[FIXED] Return HTTP 204 on null with spring @RestController

Issue

This returns 200 OK with Content-Length: 0

@RestController
public class RepoController {
    @RequestMapping(value = "/document/{id}", method = RequestMethod.GET)
    public Object getDocument(@PathVariable long id) {
       return null;
    }

}

Simply put I'd like it to return 204 No Content on null.

Is there a way to force spring-mvc/rest to return 204 on null not 200? I dont want to change every rest method to return ResponseEntity or something like that, only map null to 204

Solution

Of course yes.

Option 1 :

@RestController
public class RepoController {
    @RequestMapping(value = "/document/{id}", method = RequestMethod.GET)
    public Object getDocument(@PathVariable long id, HttpServletResponse response) {
       Object object = getObject();
       if( null == object ){
          response.setStatus( HttpStatus.SC_NO_CONTENT);
       }
       return object ;
    }
}

Option 2 :

@RestController
public class RepoController {
    @RequestMapping(value = "/document/{id}", method = RequestMethod.GET)
    public Object getDocument(@PathVariable long id) {
       Object object = getObject();
       if ( null == object ){
          return new ResponseEntity<Void>(HttpStatus.NO_CONTENT);
       }

       return object ;
    }
}

Might have typos, but you get the concept.

Answered By - Karthik R