Java Annotations · interview question
Why is it important for annotations used in a Spring Boot REST controller to have RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME?
Multiple choiceMediumchapter-16-curatedpremiumjava-annotationsretention-policies
Answer and explanation
Correct answer
C. To ensure they are accessible during runtime for request mapping
Why
Spring Boot relies on runtime reflection to map HTTP requests to controller methods based on annotations. Without RUNTIME retention, these annotations would not be accessible during execution, breaking the framework's functionality.
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