@Service, @Repository, @Controller, and @Component Annotations in Spring Boot

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🚀 Introduction

Spring Boot provides multiple stereotype annotations (@Service, @Repository, @Controller, and @Component) to mark beans for dependency injection. But when should you use each of them?

This guide explains:
✔ Differences between @Service, @Repository, @Controller, and @Component
✔ Their specific use cases
✔ How Spring Boot manages them in the application context

1️⃣ @Component — The Generic Stereotype

The @Component annotation is the most generic annotation used for marking a class as a Spring-managed bean.

📌 When to Use @Component?

When a class does not fit into @Service, @Repository, or @Controller categories.
For custom utility classes, helper services, or third-party integrations.

✅ Example: Defining a General Component

@Component
public class EmailUtility {
    public void sendEmail(String recipient, String message) {
        System.out.println("Sending email to: " + recipient);
    }
}

📌 Spring will register EmailUtility as a bean, allowing it to be injected into other components.

2️⃣ @Service — The Business Logic Layer

The @Service annotation is a specialized version of @Component, intended for service layer beans that contain business logic.

📌 When to Use @Service?

For classes that handle business logic.
When performing complex calculations, data transformation, or transaction management.

✅ Example: Defining a Service Layer

@Service
public class ProductService {
    
    private final ProductRepository productRepository;

    public ProductService(ProductRepository productRepository) {
        this.productRepository = productRepository;
    }

    public List<Product> getAllProducts() {
        return productRepository.findAll();
    }
}

📌 Spring treats @Service differently when enabling transaction management (@Transactional).

3️⃣ @Repository — The Data Access Layer

The @Repository annotation is a specialized version of @Component, intended for data access layer (DAO) classes.

📌 When to Use @Repository?

For classes that directly interact with the database.
When working with Spring Data JPA or JDBC.
Enables automatic exception translation for database errors into Spring’s DataAccessException.

✅ Example: Defining a Repository Layer

public interface ProductRepository extends JpaRepository<Product, Long> {
}

📌 Spring Data JPA automatically detects this interface as a repository, even without @Repository.

4️⃣ @Controller — The Presentation Layer

The @Controller annotation is a specialized version of @Component, intended for handling web requests in Spring MVC applications.

📌 When to Use @Controller?

For handling HTTP requests in a Spring MVC web application.
When returning views (Thymeleaf, JSP, etc.) instead of raw JSON.

✅ Example: Defining a Controller

@Controller
public class WebController {

    @GetMapping("/home")
    public String home(Model model) {
        model.addAttribute("message", "Welcome to Spring Boot!");
        return "home"; // Returns a view template (Thymeleaf/JSP)
    }
}

📌 @Controller is typically used when working with UI frameworks (Thymeleaf, JSP).

5️⃣ @RestController — The REST API Controller

The @RestController annotation is a combination of @Controller and @ResponseBody.

📌 When to Use @RestController?

For RESTful APIs that return JSON or XML responses.

✅ Example: Defining a REST API Controller

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/products")
public class ProductController {

    private final ProductService productService;

    public ProductController(ProductService productService) {
        this.productService = productService;
    }

    @GetMapping
    public List<Product> getProducts() {
        return productService.getAllProducts();
    }
}

📌 Unlike @Controller, @RestController automatically converts responses to JSON.

6️⃣ Key Differences Between @Component, @Service, @Repository, and @Controller

7️⃣ Summary — When to Use Which Annotation?

✔ Use @Component when none of the other annotations fit.
✔ Use @Service for business logic processing.
✔ Use @Repository for database operations and Spring Data JPA.
✔ Use @Controller for web applications returning views.
✔ Use @RestController for REST APIs that return JSON responses.

❓ FAQs — Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I replace @Service with @Component?

Yes! Since @Service is a specialization of @Component, Spring will still detect the bean. However, @Service improves readability and is recommended for service layer beans.

2. Is @Repository required for Spring Data JPA?

No. Spring Data JPA automatically detects JpaRepository implementations without needing @Repository. However, you can still use it for clarity.

3. What is the difference between @Controller and @RestController?

@Controller is used for web applications and returns view templates.
@RestController is used for REST APIs and returns JSON responses.

4. Can I use @RestController instead of @Controller?

Yes, but @RestController is only for REST APIs. If you are building a web application with a UI, use @Controller.

🚀 Understanding these annotations will help you structure your Spring Boot application effectively!

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