Spring REST controller redirection

[K. Tsang]

Hello

I have 2 spring apps say call them clientApp (web client) and serviceApp (REST web service taking in JSON parameter).

These apps are on separate machines: clientApp is in a DMZ and serviceApp is in the company internal network.

In the clientApp, I have a class that calls the REST web services according. However, this clientApp also acts as a interface/wrapper for third parties/ vendors to call.

Let say there is the "search" function. In the serviceApp it looks like:

	@RequestMapping(value = "/search", method = RequestMethod.POST)
	public String search(@RequestBody String jsonString) {
		String json = "";
		try {
			// convert from json to java object
			SearchRequest request = JsonUtil.toObject(SearchRequest.class, jsonString);
			SearchResponse response = new SearchResponse();
			// do stuff to response
			json = JsonUtil.toJson(response);//convert to json
		} catch (IOException e) {
			log.error(e.getMessage());
		}
		return json;
	}

In the clientApp, instead of doing this:

	@RequestMapping(value = "/search", method = RequestMethod.POST)
	public String search(@RequestBody String jsonString) {
		String json = "";
		try {
			// convert from json to java object
			SearchRequest request = JsonUtil.toObject(SearchRequest.class, jsonString);
			//call web service using my own class
			MyService service = MyServiceImpl.getInstance();
			SearchResponse response = service.search(request); 
			json = JsonUtil.toJson(response); //convert back to json
		} catch (IOException e) {
			log.error(e.getMessage());
		}
		return json;
	}

From the above, the JSON conversion code is done twice, once in client and again in server.

How to set up the client code to redirect to the serviceApp directly?

I did try the "redirect:...." approach but that works only for views, which mine isn't. If redirect approach, not sure how that json string will get through? using @ResponseBody, but I think it's for objects not for json-ed strings.

Any ideas or examples are welcome.