How to Define a Custom Object Mapper In Spring Boot Without Impacting Default Object Mapper of Spring Boot?

Question

Consider a Spring Boot Application:

Model Class 1

package com.example.demo.model;

public class BigClass {

  private Integer id;
  private String name;
  // Getters Setters are trimmed for brevity
}

Model Class 2

package com.example.demo;

public class BigClass {

  private Integer id;
  private String name;
  private Boolean isPresent;
  // Getters Setters are trimmed for brevity 
}

Rest Controller

I am trying to map one "BigClass" object containing extra member variables to another "BigClass" object containing lesser number of member variables.

@RestController
public class HelloController {

  @Autowired
  private ObjectMapper objectMapper;

  @GetMapping("/hello")
  public void sayHello() {
    BigClass bg = new BigClass();
    bg.setId(1234);
    bg.setName("Demo");
    bg.setIsPresent(true);
    com.example.demo.model.BigClass bigClass =
        objectMapper.convertValue(bg, com.example.demo.model.BigClass.class);

  }
}

This Code runs perfectly fine because the Spring Boot default Object Mapper has specification of "DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_UNKNOWN_PROPERTIES : disabled"

---

But When I alter the Main class and add a custom Object Mapper as below

Main Class

    @SpringBootApplication
    public class DemoApplication {

      @Bean("myCustomBean")
      public ObjectMapper customObjectMapper() {
        return new ObjectMapper();
      }

      public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(DemoApplication.class, args);
      }

  }

The above Rest Controller code stops working giving below error :

curl "localhost:8081/hello"


 com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.exc.UnrecognizedPropertyException: Unrecognized field "isPresent" (class com.example.demo.model.BigClass), not marked as ignorable (2 known properties: "id", "name"])
 at [Source: UNKNOWN; line: -1, column: -1] (through reference chain: com.example.demo.model.BigClass["isPresent"])
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.exc.UnrecognizedPropertyException.from(UnrecognizedPropertyException.java:61) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.DeserializationContext.handleUnknownProperty(DeserializationContext.java:840) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.std.StdDeserializer.handleUnknownProperty(StdDeserializer.java:1206) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.BeanDeserializerBase.handleUnknownProperty(BeanDeserializerBase.java:1592) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.BeanDeserializerBase.handleUnknownVanilla(BeanDeserializerBase.java:1570) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.BeanDeserializer.vanillaDeserialize(BeanDeserializer.java:294) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.BeanDeserializer.deserialize(BeanDeserializer.java:151) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper._convert(ObjectMapper.java:3917) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper.convertValue(ObjectMapper.java:3853) ~[jackson-databind-2.10.2.jar:2.10.2]
    at com.example.demo.HelloController.sayHello(HelloController.java:21) ~[classes/:na]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:1.8.0_242]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) ~[na:1.8.0_242]
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[na:1.8.0_242]
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498) ~[na:1.8.0_242]
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.doInvoke(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:190) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invokeForRequest(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:138) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:106) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandlerMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:879) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:793) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.handle(AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.java:87) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:1040) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:943) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:1006) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:898) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:634) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:883) ~[spring-webmvc-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:741) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:231) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:53) ~[tomcat-embed-websocket-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.RequestContextFilter.doFilterInternal(RequestContextFilter.java:100) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.FormContentFilter.doFilterInternal(FormContentFilter.java:93) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:201) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119) ~[spring-web-5.2.4.RELEASE.jar:5.2.4.RELEASE]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:202) ~[tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:96) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:541) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:139) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:92) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:74) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:343) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:367) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:65) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:868) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1639) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:49) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149) [na:1.8.0_242]
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624) [na:1.8.0_242]
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.31.jar:9.0.31]
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748) [na:1.8.0_242]

My Questions :

1. Why did my object mapper bean (having unique bean name) impacted the functionality of existing default spring boot Object Mapper
2. In this case, if I do not have control over legacy code using the default object mapper , what are my options to define my custom object mapper without breaking the legacy code . Note : I cannot change the legacy code in any way.

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

The Spring Jackson auto configuration uses @ConditionalOnMissingBean to create the default ObjectMapper . This means it only creates it if there isn't an existing bean of the same type. So by creating your own ObjectMapper bean, the Spring auto config doesn't create one.

I think you have a couple of options:

• If you need to control the behavior of the default Spring ObjectMapper , then you can use the spring.jackson.* properties to configure its behavior.
• If you really need 2 ObjectMapper objects with different behavior, you'll have to create them both as beans, give them unique names, and mark one as @Primary to control when/where they are autowired.

Answer 2

In the readme on a project for a custom filtering configuration for jackson I described the integration of an additional ObjectMapper.

https://github.com/Antibrumm/jackson-antpathfilter/blob/master/README.md#spring-integration

It will take some more work than just declaring a bean but you should be able to adapt the approach to define your own.

The trick is to register your own MappingJackson2HttpMessageConverter

Answer 3

When creating our own ObjectMapper bean, we need to configure its properties

@Bean("myCustomBean")
public ObjectMapper objectMapper() {
    return new ObjectMapper().setSerializationInclusion(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
            .configure(DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_UNKNOWN_PROPERTIES , 
       false);
}