Notes on Servlet, Servlet Container, Filter, Interceptor, HandlerInterceptor
What is a Servlet?
It is a Java class that is used to extend the capabilities of servers that host applications accessed by means of a request-response programming model.
Java Servlet technology defines HTTP-specific servlet classes. The javax.servlet and javax.servlet.http packages provide interfaces and classes for writing servlets. Servlet in “javax.servlet” package declares three essential methods for the life cycle of a servlet — init(), service(), and destroy().
What is a Servlet Container?
Servlets run in a servlet container which handles the networking side (e.g. parsing an HTTP request, connection handling etc). Tomcat is the most popular one.
Filter
It is a Java class which is executed by the servlet container for each incoming HTTP request and for each HTTP response.
Requests always first pass through Filter instances, before reaching a Servlet.
If you have multiple custom filters in your application, you can define the order with “@Order” annotation.
- init(FilterConfig config) — This is invoked only once. It is used to initialize the filter.
- doFilter(HttpServletRequest request,HttpServletResponse response, FilterChain chain) — This method is invoked every time a user send a request to any resource, to which the filter is mapped. It is used to perform filtering tasks.
- destroy() — This is invoked only once when filter is taken out of the service.
Interceptor
Spring Interceptors are similar to Servlet Filters. An interceptor just allows custom pre-processing with the option of prohibiting the execution of the handler itself, and custom post-processing, having access to Spring Context.
- preHandle(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response, Object handler) — This is used to perform operations before sending the request to the controller. This method should return true to return the response to the client.
- postHandle(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response, Object handler,
ModelAndView modelAndView) — This is used to perform operations before sending the response to the client. - afterCompletion(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response,
Object handler, Exception exception) — This is used to perform operations after completing the request and response.
HandlerInterceptor : HandlerInterceptor instances are executed as part of the request handling inside the DispatcherServlet (which implements javax.servlet.Servlet).
HandlerInterceptorAdapter: If you would like to provide a custom implementation and only care for a few of their methods (if you do not want to create empty methods that requires overriding), it is better to implement an adapter.
Filters vs HandlerInterceptors
- Filter is related to the Servlet API and HandlerIntercepter is a Spring specific concept.
- Interceptors will only execute after Filters.
- Fine-grained pre-processing tasks are suitable for HandlerInterceptors (authorization checks, etc.)
- Content handling related or generic flows are well-suited for Filters (such as multipart forms, zip compression, image handling, logging requests, authentication etc.)
- Interceptor’s postHandle method will allow you to add more model objects to the view but you can not change the HttpServletResponse since it's already committed.
- Filter’s doFilter method is much more versatile than Interceptor’s postHandle. You can change the request or response and pass it to the chain or even block the request processing.
- A HandlerInterceptor gives more fine-grained control than a filter because you have access to the actual target “handler”. You can even check if the handler method has a specific annotation.
Spring Cloud Gateway Custom Filters
GlobalFilter
Global Filters affect every single request.
GatewayFilter
Gateway Filters applies to only some routes.
Order: If we want to configure the position of the filter in the filter chain, we can retrieve an OrderedGatewayFilter instance.
Happy Coding!
References:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35856454/difference-between-interceptor-and-filter-in-spring-mvc
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/56269259/spring-interceptor-and-authenticationfilter-order-of-execution
https://www.baeldung.com/spring-boot-add-filter
https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/web/servlet/HandlerInterceptor.html
http://www.mkjava.com/tutorial/filter-vs-interceptor.html
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38935873/what-is-difference-between-handlerinterceptor-and-handlerinceptoradaptor-in-spri/54571947
https://www.baeldung.com/spring-cloud-gateway-webfilter-factories
https://docs.oracle.com/javaee/5/tutorial/doc/bnafe.html
https://dzone.com/articles/what-servlet-container
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/spring_boot/spring_boot_interceptor.htm
https://www.javatpoint.com/servlet-filter
https://www.baeldung.com/spring-mvc-handlerinterceptor-vs-filter
