How to Expose All Entity IDs When Using Spring Data REST?

How can I make sure that all entity IDs are exposed when using Spring Data REST?

@RestResource(exported = true)
@Id
private Long id;

Spring Data REST is a powerful framework that allows you to easily expose Spring Data repositories as RESTful APIs. However, by default, ID fields may not be exposed as part of the API responses. In this guide, we will walk through how to ensure that all entity IDs are exposed in your Spring Data REST application.

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.data.rest.core.config.RepositoryRestConfigurer;
import org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.config.RepositoryRestConfigurerAdapter;

@Configuration
public class RestConfig extends RepositoryRestConfigurerAdapter {
    @Override
    public void configureRepositoryRestConfiguration(RepositoryRestConfiguration config) {
        config.exposeIdsFor(MyEntity.class);
    }
}

Causes

• The default behavior of Spring Data REST hides certain fields, including IDs, for security and clarity purposes.
• ID fields may not be annotated correctly with `@Id` or `@RestResource`.

Solutions

• Use the `@RestResource(exported = true)` annotation on ID fields to expose them in the API.
• Ensure that your entity class properly declares the ID field with the `@Id` annotation. For example:
• Implement a custom `RepositoryRestConfigurer` to globally set the visibility of all ID fields if needed.

Mistake: Overlooking the use of `@RestResource(exported = true)` on ID fields.

Solution: Always check that you have annotated your ID fields appropriately to ensure they are exposed.

Mistake: Failing to implement a `RepositoryRestConfigurer` for broader configuration.

Solution: Use the `RepositoryRestConfigurer` to globally expose ID fields for all entities if required.