Returning JSON object as response in Spring Boot

More correct create DTO for API queries, for example entityDTO:

1. Default response OK with list of entities:

@GetMapping(produces=MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON_VALUE)
@ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.OK)
public List<EntityDto> getAll() {
    return entityService.getAllEntities();
}

But if you need return different Map parameters you can use next two examples
2. For return one parameter like map:

@GetMapping(produces=MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON_VALUE)
public ResponseEntity<Object> getOneParameterMap() {
    return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.CREATED).body(
            Collections.singletonMap("key", "value"));
}

3. And if you need return map of some parameters(since Java 9):

@GetMapping(produces = MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON_VALUE)
public ResponseEntity<Object> getSomeParameters() {
    return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.OK).body(Map.of(
            "key-1", "value-1",
            "key-2", "value-2",
            "key-3", "value-3"));
}

@RequestMapping("/api/status")
public Map doSomething()
{
    return Collections.singletonMap("status", myService.doSomething());
}

PS. Works only for 1 value

If you need to return a JSON object using a String, then the following should work:

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonProcessingException;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
...

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/student")
public class StudentController {

    @GetMapping
    @RequestMapping("/")
    public ResponseEntity<JsonNode> get() throws JsonProcessingException {
        ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
        JsonNode json = mapper.readTree("{\"id\": \"132\", \"name\": \"Alice\"}");
        return ResponseEntity.ok(json);
    }
    ...
}

use ResponseEntity<ResponseBean>

Here you can use ResponseBean or Any java bean as you like to return your api response and it is the best practice. I have used Enum for response. it will return status code and status message of API.

@GetMapping(path = "/login")
public ResponseEntity<ServiceStatus> restApiExample(HttpServletRequest request,
            HttpServletResponse response) {
        String username = request.getParameter("username");
        String password = request.getParameter("password");

        loginService.login(username, password, request);
        return new ResponseEntity<ServiceStatus>(ServiceStatus.LOGIN_SUCCESS,
                HttpStatus.ACCEPTED);
    }

for response ServiceStatus or(ResponseBody)

    public enum ServiceStatus {

    LOGIN_SUCCESS(0, "Login success"),

    private final int id;
    private final String message;

    //Enum constructor
    ServiceStatus(int id, String message) {
        this.id = id;
        this.message = message;
    }

    public int getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public String getMessage() {
        return message;
    }
}

Spring REST API should have below key in response

1. Status Code
2. Message

you will get final response below

{

   "StatusCode" : "0",

   "Message":"Login success"

}

you can use ResponseBody(java POJO, ENUM,etc..) as per your requirement.

I use to return Map<String,Object> in the Controller by using the toMap() method of org.json.JSONObject as follows.

@GetMapping("/json")
public Map<String, Object> getJsonOutput() {       
    JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject();
    //construct jsonObject here
    return jsonObject.toMap();
}

you can do this :

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api")
class MyRestController
{
    @GetMapping(path = "/hello")
    public JSONObject sayHello()
    {
        return new JSONObject("{'aa':'bb'}").toMap();;
    }
}