NullPointerException when running Spring Data Neo4j in Advanced Mapping mode (Aspectj) - neo4j

Question

I've been trying to configure Spring Data Neo4j to use the Advanced Mapping mode with AspectJ but I've not been able to get it to work properly with my Spring Boot project. The project compiles and starts up without exception but when I try to call a controller I get a java.lang.NullPointerException. I've compared my code with some of the example projects and I cannot see what I'm doing wrong.
I've put up a small example program that highlights the issue on github: https://github.com/tjakobsen/nullpointer
Below is a copy of the full stack trace I get when I run the above project (I'm using JDK 1.7 with Tomcat 7). Any insight on what I'm doing wrong would be much appreciated.
java.lang.NullPointerException
org.springframework.data.neo4j.aspects.support.node.Neo4jNodeBacking.ajc$interMethod$org_springframework_data_neo4j_aspects_support_node_Neo4jNodeBacking$org_springframework_data_neo4j_aspects_core_NodeBacked$persist(Neo4jNodeBacking.aj:133)
com.example.nullpointer.domain.Person.persist(Person.java:1)
com.example.nullpointer.domain.Person.persist(Person.java:1)
org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.mapping.Neo4jEntityPersister.persist(Neo4jEntityPersister.java:229)
org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.Neo4jTemplate.save(Neo4jTemplate.java:356)
org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.Neo4jTemplate.save(Neo4jTemplate.java:350)
org.springframework.data.neo4j.repository.AbstractGraphRepository.save(AbstractGraphRepository.java:91)
sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:601)
org.springframework.data.repository.core.support.RepositoryFactorySupport$QueryExecutorMethodInterceptor.executeMethodOn(RepositoryFactorySupport.java:405)
org.springframework.data.repository.core.support.RepositoryFactorySupport$QueryExecutorMethodInterceptor.doInvoke(RepositoryFactorySupport.java:390)
org.springframework.data.repository.core.support.RepositoryFactorySupport$QueryExecutorMethodInterceptor.invoke(RepositoryFactorySupport.java:344)
org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:179)
org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor$1.proceedWithInvocation(TransactionInterceptor.java:98)
org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionAspectSupport.invokeWithinTransaction(TransactionAspectSupport.java:262)
org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor.invoke(TransactionInterceptor.java:95)
org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:179)
org.springframework.dao.support.PersistenceExceptionTranslationInterceptor.invoke(PersistenceExceptionTranslationInterceptor.java:136)
org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:179)
org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:207)
com.sun.proxy.$Proxy69.save(Unknown Source)
com.example.nullpointer.controllers.IndexController.index_aroundBody0(IndexController.java:29)
com.example.nullpointer.controllers.IndexController$AjcClosure1.run(IndexController.java:1)
org.springframework.transaction.aspectj.AbstractTransactionAspect.ajc$around$org_springframework_transaction_aspectj_AbstractTransactionAspect$1$2a73e96cproceed(AbstractTransactionAspect.aj:59)
org.springframework.transaction.aspectj.AbstractTransactionAspect$AbstractTransactionAspect$1.proceedWithInvocation(AbstractTransactionAspect.aj:65)
org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionAspectSupport.invokeWithinTransaction(TransactionAspectSupport.java:262)
org.springframework.transaction.aspectj.AbstractTransactionAspect.ajc$around$org_springframework_transaction_aspectj_AbstractTransactionAspect$1$2a73e96c(AbstractTransactionAspect.aj:63)
com.example.nullpointer.controllers.IndexController.index(IndexController.java:24)
sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:601)
org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invoke(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:215)
org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invokeForRequest(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:132)
org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:104)
org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandleMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:749)
org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:689)
org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.handle(AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.java:83)
org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:938)
org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:870)
org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:961)
org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:852)
javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:620)
org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:837)
javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:727)
org.springframework.web.filter.HiddenHttpMethodFilter.doFilterInternal(HiddenHttpMethodFilter.java:77)
org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:108)

Answer 1

I think you're missing the neo4j aspect configuration. Check this out https://github.com/inserpio/nullpointer and let me know if it correctly works also for you.
Cheers,
Lorenzo