How CodingZap Helped Christopher Build a Functional REST API in Java Using Spring Boot Framework

Here comes the detailed case study of a final-year MS student Christopher who is struggling with his Capstone Project bases on RESTFUL API.

Introduction : Christopher’s Challenge

Christopher, a final-year computer science student from Austin, Texas, was working on a capstone project to build a functional REST API using Java and the Spring Boot framework. As part of a group project, his task was to implement CRUD operations, connect the API to a MySQL database, and test the endpoints using tools like Postman.

While Christopher had a basic understanding of Java, he lacked hands-on experience with Spring Boot and found it hard to meet the project requirements. With only five days left before the deadline, he reached out to CodingZap for help.

Problem : Challenges in Building the REST API

Christopher, in his final year of a Master’s program at the University of Texas, was working on his project to build a REST API using Java and Spring Boot. His first challenge was setting up the project, as he struggled to configure the required dependencies and connect the application to a MySQL database. Without the proper setup, he encountered errors that stopped the API from working correctly.

Christopher also faced problems while creating CRUD endpoints for managing data. He had issues with HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. The database was not even fully integrated which caused multiple errors when saving or retrieving data.

During our chat, we found out he was also unfamiliar with Postman, a tool used to test API responses, which made it harder for him to check if his endpoints were functioning as expected.

Solution: How CodingZap Delivered a Fully Functional REST API Project

Step 1: Project Setup and Configuration

This required a One-on-One Zoom session since we had to do this on Chris’s system. Our Java expert began by setting up the Spring Boot project:

Downloaded all the required softwares and configured Maven with essential dependencies for Spring Boot, Spring Data JPA, and MySQL.
Updated application.properties for database connectivity.

This was the first requirement and we successfully setup and configured his machine for this project.

Step 2: Implementing CRUD Endpoints

Now after the first task we created RESTful endpoints using Spring Boot controllers:

GET: Retrieve student records.
POST: Add new students to the database.
PUT: Update existing records.
DELETE: Remove students by ID.

Example Controller Code (POST Endpoint):

				
					@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/students")
public class StudentController {

    @Autowired
    private StudentService studentService;

    @PostMapping
    public ResponseEntity<Student> addStudent(@RequestBody Student student) {
        Student savedStudent = studentService.saveStudent(student);
        return new ResponseEntity<>(savedStudent, HttpStatus.CREATED);
    }
}

Step 3: Database Integration

Once CRUD enpoints implementation was done now it was time to integrate DB.

We designed the MySQL schema and connected it with the REST API using Spring Data JPA. Ensured proper mapping of Student entities to the database.

Step 4: Testing the API with Postman

Once everything was done now it was tome to test the API with Postman. So, we provided Christopher with a step-by-step guide on how to test API endpoints using Postman, including:

Sending requests to http://localhost:8080/api/students
Validating response codes and payloads for all CRUD operations.

And this is how his project was done before the deadline.

Results :

So, finally, Christopher completed his REST API project with full CRUD functionality. He earned an A on his capstone project and received great feedback for his clean code and proper documentation. Apart from this, he learnt some important concepts in Spring Boot, API testing with Postman, and database integration which will help him become a skilled IT engineer in the future.

Testimonial by Christopher:

“Thanks to this amazing team who helped me complete my Spring project on time. Not only did I complete my project on time, but I now feel confident about developing REST APIs on my own!” – Chris, USA

Conclusion :

At CodingZap, we help students like Christopher go beyond just finishing assignments. By tutoring them in practical skills in backend development and REST APIs, we help them achieve good grades in academics and enhance their knowledge base further.

So, if you’re struggling with Java projects like REST APIs and backend development then you can always use our top-rated Java project help services.