Spring Boot | REST API

The best way to handle API responses in Spring Boot

In Spring Boot applications, maintaining a standardized response format across various endpoints is not just good practice; it’s a crucial element in crafting robust and scalable APIs. One effective way to achieve this consistency is by implementing a default APIResponse for every endpoint.

In this article, we'll explore the significance of this approach and how it can streamline your development process.

The Foundation: APIResponse Class

Let’s begin by examining the core component of this practice — the APIResponse class. This class acts as a wrapper for your API responses, encapsulating essential information such as status, HTTP status code, message, internal code, and the data payload.

@Data
@NoArgsConstructor
@AllArgsConstructor
@Builder
public class APIResponse <T> {

    // The status of the API response, indicating success or failure.
    private String status;

    // The HTTP status code associated with the API response.
    private Integer httpStatus;

    // A human-readable message providing additional information about the API response.
    private String message;

    // An internal code or identifier for the API response, aiding in error identification.
    private String…