org.springframework.web.bind.annotation
Annotation Type RequestMapping


@Target(value={METHOD,TYPE})
@Retention(value=RUNTIME)
@Documented
public @interface RequestMapping

Annotation for mapping web requests onto specific handler classes and/or handler methods. Provides consistent style between Servlet and Portlet environments, with the semantics adapting to the concrete environment.

NOTE: Method-level mappings are only allowed to narrow the mapping expressed at the class level (if any). In the Servlet case, an HTTP path needs to uniquely map onto one specific handler bean (not spread across multiple handler beans); the remaining mapping parameters and conditions are effectively assertions only. In the Portlet case, a portlet mode in combination with specific parameter conditions needs to uniquely map onto one specific handler bean, with all conditions evaluated for mapping purposes. It is strongly recommended to co-locate related handler methods into the same bean and therefore keep the mappings simple and intuitive.

Handler methods which are annotated with this annotation are allowed to have very flexible signatures. They may have arguments of the following types, in arbitrary order (except for validation results, which need to follow right after the corresponding command object, if desired):

The following return types are supported for handler methods:

NOTE: @RequestMapping will only be processed if a corresponding HandlerMapping (for type level annotations) and/or HandlerAdapter (for method level annotations) is present in the dispatcher. This is the case by default in both DispatcherServlet and DispatcherPortlet. However, if you are defining custom HandlerMappings or HandlerAdapters, then you need to make sure that a corresponding custom DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping and/or AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter is defined as well - provided that you intend to use @RequestMapping.

NOTE: When using controller interfaces (e.g. for AOP proxying), make sure to consistently put all your mapping annotations - such as @RequestMapping and @SessionAttributes - on the controller interface rather than on the implementation class.

Since:
2.5
Author:
Juergen Hoeller, Arjen Poutsma, Sam Brannen
See Also:
RequestParam, ModelAttribute, SessionAttributes, InitBinder, WebRequest, DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping, AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter, DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping, AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter

Optional Element Summary
 String[] headers
          The headers of the mapped request, narrowing the primary mapping.
 RequestMethod[] method
          The HTTP request methods to map to, narrowing the primary mapping: GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS, PUT, DELETE, TRACE.
 String[] params
          The parameters of the mapped request, narrowing the primary mapping.
 String[] value
          The primary mapping expressed by this annotation.
 

value

public abstract String[] value
The primary mapping expressed by this annotation.

In a Servlet environment: the path mapping URIs (e.g. "/myPath.do"). Ant-style path patterns are also supported (e.g. "/myPath/*.do"). At the method level, relative paths (e.g. "edit.do") are supported within the primary mapping expressed at the type level.

In a Portlet environment: the mapped portlet modes (i.e. "EDIT", "VIEW", "HELP" or any custom modes).

Supported at the type level as well as at the method level! When used at the type level, all method-level mappings inherit this primary mapping, narrowing it for a specific handler method.

In case of Servlet-based handler methods, the method names are taken into account for narrowing if no path was specified explicitly, according to the specified MethodNameResolver (by default an InternalPathMethodNameResolver). Note that this only applies in case of ambiguous annotation mappings that do not specify a path mapping explicitly. In other words, the method name is only used for narrowing among a set of matching methods; it does not constitute a primary path mapping itself.

If you have a single default method (without explicit path mapping), then all requests without a more specific mapped method found will be dispatched to it. If you have multiple such default methods, then the method name will be taken into account for choosing between them.

Default:
{}

method

public abstract RequestMethod[] method
The HTTP request methods to map to, narrowing the primary mapping: GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS, PUT, DELETE, TRACE.

Supported at the type level as well as at the method level! When used at the type level, all method-level mappings inherit this HTTP method restriction (i.e. the type-level restriction gets checked before the handler method is even resolved).

Supported for Servlet environments as well as Portlet 2.0 environments.

Default:
{}

params

public abstract String[] params
The parameters of the mapped request, narrowing the primary mapping.

Same format for any environment: a sequence of "myParam=myValue" style expressions, with a request only mapped if each such parameter is found to have the given value. Expressions can be negated by using the "!=" operator, as in "myParam!=myValue". "myParam" style expressions are also supported, with such parameters having to be present in the request (allowed to have any value). Finally, "!myParam" style expressions indicate that the specified parameter is not supposed to be present in the request.

Supported at the type level as well as at the method level! When used at the type level, all method-level mappings inherit this parameter restriction (i.e. the type-level restriction gets checked before the handler method is even resolved).

In a Servlet environment, parameter mappings are considered as restrictions that are enforced at the type level. The primary path mapping (i.e. the specified URI value) still has to uniquely identify the target handler, with parameter mappings simply expressing preconditions for invoking the handler.

In a Portlet environment, parameters are taken into account as mapping differentiators, i.e. the primary portlet mode mapping plus the parameter conditions uniquely identify the target handler. Different handlers may be mapped onto the same portlet mode, as long as their parameter mappings differ.

Default:
{}

headers

public abstract String[] headers
The headers of the mapped request, narrowing the primary mapping.

Same format for any environment: a sequence of "My-Header=myValue" style expressions, with a request only mapped if each such header is found to have the given value. Expressions can be negated by using the "!=" operator, as in "My-Header!=myValue". "My-Header" style expressions are also supported, with such headers having to be present in the request (allowed to have any value). Finally, "!My-Header" style expressions indicate that the specified header is not supposed to be present in the request.

Also supports media type wildcards (*), for headers such as Accept and Content-Type. For instance,

 @RequestMapping(value = "/something", headers = "content-type=text/*")
 
will match requests with a Content-Type of "text/html", "text/plain", etc.

Supported at the type level as well as at the method level! When used at the type level, all method-level mappings inherit this header restriction (i.e. the type-level restriction gets checked before the handler method is even resolved).

Maps against HttpServletRequest headers in a Servlet environment, and against PortletRequest properties in a Portlet 2.0 environment.

See Also:
MediaType
Default:
{}