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Updated on 2025-04-09

Java IText exception NoClassDefFoundError: org/buncycastle/asn1/ASN1Encodable solution

1. Error description

When you try to run a Java application that uses the iText library to generate or process PDF files, if the program depends on the secure implementation of BouncyCastle but is not configured correctly, you may encounter the following error:

Exception in thread "main" : org/bouncycastle/asn1/ASN1Encodable at (:123) at (:148) at (:50) Caused by: : .asn1.ASN1Encodable at (:382) at (:424) at $(:349) at (:357) ... 3 more

This error indicates that the JVM cannot be found at runtime​​.asn1.ASN1Encodable​Class. This is usually because the BouncyCastle library is not properly added to the project's classpath.

2. Cause analysis

2.1 Missing BouncyCastle library

The iText library relies on the BouncyCastle library when it comes to handling certain security-related features, such as digital signatures. If you use these features in your application but do not include the BouncyCastle library, the above error will be caused.

2.2 Classpath issue

Even if you have downloaded the BouncyCastle library, it will appear if it is not properly added to the project's classpath.​NoClassDefFoundError​​. Make sure that your build tools (such as Maven, Gradle, etc.) or IDE has correctly configured the path to the library.

3. Solution

3.1 Manage dependencies using Maven

If your project is based on Maven, you can​​Add BouncyCastle and iText dependencies to the file:

<dependencies>
    <!-- iText PDF library -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId></groupId>
        <artifactId>itextpdf</artifactId>
        <version>5.5.13</version>
    </dependency>
    
    <!-- BouncyCastle provider for security features -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId></groupId>
        <artifactId>bcprov-jdk15on</artifactId>
        <version>1.68</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

3.2 Manually add JAR files

If you don't use the build tool, you can manually download the BouncyCastle's JAR file and add it to the project's classpath. The download address can be obtained from the official website of BouncyCastle.

3.3 Configuring IDE

Make sure your IDE (such as IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, etc.) has the correct library path configured. In the IDE, external JAR files can be added through project settings or build paths.

4. Verification and resolution

After completing the above steps, recompile and run your application. If everything is configured correctly, you should be able to run the program successfully without encountering it again​NoClassDefFoundError​​。

This problem can be effectively solved by adding dependencies or configuring the classpath correctly. Hope this article helps you avoid such errors when using iText for PDF operations.

​​NoClassDefFoundError: org/bouncycastle/asn1/ASN1Encodable​​ Errors usually occur when trying to use some features in the Bouncy Castle library, but the library is not properly added to the project's classpath. Bouncy Castle is a widely used open source cryptography library used to handle encryption, decryption, signature and other operations.

Sample Scenario

Suppose you are developing a Java application that needs to generate PDF files and use digital signatures to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the document when generating PDFs. To achieve this, you decided to use the two libraries iText and Bouncy Castle.

Problem recurs

If you do not properly add the Bouncy Castle library to your project, you may encounter ​​NoClassDefFoundError: org/bouncycastle/asn1/ASN1Encodable​​ Error.

import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import .*;
 
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
 
public class PdfSigner {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            // Initialize Bouncy Castle provider            (new ());
 
            // Create PDF document            Document document = new Document();
            PdfWriter writer = (document, new FileOutputStream(""));
            ();
            (new Paragraph("Hello, this is a signed PDF document."));
 
            // Get the private key and certificate            KeyStore ks = (());
            (null, null);
            PrivateKey pk = (PrivateKey) ("mykey", "password".toCharArray());
            Certificate[] chain = ("mykey");
 
            // Signature options            PdfSignatureAppearance appearance = ();
            ExternalDigest digest = new BouncyCastleDigest();
            ExternalSignature signature = new PrivateKeySignature(pk, "SHA-256", "BC");
            (appearance, digest, signature, chain, null, null, null, 0, );
 
            ();
 
            ("PDF signed successfully.");
        } catch (Exception e) {
            ();
        }
    }
}

Solution

To resolve this, you need to make sure that the Bouncy Castle library has been added to the classpath of your project. Here are a few common methods:

1. Use Maven

If your project is based on Maven, you can​​Add Bouncy Castle's dependencies to the file:

&lt;dependencies&gt;
    &lt;dependency&gt;
        &lt;groupId&gt;&lt;/groupId&gt;
        &lt;artifactId&gt;bcprov-jdk15on&lt;/artifactId&gt;
        &lt;version&gt;1.70&lt;/version&gt;
    &lt;/dependency&gt;
    &lt;dependency&gt;
        &lt;groupId&gt;&lt;/groupId&gt;
        &lt;artifactId&gt;bcpkix-jdk15on&lt;/artifactId&gt;
        &lt;version&gt;1.70&lt;/version&gt;
    &lt;/dependency&gt;
    &lt;!-- Other dependencies --&gt;
&lt;/dependencies&gt;

2. Use Gradle

If your project is based on Gradle, you can​​Add Bouncy Castle's dependencies to the file:

dependencies {
    implementation ':bcprov-jdk15on:1.70'
    implementation ':bcpkix-jdk15on:1.70'
    // Other dependencies}

3. Add JAR files manually

If you don't use the build tool, you can manually download the Bouncy Castle's JAR file and add it to the project's classpath. You can download the latest version of JAR files from the official Bouncy Castle website.

Verify solution

After making sure the Bouncy Castle library has been added correctly, rerun the above code. If everything works, you should be able to successfully generate and sign PDF files without encountering them​NoClassDefFoundError​​ Error.

Hope this helps you solve the problem! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. In Java development, we encounter​NoClassDefFoundError​Exceptions usually mean that the class is available at compile time, but it cannot be found at runtime. Specifically what you mentioned​NoClassDefFoundError: org/bouncycastle/asn1/ASN1Encodable​​, this error indicates that the BouncyCastle library is not found at runtime​ASN1Encodable​​ Class.

Cause of the problem

  1. Missing dependency library: The most common situation is that the BouncyCastle JAR file is not added to the project's classpath.
  2. Version mismatch: Different versions of the BouncyCastle library may be used in the project, resulting in some classes being unavailable.
  3. Classpath issue: Even if the JAR file exists, if the classpath is configured incorrectly, the class may not be found.
  4. Packaging issues: During the build or packaging process, some necessary library files may not be properly included in the final executable.

Solution

1. Add BouncyCastle dependency

If you are using build tools such as Maven or Gradle, you can add BouncyCastle dependencies to your project's configuration file.

Maven

In​​Add the following dependencies to the file:

&lt;dependency&gt;
    &lt;groupId&gt;&lt;/groupId&gt;
    &lt;artifactId&gt;bcprov-jdk15on&lt;/artifactId&gt;
    &lt;version&gt;1.68&lt;/version&gt; &lt;!-- Please select the appropriate version as needed --&gt;
&lt;/dependency&gt;

Gradle

In​​Add the following dependencies to the file:

dependencies {
    implementation ':bcprov-jdk15on:1.68' // Please select the appropriate version as needed}

2. Check the classpath

Make sure that the BouncyCastle's JAR file has been correctly added to the project's classpath. You can check it by:

  • IDE (such as IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse): Make sure that the JAR file has been added to the project's library.
  • Command line: Use the java -cp command to specify the classpath, for example:
java -cp /path/to/your/jar:bcprov-jdk15on-1. YourMainClass

3. Check version compatibility

Make sure the version of BouncyCastle used in your project is compatible with the version of the dependent library. If there are multiple versions of the BouncyCastle library, conflicts may occur. You can check all dependencies in the project using the following command:

  • Maven：
mvn dependency:tree
  • Gradle：
gradle dependencies

4. Rebuild the project

Sometimes, rebuilding a project can solve some dependency problems. You can try cleaning and rebuilding the project:

  • Maven：
mvn clean install
  • Gradle：
gradle clean build

Summarize

​​​NoClassDefFoundError: org/bouncycastle/asn1/ASN1Encodable​​ This is usually caused by missing BouncyCastle library or incorrect classpath configuration. This problem can be effectively solved by adding correct dependencies, checking classpaths and version compatibility, and rebuilding the project. Hope this information is helpful to you!

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