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getForEntity()

As explained in Spring in Action, Sixth Edition

getForEntity() is a RestTemplate method that performs an HTTP request and returns a ResponseEntity containing the converted response body and response metadata.

getForEntity() sends an HTTP GET request and returns a ResponseEntity containing the converted response body plus response metadata. Use it when the payload alone is not enough, such as when you need response headers. section 7.3.1

Inspecting a response header

A client can fetch an Ingredient while reading the response date, then return the converted body: ResponseEntity<Ingredient> responseEntity = rest.getForEntity("http://localhost:8080/ingredients/{id}", Ingredient.class, ingredientId); log.info("Fetched time: {}", responseEntity.getHeaders().getDate()); return responseEntity.getBody(); section 7.3.1

Choose the call form that matches how the URL is represented:

  • Pass URL variables as a variable list, map them by placeholder name, or construct a URI before calling getForEntity(). section 7.3.1
  • Create a RestTemplate directly where needed or declare one as a bean for injection. section 7.3
Table 7.2 RestTemplate defines 12 unique operations, each of which is overloaded, providing a total of 41 methods. (view table figure)

Method

Description

delete(...)

Performs an HTTP DELETE request on a resource at a specified URL

exchange(...)

Executes a specified HTTP method against a URL, returning a ResponseEntity containing an object mapped from the response body

execute(...)

Executes a specified HTTP method against a URL, returning an object mapped from the response body

getForEntity(...)

Sends an HTTP GET request, returning a ResponseEntity containing an object mapped from the response body

getForObject(...)

Sends an HTTP GET request, returning an object mapped from a response body

headForHeaders(...)

Sends an HTTP HEAD request, returning the HTTP headers for the specified resource URL

optionsForAllow(...)

Sends an HTTP OPTIONS request, returning the Allow header for the specified URL

patchForObject(...)

Sends an HTTP PATCH request, returning the resulting object mapped from the response body

postForEntity(...)

POSTs data to a URL, returning a ResponseEntity containing an object mapped from the response body

postForLocation(...)

POSTs data to a URL, returning the URL of the newly created resource

postForObject(...)

POSTs data to a URL, returning an object mapped from the response body

put(...)

PUTs resource data to the specified URL

Compare getForEntity() with the other RestTemplate operations, including getForObject(), exchange(), and execute(). section 7.3

How Spring in Action, Sixth Edition covers it

How deep it goes
Explains the ResponseEntity wrapper, header access, body extraction, and URL overloads without detailing request internals.
Examples
Demonstrates retrieving an Ingredient by identifier and logging the response Date header.
What it assumes
Assumes familiarity with RestTemplate and typed domain objects while showing URL variables and URI construction.
What you can do after
Apply it via RestTemplate to retrieve a typed response body and inspect its HTTP headers.
How it connects
Connects ResponseEntity with RestTemplate, HTTP GET, response headers, URL variables, URI, and getForObject().
Cover of Spring in Action, Sixth Edition
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Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Spring in Action, Sixth Edition. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.