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Introduction to Java record
Java 14 introduced the Java record feature (as a preview) and officially introduced it in Java 16. A Java record
is a special class used to store immutable data.
📌 Key Features of Java record
: ✔ Immutable fields – Cannot be modified after creation. ✔ Auto-generated constructor, getters, toString()
, equals()
, and hashCode()
. ✔ Ideal for DTOs, API responses, and data modeling.
Declaring a Simple record
(Employee Example) public record Employee (int id, String firstName, String lastName, String email ) {}📌 What this automatically generates:
public final class Employee { private final int id; private final String firstName; private final String lastName; private final String email; public Employee (int id, String firstName, String lastName, String email) { this .id = id; this .firstName = firstName; this .lastName = lastName; this .email = email; } public int id ( ) { return id; } public String firstName ( ) { return firstName; } public String lastName ( ) { return lastName; } public String email ( ) { return email; } @Override public boolean equals (Object obj ) { } @Override public int hashCode ( ) { } @Override public String toString ( ) { } }📌 Why record
is better? ✅ No need to write constructors, getters, toString()
, equals()
, or hashCode()
. ✅ Immutable by default (No setters).
🔥 Why Use Records in Spring Boot? ✅ Common Use Cases in Spring Boot Here are the best places to use records in a Spring Boot app:
Real-World Example: REST API with Java Records Let’s build a simple Spring Boot app with a Product
entity and a ProductDTO
using record.
Step 1: Entity Class @Entity public class Product { @Id @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY) private Long id; private String name; private String description; private Double price; }Step 2: DTO Using Record public record ProductDTO (Long id, String name, String description, Double price ) {}This generates:
A constructor with all fields getters
(named as the fields)equals()
, hashCode()
, and toString()
🧠Records are implicitly final
and immutable. ✅ One line replaces 40+ lines of code!
Step 3: Mapper Utility public class ProductMapper { public static ProductDTO toDTO (Product product ) { return new ProductDTO ( product.getId (), product.getName (), product.getDescription (), product.getPrice () ); } public static Product toEntity (ProductDTO dto ) { Product product = new Product (); product.setName (dto.name ()); product.setDescription (dto.description ()); product.setPrice (dto.price ()); return product; } }Step 4: Repository Layer public interface ProductRepository extends JpaRepository <Product , Long > { }Step 5: Service Layer @Service public class ProductService { private final ProductRepository repository; public ProductService (ProductRepository repository) { this .repository = repository; } public List<ProductDTO> getAllProducts () { return repository.findAll() .stream() .map(ProductMapper::toDTO) .toList(); } public ProductDTO createProduct (ProductDTO dto) { Product product = ProductMapper.toEntity(dto); Product saved = repository.save(product); return ProductMapper.toDTO(saved); } }Step 6: REST Controller @RestController @RequestMapping("/api/products" ) public class ProductController { private final ProductService service; public ProductController(ProductService service) { this .service = service; } @GetMapping public List<ProductDTO> getAllProducts() { return service.getAllProducts(); } @PostMapping public ProductDTO createProduct(@RequestBody ProductDTO dto) { return service.createProduct(dto); } }💡 Using Records for Custom API Responses public record ApiResponse <T >(String message, T data, LocalDateTime timestamp ) {}Example Usage: @GetMappingpublic ApiResponse <List <ProductDTO >> getAll () { return new ApiResponse<>("Products fetched" , service.getAllProducts(), LocalDateTime.now()); } ✅ Looks great, minimal code, and makes the API more structured.
🚀 Using Records with Spring Data Projections You can return a record from a custom JPQL query:
public record ProductView (Long id, String name ) {} @Query("SELECT new com.example.demo.ProductView(p.id, p.name) FROM Product p" )List<ProductView> findAllProductNames () ;⚠️ Things You CANNOT Do with Records Best Practices ✅ Use records only when immutability makes sense (e.g., DTOs, value models). ❌ Don’t use records for JPA entities (JPA requires mutable fields). ✅ Combine records with @RequestBody
or @ResponseBody
for cleaner REST APIs. ✅ Use records for in-memory and read-only operations. ✅ Use records in unit tests for mock payloads and expected results. Unit Test Example @Test void testProductDTO () { ProductDTO dto = new ProductDTO (1L , "Book" , "Java Book" , 399.99 ); assertEquals("Book" , dto.name()); }Frameworks and Libraries That Work Well with Records 📚 Summary Java records are lightweight, immutable data carriers. In Spring Boot, they’re perfect for DTOs, responses, and projections. They reduce boilerplate, improve readability, and encourage immutability. But avoid using them as entities or for mutable state. 🎯 Final Thoughts Java Records bring the modern, minimalist syntax we’ve long wanted in Java. When combined with Spring Boot, they offer a clean, professional structure — especially for REST APIs, microservices, and cloud-native applications.
✅ Cleaner code ✅ Fewer bugs ✅ Easier maintenance Still using POJOs for DTOs? It’s time to upgrade to Java Records and experience the simplicity.
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