snippet of app context config:
    <!-- stuffs that copied from simple-container-definition.xml -->

    <bean id="job" parent="simpleJob">
        <property name="steps">
            <list>
                <bean id="step1" parent="taskletStep">
                    <property name="tasklet">
                        <bean id="tradeTasklet"
                                class="foo.sample.TradeMatchTasklet"
                                scope="step">
                            <aop:scoped-proxy />
                            <property name="status" value="9"/>
                        </bean>
                    </property>
                </bean>
            </list>
        </property>
    </bean>


My Unit test:
@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@TransactionConfiguration
@Transactional
@ContextConfiguration(locations={"/mysample/sample1-job.xml"})
public class TradeMatchBatchTests {

    @Resource
    JobLauncher jobLauncher;

    @Resource
    private Job job;

    @Resource
    MapJobRegistry jobConfigurationRegistry;

    @Test
    public void testLaunchJob() throws Exception {
        Map<String, String> strParam = new HashMap<String, String>();
        strParam.put("KEY", "1");
        JobParameters jobParam = new JobParameters(strParam, new HashMap(), new HashMap());

        JobExecution x = jobLauncher.run(job, jobParam);
    }
}


Once it is run, following exception is thrown:


2008-02-21 19:26:01,645 INFO [org.springframework.batch.execution.launch.SimpleJobLauncher] - <Job: [SimpleJob: [name=job]] failed with the following parameters: [{KEY=1}{}{}]>
org.springframework.batch.io.exception.BatchCriticalException: org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'scopedTarget.tradeTasklet': Scope 'step' is not active for the current thread; consider defining a scoped proxy for this bean if you intend to refer to it from a singleton; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalStateException: No context holder available for step scope
at org.springframework.batch.execution.step.tasklet.TaskletStep.execute(TaskletStep.java:134)
at org.springframework.batch.execution.job.simple.SimpleJob.execute(SimpleJob.java:88)
at org.springframework.batch.execution.launch.SimpleJobLauncher$1.run(SimpleJobLauncher.java:85)
at org.springframework.core.task.SyncTaskExecutor.execute(SyncTaskExecutor.java:49)
at org.springframework.batch.execution.launch.SimpleJobLauncher.run(SimpleJobLauncher.java:80)
at foo.sample.TradeMatchBatchTests.testLaunchJob(TradeMatchBatchTests.java:117)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:585)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringTestMethod.invoke(SpringTestMethod.java:198)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.runTestMethod(SpringMethodRoadie.java:274)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie$2.run(SpringMethodRoadie.java:207)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.runBeforesThenTestThenAfters(SpringMethodRoadie.java:254)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.runWithRepetitions(SpringMethodRoadie.java:234)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.runTest(SpringMethodRoadie.java:204)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.run(SpringMethodRoadie.java:146)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.invokeTestMethod(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:151)
at org.junit.internal.runners.JUnit4ClassRunner.runMethods(JUnit4ClassRunner.java:51)
at org.junit.internal.runners.JUnit4ClassRunner$1.run(JUnit4ClassRunner.java:44)
at org.junit.internal.runners.ClassRoadie.runUnprotected(ClassRoadie.java:27)
at org.junit.internal.runners.ClassRoadie.runProtected(ClassRoadie.java:37)
at org.junit.internal.runners.JUnit4ClassRunner.run(JUnit4ClassRunner.java:42)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit4.runner.JUnit4TestReference.run(JUnit4TestReference.java:38)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.TestExecution.run(TestExecution.java:38)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:460)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:673)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.run(RemoteTestRunner.java:386)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.main(RemoteTestRunner.java:196)
Caused by: org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'scopedTarget.tradeTasklet': Scope 'step' is not active for the current thread; consider defining a scoped proxy for this bean if you intend to refer to it from a singleton; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalStateException: No context holder available for step scope
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:299)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:170)
at org.springframework.aop.target.SimpleBeanTargetSource.getTarget(SimpleBeanTargetSource.java:33)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.Cglib2AopProxy$DynamicAdvisedInterceptor.getTarget(Cglib2AopProxy.java:662)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.Cglib2AopProxy$DynamicAdvisedInterceptor.intercept(Cglib2AopProxy.java:612)
at foo.sample.TradeMatchTasklet$$EnhancerByCGLIB$$f5e84820.execute(<generated>)
at org.springframework.batch.execution.step.tasklet.TaskletStep$1.doInIteration(TaskletStep.java:124)
at org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate.getNextResult(RepeatTemplate.java:324)
at org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate.executeInternal(RepeatTemplate.java:201)
at org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate.iterate(RepeatTemplate.java:131)
at org.springframework.batch.execution.step.tasklet.TaskletStep.execute(TaskletStep.java:122)
... 28 more
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: No context holder available for step scope
at org.springframework.batch.execution.scope.StepScope.getContext(StepScope.java:127)
at org.springframework.batch.execution.scope.StepScope.get(StepScope.java:68)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:285)
... 38 more