Error Handling in Spring Boot: Controllers vs Filters

What Two paths: controller exceptions vs pre-controller (filters/interceptors) exceptions. Single response shape via GlobalExceptionHandler for both paths. Flow (who catches what): Controller throws → handled by @ControllerAdvice methods. Filter/interceptor throws → not handled by @ControllerAdvice unless you forward via HandlerExceptionResolver. Why Consistency: avoid container default error pages/messages. Control: send structured GenericResponse with proper HTTP codes. How Global handler (GlobalExceptionHandler): @ControllerAdvice class GlobalExceptionHandler { @ExceptionHandler(UnAuthorizedExceptionThrowable::class) fun handleUnauthorized(ex: UnAuthorizedExceptionThrowable, req: WebRequest): ResponseEntity<GenericResponse<Nothing>> { val body = GenericResponse<Nothing>( responseType = ResponseType.FAIL, message = ex.errorMessage, code = ex.code, type = ex.errorMessage ) return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.UNAUTHORIZED).body(body) } @ExceptionHandler(Exception::class) fun handleGeneric(ex: Exception, req: WebRequest) = ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).body( GenericResponse<Nothing>( responseType = ResponseType.ERROR, message = ex.message ?: "Internal server error", code = HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR.value(), type = "Internal server error" ) ) } Explanation: ...

October 14, 2025 · 2 min · 359 words · Me

Security Setup in Spring Boot: CORS, JWT, and API Tiers

What CORS blocks non-whitelisted origins in AppSecurityConfig. JWT is validated for protected endpoints in JwtAuthenticationFilter using AuthenticationManagerJWT. API tiers restrict access even with a valid token; higher tiers unlock more endpoints. Flow (request lifecycle): Incoming request → CORS applied → non-whitelisted origins blocked. Public/No-Auth endpoints bypass JWT checks. Protected endpoints → JWT extracted and validated. Tier authorization matched against requested API tier. On success, controller executes; on failure, error is routed to global handler. Why Prevent misuse from unwanted domains via strict CORS. Reject bad tokens: expired, blocked, reused/refresh-misuse. Enforce progression: open → tier 4 → tier 3 → tier 2 → tier 1 as business rules demand. How CORS configuration (AppSecurityConfig.corsConfigurationSource()): @Bean fun corsConfigurationSource(): CorsConfigurationSource { val configuration = CorsConfiguration() configuration.allowedOrigins = listOf( "http://localhost:3000", "https://yourdomain.com" ) configuration.allowedMethods = listOf("GET","POST","PUT","DELETE","OPTIONS","PATCH") configuration.allowedHeaders = listOf( "Authorization","Content-Type","X-Requested-With","Accept","Origin", KeywordsAndConstants.HEADER_TRACKING_ID, KeywordsAndConstants.HEADER_API_KEY, KeywordsAndConstants.HEADER_OTP, KeywordsAndConstants.HEADER_AUTH_TOKEN ) configuration.allowCredentials = true configuration.exposedHeaders = listOf( KeywordsAndConstants.HEADER_TRACKING_ID, KeywordsAndConstants.HEADER_API_TIER ) val source = UrlBasedCorsConfigurationSource() source.registerCorsConfiguration("/**", configuration) return source } Explanation: ...

September 18, 2025 · 3 min · 524 words · Me