Handling errors correctly in APIs while providing meaningful error messages is a very desirable feature, as it can help the API client properly respond to issues. The default behavior tends to be returning stack traces that are hard to understand and ultimately useless for the API client. Partitioning the error information into fields also enables the API client to parse it and provide better error messages to the user. In this article, we will cover how to do proper error handling when building a REST API with Spring Boot.
Building REST APIs with Spring became the standard approach for Java developers during the last couple of years. Using Spring Boot helps substantially, as it removes a lot of boilerplate code and enables auto-configuration of various components. We will assume that you’re familiar with the basics of API development with those technologies before applying the knowledge described here. If you are still unsure about how to develop a basic REST API, then you should start with this article about Spring MVC or another one about building a Spring REST Service.
