What is difference between @RequestBody and @RequestParam?

@RequestParam annotated parameters get linked to specific Servlet request parameters. Parameter values are converted to the declared method argument type. This annotation indicates that a method parameter should be bound to a web request parameter.

For example Angular request for Spring RequestParam(s) would look like that:

$http.post('http://localhost:7777/scan/l/register?username="Johny"&password="123123"&auth=true')
      .success(function (data, status, headers, config) {
                        ...
                    })

Endpoint with RequestParam:

@RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.POST, value = "/register")
public Map<String, String> register(Model uiModel,
                                    @RequestParam String username,
                                    @RequestParam String password,
                                    @RequestParam boolean auth,
                                    HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest) {...

@RequestBody annotated parameters get linked to the HTTP request body. Parameter values are converted to the declared method argument type using HttpMessageConverters. This annotation indicates a method parameter should be bound to the body of the web request.

For example Angular request for Spring RequestBody would look like that:

$scope.user = {
            username: "foo",
            auth: true,
            password: "bar"
        };    
$http.post('http://localhost:7777/scan/l/register', $scope.user).
                        success(function (data, status, headers, config) {
                            ...
                        })

Endpoint with RequestBody:

@RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.POST, produces = "application/json", 
                value = "/register")
public Map<String, String> register(Model uiModel,
                                    @RequestBody User user,
                                    HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest) {... 

Hope this helps.

map HTTP request header Content-Type, handle request body.

• @RequestParam ← application/x-www-form-urlencoded,

• @RequestBody ← application/json,

• @RequestPart ← multipart/form-data,

• RequestParam (Spring Framework 5.1.9.RELEASE API)

  map to query parameters, form data, and parts in multipart requests.

  RequestParam is likely to be used with name-value form fields

• RequestBody (Spring Framework 5.1.9.RELEASE API)

  bound to the body of the web request. The body of the request is passed through an HttpMessageConverter to resolve the method argument depending on the content type of the request. (e.g. JSON, XML)

• RequestPart (Spring Framework 5.1.9.RELEASE API)

  used to associate the part of a "multipart/form-data" request

  RequestPart is likely to be used with parts containing more complex content

• HttpMessageConverter (Spring Framework 5.1.9.RELEASE API)

  a converter that can convert from and to HTTP requests and responses.

  All Known Implementing Classes: ..., AbstractJsonHttpMessageConverter, AbstractXmlHttpMessageConverter, ...