返回生成application / json的web API中的简单字符串

Question

In the specification, the answer of the API is a simple string value, but the format is JSON.

I'm using Jersey.

If I construct my answer like that:

return Response.ok().entity("hello").build();

It's working, but for example, in the network view of Firefox, when I look at the answer, there is a JSON syntax error. If I had some double quotes to the string like that:

return Response.ok().entity("\"hello\"").build();

There is no syntax error in Firefox, but I don't think it's a good way to do it.

Is there a good way to return a simple String value for an API producing some JSON?

Answer 1

if you're going to produces JSON then you have to return some Object or Collection, for example:

Hello.java

public class Hello{
  public String name;
  // getter setter
}

in YourRest.java

@GET
@Path("hello/{name}")
@Produces(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
public String greeting(@PathParam("name") String name ){
  Hello hello = new Hello();
  hello.setName(name);
  return Response.ok().entity(hello).build();
}

@GET
@Path("people")
@Produces(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
public ArrayList<String> peopleList(){
  List<String> people = new ArrayList<String>();
  Hello hello = new Hello();
  hello.setName("bloub");
  people.add(hello);
  hello.setName("Aime");
  people.add(hello);
  return Response.ok().entity(people).build();
}

http://localhost:8080/hello/bloub will return

{
"name" : "bloub"
}

http://localhost:8080/people will return

[
  {
    "name" : "bloub"
  },
  {
    "name" : "Aime"
  }
]

but if you want to return simple text then use @Produces(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN)

for example:

in YourRest.java

@GET
@Path("hello/{name}")
@Produces(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN)
public String greeting(@PathParam("name") String name ){
  return Response.ok().entity("Hello, "+name).build();
}

http://localhost:8080/hello/bloub will return

Hello, bloub

Hope it helps