Stage 2: let a controller handle a request

Keep the same HTML files and add one Java class. Visiting /aboutus now runs our Java method before serving the page. DispatcherServlet is already part of our web setup from Stage 1; this stage adds our own controller method for it to dispatch to.

Download spring-controller.zip

GET /aboutus -> aboutUs() -> forward:/aboutus.html -> same HTML page

@Controller lets Spring discover this class as a web controller. @GetMapping connects GET /aboutus to aboutUs(). The println message appears in the server terminal, not in the browser. forward:/aboutus.html is an internal handoff to the static file; the browser address stays /aboutus. No template engine is needed. /aboutus.html remains directly accessible and bypasses this method.

Try and verify: Open /aboutus and watch the server terminal. Then open /aboutus.html directly and observe that our message is not printed for that direct file request.

package com.edupoly.hello;

import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;

@Controller
public class PageController {
    @GetMapping("/aboutus")
    public String aboutUs() {
        System.out.println("Someone requested the About Us page");
        return "forward:/aboutus.html";
    }
}

The ZIP contains every setup file and a README.html with instructions. You can run the supplied project directly.