Cannot load driver class: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver Spring

When working with any Spring-based application, you might encounter the general error “Cannot load driver class: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver.” This issue occurs when the application’s configuration is incorrect and your spring application cannot find or load the com.mysql.jdbc.Driver class. This article will explore why this happens and how to tackle it.

Table of Contents

1. What is this error?
2. What are the common reasons behind this error?
3. How to fix this error
4. Conclusion
5. FAQs

What is this error?

What is com.mysql.jdbc.Driver?

com.mysql.jdbc.Driver is the class provided by MySQL Connector that helps you connect your Java application with the MySQL Database. Using this, your applications can establish relationships with the databases and can execute the queries.

Why Does This Error Occur?

This error generally occurs when your Spring application is unable to find or load the com.mysql.jdbc.Driver class. It might happen due to improper or incorrect dependencies, outdated drivers, or any misconfiguration in database properties.

What are the common reasons behind this error?

Missing or Incorrect MySQL Dependency

One of the major reasons is that your MySQL Connector dependency might not be included in the project or might have been misconfigured. 

Deprecated MySQL Driver Class

If your MySQL Driver class is outdated or deprecated then also, the project won’t be able to find the dependency. Since after Java Version 8, the class has been renamed to com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver.

Incorrect Database Configuration

Another reason can be the mistakes that might have occurred while initializing the database connection. The database connection URL or there might be some properties that are missing in the application.properties or application.yml file, these can also result in the error.

How to Fix this Error

Add Correct Dependency in pom.xml

Please ensure that you include the correct MySQL Connection Dependency in your Maven Project. Here’s how you can achieve the same:

xml

CopyEdit

<dependency>

    <groupId>mysql</groupId>

    <artifactId>mysql-connector-java</artifactId>

    <version>8.0.34</version>

</dependency>

In case, you are using Gradle, you can include this code in your build.gradle file:

implementation 'mysql:mysql-connector-java:8.0.34'

Update application.properties or application.yml

You can also do the same by updating the application.properties file or application.yml file. For both of them, examples are mentioned below:

For application.properties:

spring.datasource.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/your_database

spring.datasource.username=username_here

spring.datasource.password=password_here

spring.datasource.driver-class-name=com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver

For application.yml:

spring:

  datasource:

    url: jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/database_name

    username: username_here

    password: password_here

    driver-class-name: com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver

Verify the MySQL Connector Version

Additionally, also ensure that you are using the correct version of Connectors. If you are using MySQL 8.0, so make sure you are using Java Version 8 or greater, since the version before that might not have the support to the one that you are using.

Conclusion

This error “Cannot load driver class: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver Spring” generally happens when you don’t have the dependencies or if there is a misconfiguration in your Spring application. If you include the proper dependencies, then you will be able to resolve this issue effectively. If you want to learn more about Spring, then you should head to our Java Certification Training Course.

FAQs