Spring-boot change the json response structure with jackson

Question

I'm using spring boot REST, and I want to change the structure of the JSON response during serialize.
I have the following models:
Title.java

@Entity
public class Title {
    private Short id;
    private String name;
    private Collection<TitleCelebrity> titleCelebrities;

    @Id
    @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
    @Column(name = "id")
    public Short getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(Short id) {
        this.id = id;
    }

    @Basic
    @Column(name = "name")
    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    @OneToMany(mappedBy = "title")
    public Collection<TitleCelebrity> getTitleCelebrities() {
        return titleCelebrities;
    }

    public void setTitleCelebrities(Collection<TitleCelebrity> titleCelebrities) {
        this.titleCelebrities = titleCelebrities;
    }
}

TitleCelebrity.java

@Entity
@Table(name = "title_celebrity")
public class TitleCelebrity {
    private TitleCelebrityPK id;
    private String characterName;
    private Title title;
    private TitleCelebrityType titleCelebrityType;

    @EmbeddedId
    @JsonIgnore
    public TitleCelebrityPK getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(TitleCelebrityPK id) {
        this.id = id;
    }

    @Basic
    @Column(name = "character_name")
    public String getCharacterName() {
        return characterName;
    }

    public void setCharacterName(String characterName) {
        this.characterName = characterName;
    }

    @MapsId("titleByTitleId")
    @ManyToOne
    @JoinColumn(name = "title_id", referencedColumnName = "id", nullable = false)
    @JsonIgnore
    public Title getTitle() {
        return title;
    }

    public void setTitle(Title title) {
        this.title = title;
    }

    @MapsId("titleCelebrityTypeByTitleCelebrityTypeId")
    @ManyToOne
    @JoinColumn(name = "title_celebrity_type_id", referencedColumnName = "id", nullable = false)
    public TitleCelebrityType getTitleCelebrityType() {
        return titleCelebrityType;
    }

    public void setTitleCelebrityType(TitleCelebrityType titleCelebrityType) {
        this.titleCelebrityType = titleCelebrityType;
    }
}

TitleCelebrityType.java

@Entity
@Immutable
@Table(name = "title_celebrity_type")
public class TitleCelebrityType {
    private Short id;
    private String name;
    private Collection<TitleCelebrity> titleCelebrities;

    @Id
    @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
    @Column(name = "id")
    public Short getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(Short id) {
        this.id = id;
    }

    @Basic
    @Column(name = "name")
    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    @OneToMany(mappedBy = "titleCelebrityType")
    @JsonIgnore
    public Collection<TitleCelebrity> getTitleCelebrities() {
        return titleCelebrities;
    }

    public void setTitleCelebrities(Collection<TitleCelebrity> titleCelebrities) {
        this.titleCelebrities = titleCelebrities;
    }
}

So when i make a request to get a Title here's how the JSON response look like:

{
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Vertigo",
    "titleCelebrities": [
            {
                "characterName": "John 'Scot",
                "titleCelebrityType": {
                    "id": 1,
                    "name": "Cast"
                }
            },
            {
                "characterName": "Madeleine ",
                "titleCelebrityType": {
                    "id": 1,
                    "name": "Cast"
                }
            },
            {
                "characterName": "a",
                "titleCelebrityType": {
                    "id": 2,
                    "name": "Director"
                }
            },
            {
                "characterName": "b",
                "titleCelebrityType": {
                    "id": 3,
                    "name": "Writer"
                }
            },
            {
                "characterName": "c",
                "titleCelebrityType": {
                    "id": 3,
                    "name": "Writer"
                }
            }
        ]
}

Is there anyway without changing the POJO classes (models) to make it look like this ?

{
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Vertigo",
    "titleCelebrities": [
        {
            "cast": {
                "characterName": "John 'Scot",
                "characterName": "Madeleine ",
            },
            "director": {
                "characterName": "a",
            },
            "writer": {
                "characterName": "b",
                "characterName": "c",
            }
        },
    ]
}

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 07 '18 at 00:48

You can use DTO:

To encapsulate data in a value object that could be transferred over the network: a Data Transfer Object. In details DTO

And also you can use Dozer:

Dozer is a Java Bean to Java Bean mapper that recursively copies data from one object to another. In details Dozer

How to use Dozer with Spring Boot
Dozer annotation mapping documentation

Spring-boot change the json response structure with jackson

1 Answers1