#RequestBody or #ModelAttribute with Spring+REST web services - spring

Question

I am creating a Restful website and Web services for iPhone and android apps with Spring 3.1. In my application, i am using Spring Message Convertors (org.springframework.http.converter.json.MappingJacksonHttpMessageConverter) to converting JSON into Java object and vice-versa.
My objective is that there should be only single controller
method(same URL) that should be used by JSP page, Iphone/Andois app.
I am using Spring form tag for object binding from JSP to controller with the help of #ModelAttribute like below.
#RequestMapping(value = "reset-password", method = RequestMethod.POST)
public ModelAndView resetPassword(#ModelAttributeForgot forgotPassword,
HttpServletRequest request) {
System.out.println("data recived=="+forgotPassword.getNewPassword());
}
But the same is NOT working in the case if the data is being posted from iPhone/Android app and the result is:
data recived==null;
So to overcome this problem i have used #RequestBody annotation at place of #ModelAttribute.
So my controller looks like below:
#RequestMapping(value = "reset-password", method = RequestMethod.POST)
public ModelAndView resetPassword(#RequestBody Forgot forgotPassword,
HttpServletRequest request) {
System.out.println("data recived=="+forgotPassword.getNewPassword());
}
It works then and the result i got is:
data recived==somedata;
But #RequestBody then doesn't work with spring form on JSP page and the data doesn't get converted into object and i got null values.
Can't i use #RequestBody annotation to post data in form of JSON
with spring form tag from JSP page??
Is there any way by using which i can post data from my JSP form as
well as from I phone App by using only a single controller method(either #ModelAttribute or #RequestBody).
EDIT:
While writing String in place of Bean class, i am able to get the content in form of plain text, as below:
#RequestMapping(value = "reset-password", method = RequestMethod.POST)
public ModelAndView resetPassword(#RequestBody String string,
HttpServletRequest request) { }
Result from web page call:
uid=11&confirmPassword=somepassword&newPassword=somepassword
Result from iPhone using web service call(in **JSON)**
{"newPassword":"somepassword","confirmPassword":"somepassword","uid":"11"}
But problem is that using this approach i have to parse the JSON string into Java object manually. And in web page content i have to find the values manually that i don't want.
Please help.
Regards,
Arun Kumar

Answer 1

Sorry, but I don't believe there is a way, because #ModelAttribute is bound from form post parameters and #RequestBody passes the body straight to the Json converter. You could replace the spring form tag with a simple json post, but that is probably less convenient than having two #RequestMapping methods.

Answer 2

Its #RequestBody. I feel its better to specify the mime type that you are expecting and producing as output using #RequestMapping as,
#RequestMapping(value="/authenticate",produces="application/json",
consumes="application/json",method=RequestMethod.POST)
Then register appropriate message converters with AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter
This message converter is responsible for Marshalling & unmarshalling of your request & response entity based on produces & consumes attributes.
<bean
class="org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.annotation.AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter" >
<property name="order" value="1" />
<property name="messageConverters">
<list>
<bean class="org.springframework.http.converter.json.MappingJacksonHttpMessageConverter" >
<property name="supportedMediaTypes" value="application/json"/>
</bean>
<bean class = "org.springframework.http.converter.StringHttpMessageConverter">
<property name="supportedMediaTypes" value = "text/plain;charset=UTF-8" />
</bean>
</list>
</property>
</bean>