Controller handler method supported return types

Question

While learning the Spring framework, I notice in the book Spring in Action, the author doesn\'t use ModelandView method return type in controllers. The aut

Answer 1

Functionality wise there is no difference, both these are equivalent:

@RequestMapping(..)
public String requestMapping1(Model model){
    model.addAttribute("attr1", attr1);
    return "viewName";
}

@RequestMapping(..)
public ModelAndView requestMapping2(){
    ModelAndView modelAndView = new ModelAndView("viewName");
    modelAndView.addObject("attr1", attr1);
    return modelAndView;
}

However the preferred approach is the former and that is the reason why the author has not used the latter in the book samples.