Difference Between @RestController and @RequestMapping in Spring Boot

Understand the difference between @RestController and @RequestMapping in Spring Boot. Learn how they work, when to use them, and best practices with practical examples.

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🚀 Introduction: Understanding @RestController vs @RequestMapping

In Spring Boot, both @RestController and @RequestMapping are used in RESTful APIs, but they serve different purposes.

✅ Key Differences:

1️⃣ Understanding @RestController in Spring Boot

📌 Use @RestController to define RESTful APIs that return JSON responses.

✅ @RestController = @Controller + @ResponseBody

Example: Using @RestController for a REST API

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/users")
public class UserController {

    @GetMapping("/{id}")
    public User getUserById(@PathVariable int id) {
        return new User(id, "Ramesh");
    }
}