as well as manually testing the chat functionality to ensure it works as expected. Test across different scenarios to identify any further issues.

Preventing Future Issues

Best Practices for Dependency Management:

To avoid this issue in the future, adhere to these practices:

Pin Dependency Versions: Always specify the exact versions of dependencies in your build files. Avoid using version ranges (e.g., 1.0.+) as they can introduce unexpected changes.
Regularly Update Dependencies: Stay current with the latest releases of Spring AI and the Alibaba integration. Regularly update your dependencies and perform thorough testing to ensure compatibility.
Read Release Notes and Migration Guides: Before upgrading dependencies, read the release notes and migration guides provided by the projects. These often include critical information about compatibility and any necessary code changes.
Use a Dependency Management Tool: Leverage tools like Maven or Gradle to manage your project's dependencies efficiently. These tools can automatically resolve dependencies and handle version conflicts.
Create a Dependency Lock File (if available): Use a dependency lock file (e.g., pom.xml.lock in Maven) to ensure consistent builds across different environments.

Keeping Up with the Community:

Stay active in the Spring AI and Alibaba Cloud communities. This helps you:

Get Early Warnings: Other users might experience the same issues, and there might be solutions or workarounds already shared.
Stay Informed: Keep an eye on the official documentation, release notes, and forums for updates and announcements related to Spring AI and the Alibaba integration. This will keep you in the loop.

By following these steps, you can successfully resolve the NoSuchMethodError, ensure the compatibility of your dependencies, and build a robust application using Spring AI and Alibaba Cloud.

Conclusion: Keeping Your AI Project Healthy

Maintaining the health of your Spring AI and Alibaba Cloud integration requires careful attention to dependency management, thorough testing, and staying updated with the latest versions. By addressing the NoSuchMethodError as described above and adopting best practices for dependency management, you can create a more robust and maintainable AI application.