title: "NoClassDefFoundError: Could not initialize class" error
body: <p>When I run my project, I get numerous outputs of this error:</p>
  
  <pre>
  Sep 9, 2009 8:22:23 AM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve invoke
  SEVERE: Servlet.service() for servlet Jersey threw exception
  java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Could not initialize class SpringFactory
          at com.point2.prospect.persistence.hibernate.HibernateTransactionInterceptor.doFilter(HibernateTrans
  actionInterceptor.java:17)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
          at com.point2.prospect.restapi.ServerErrorInterceptor.doFilter(ServerErrorInterceptor.java:27)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:128)
          at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
          at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
          at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:286)
          at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:845)
          at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:583)
          at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:447)
          at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)
  </pre>
  
  <p>I notice that this problem has a pattern of being asked all over the web, but with no real answers. What is a general cause for this kind of error?</p>