[SOLVED]: Unable to find a result type for extension [properties] or [xml]

If you have just started writing struts 2 application, and you are in process of configuring it then you might face this exception. Complete stack trace will look like this:

SEVERE: Dispatcher initialization failed
Unable to load configuration. - [unknown location]
at com.opensymphony.xwork2.config.ConfigurationManager.getConfiguration(ConfigurationManager.java:70)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher.init_PreloadConfiguration(Dispatcher.java:446)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher.init(Dispatcher.java:490)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.InitOperations.initDispatcher(InitOperations.java:74)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.init(StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.java:57)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.initFilter(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:277)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.getFilter(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:258)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.setFilterDef(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:382)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.<init>(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:103)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.filterStart(StandardContext.java:4650)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5306)
at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1559)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1549)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Caused by: Unable to find a result type for extension [properties] in location attribute [/struts.properties]. - [unknown location]
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder$ResultInfo.determineType(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:513)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder$ResultInfo.<init>(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:476)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder.makeResults(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:397)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder.createFromResources(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:304)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder.build(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:191)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.createActionConfig(PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.java:935)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.buildConfiguration(PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.java:718)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.buildActionConfigs(PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.java:348)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.ClasspathPackageProvider.loadPackages(ClasspathPackageProvider.java:53)
at com.opensymphony.xwork2.config.impl.DefaultConfiguration.reloadContainer(DefaultConfiguration.java:260)
at com.opensymphony.xwork2.config.ConfigurationManager.getConfiguration(ConfigurationManager.java:67)
... 18 more
Aug 14, 2013 12:24:55 AM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext filterStart
SEVERE: Exception starting filter struts2
Unable to load configuration. - [unknown location]
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher.init(Dispatcher.java:502)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.InitOperations.initDispatcher(InitOperations.java:74)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.init(StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.java:57)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.initFilter(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:277)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.getFilter(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:258)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.setFilterDef(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:382)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.<init>(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:103)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.filterStart(StandardContext.java:4650)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5306)
at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1559)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1549)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Caused by: Unable to load configuration. - [unknown location]
at com.opensymphony.xwork2.config.ConfigurationManager.getConfiguration(ConfigurationManager.java:70)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher.init_PreloadConfiguration(Dispatcher.java:446)
at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher.init(Dispatcher.java:490)
... 16 more
Caused by: Unable to find a result type for extension [properties] in location attribute [/struts.properties]. - [unknown location]
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder$ResultInfo.determineType(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:513)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder$ResultInfo.<init>(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:476)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder.makeResults(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:397)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder.createFromResources(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:304)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.DefaultResultMapBuilder.build(DefaultResultMapBuilder.java:191)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.createActionConfig(PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.java:935)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.buildConfiguration(PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.java:718)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.buildActionConfigs(PackageBasedActionConfigBuilder.java:348)
at org.apache.struts2.convention.ClasspathPackageProvider.loadPackages(ClasspathPackageProvider.java:53)
at com.opensymphony.xwork2.config.impl.DefaultConfiguration.reloadContainer(DefaultConfiguration.java:260)
at com.opensymphony.xwork2.config.ConfigurationManager.getConfiguration(ConfigurationManager.java:67)
... 18 more

Solution

This exception is because of wrong path configured for property : “struts.convention.result.path” which normally looks like this:

<constant name="struts.convention.result.path" value="/" />

//or in properties file

struts.convention.result.path=/

Well your path is incorrect. Correct it to any valid location where your JSP files are located. e.g.

<constant name="struts.convention.result.path" value="/WEB-INF/jsp/" />

//or in properties file

struts.convention.result.path=/WEB-INF/jsp/

It will solve this issue.

Happy Learning !!