Overview

Google, IBM & Meta Certificates – 40% Off

One Coursera Plus subscription covers most Professional Certificates on Coursera.

Build practical skills in RESTful API development with Spring Boot by creating a complete Pet Clinic backend application. Designed for learners seeking hands-on experience with Java REST API development, this course takes you from project setup and domain modeling to a functional, maintainable REST API. You’ll configure a Maven-based Spring Boot project, create reusable JPA entity models, and develop data access layers with Spring Data JPA. You’ll strengthen API reliability by implementing custom exceptions and centralized error handling with @ControllerAdvice. You’ll also use Jackson serializers to control JSON output and create clean, secure API responses. As the project progresses, you’ll build REST controllers, connect service and repository layers, and implement CRUD operations through structured HTTP endpoints. What makes this course distinctive is its practical Pet Clinic case study, which brings domain modeling, persistence, exception handling, serialization, layered architecture, and REST controllers together in one project. By the end, you’ll be able to design and implement maintainable RESTful APIs with Spring Boot using a structured, layered approach.

Syllabus

Setting Up the Foundation
- This module introduces the foundational structure of the Pet Clinic REST API project using Spring Boot. Learners begin by initializing a Maven-based Spring Boot project and progressively build the core domain model using JPA. The module covers the creation of reusable base classes, named entity extensions, and the modeling of key domain entities such as Owners, Pets, Visits, and Specialties. Additionally, it walks through the creation of repository interfaces using Spring Data JPA, preparing the groundwork for later service and controller layers.
Exception Handling and Data Serialization
- This module focuses on enhancing the robustness and flexibility of the Pet Clinic REST API by implementing centralized exception handling and custom serialization strategies. Learners will explore how to build and manage custom exception classes, structure global error responses using Spring’s @ControllerAdvice, and bind exceptions to HTTP status codes. The module also covers the creation of custom serializers and re-serialization techniques using Jackson to control and tailor JSON output formats, ensuring clean and secure API responses.
Building and Connecting REST Components
- This module focuses on constructing the interaction layer of the Pet Clinic REST API through the implementation of RESTful controllers and service classes. Learners will gain hands-on experience creating REST endpoints using Spring annotations, structuring request handling logic, and integrating the controller with service and repository layers. The module also emphasizes clean architecture, separation of concerns, and successful execution of full CRUD operations through HTTP requests, culminating in a complete, functioning backend application.