= Functional Bean Definitions Spring Cloud Function supports a "functional" style of bean declarations for small apps where you need fast startup. The functional style of bean declaration was a feature of Spring Framework 5.0 with significant enhancements in 5.1. == Comparing Functional with Traditional Bean Definitions Here's a vanilla Spring Cloud Function application from with the familiar `@Configuration` and `@Bean` declaration style: [source,json] ---- @SpringBootApplication public class DemoApplication { @Bean public Function uppercase() { return value -> value.toUpperCase(); } public static void main(String[] args) { SpringApplication.run(DemoApplication.class, args); } } ---- Now for the functional beans: the user application code can be recast into "functional" form, like this: [source,json] ---- @SpringBootConfiguration public class DemoApplication implements ApplicationContextInitializer { public static void main(String[] args) { FunctionalSpringApplication.run(DemoApplication.class, args); } public Function uppercase() { return value -> value.toUpperCase(); } @Override public void initialize(GenericApplicationContext context) { context.registerBean("demo", FunctionRegistration.class, () -> new FunctionRegistration<>(uppercase()) .type(FunctionTypeUtils.functionType(String.class, String.class))); } } ---- The main differences are: * The main class is an `ApplicationContextInitializer`. * The `@Bean` methods have been converted to calls to `context.registerBean()` * The `@SpringBootApplication` has been replaced with `@SpringBootConfiguration` to signify that we are not enabling Spring Boot autoconfiguration, and yet still marking the class as an "entry point". * The `SpringApplication` from Spring Boot has been replaced with a `FunctionalSpringApplication` from Spring Cloud Function (it's a subclass). The business logic beans that you register in a Spring Cloud Function app are of type `FunctionRegistration`. This is a wrapper that contains both the function and information about the input and output types. In the `@Bean` form of the application that information can be derived reflectively, but in a functional bean registration some of it is lost unless we use a `FunctionRegistration`. An alternative to using an `ApplicationContextInitializer` and `FunctionRegistration` is to make the application itself implement `Function` (or `Consumer` or `Supplier`). Example (equivalent to the above): [source,json] ---- @SpringBootConfiguration public class DemoApplication implements Function { public static void main(String[] args) { FunctionalSpringApplication.run(DemoApplication.class, args); } @Override public String apply(String value) { return value.toUpperCase(); } } ---- It would also work if you add a separate, standalone class of type `Function` and register it with the `SpringApplication` using an alternative form of the `run()` method. The main thing is that the generic type information is available at runtime through the class declaration. Suppose you have [source, java] ---- @Component public class CustomFunction implements Function, Flux> { @Override public Flux apply(Flux flux) { return flux.map(foo -> new Bar("This is a Bar object from Foo value: " + foo.getValue())); } } ---- You register it as such: [source, java] ---- @Override public void initialize(GenericApplicationContext context) { context.registerBean("function", FunctionRegistration.class, () -> new FunctionRegistration<>(new CustomFunction()).type(CustomFunction.class)); } ---- [[limitations-of-functional-bean-declaration]] == Limitations of Functional Bean Declaration Most Spring Cloud Function apps have a relatively small scope compared to the whole of Spring Boot, so we are able to adapt it to these functional bean definitions easily. If you step outside that limited scope, you can extend your Spring Cloud Function app by switching back to `@Bean` style configuration, or by using a hybrid approach. If you want to take advantage of Spring Boot autoconfiguration for integrations with external datastores, for example, you will need to use `@EnableAutoConfiguration`. Your functions can still be defined using the functional declarations if you want (i.e. the "hybrid" style), but in that case you will need to explicitly switch off the "full functional mode" using `spring.functional.enabled=false` so that Spring Boot can take back control. [[function_visualization]] == Function visualization and control Spring Cloud Function supports visualization of functions available in `FunctionCatalog` through Actuator endpoints as well as programmatic way. [[programmatic-way]] === Programmatic way To see function available within your application context programmatically all you need is access to `FunctionCatalog`. There you can finds methods to get the size of the catalog, lookup functions as well as list the names of all the available functions. For example, [source,java] ---- FunctionCatalog functionCatalog = context.getBean(FunctionCatalog.class); int size = functionCatalog.size(); // will tell you how many functions available in catalog Set names = functionCatalog.getNames(null); will list the names of all the Function, Suppliers and Consumers available in catalog . . . ---- [[actuator]] === Actuator Since actuator and web are optional, you must first add one of the web dependencies as well as add the actuator dependency manually. The following example shows how to add the dependency for the Web framework: [source,xml] ---- org.springframework.boot spring-boot-starter-web ---- The following example shows how to add the dependency for the WebFlux framework: [source,xml] ---- org.springframework.boot spring-boot-starter-webflux ---- You can add the Actuator dependency as follows: [source,xml] ---- org.springframework.boot spring-boot-starter-actuator ---- You must also enable the `functions` actuator endpoints by setting the following property: `--management.endpoints.web.exposure.include=functions`. Access the following URL to see the functions in FunctionCatalog: `http://:/actuator/functions` For example, [source,text] ---- curl http://localhost:8080/actuator/functions ---- Your output should look something like this: [source,text] ---- {"charCounter": {"type":"FUNCTION","input-type":"string","output-type":"integer"}, "logger": {"type":"CONSUMER","input-type":"string"}, "functionRouter": {"type":"FUNCTION","input-type":"object","output-type":"object"}, "words": {"type":"SUPPLIER","output-type":"string"}. . . ---- [[testing-functional-applications]] == Testing Functional Applications Spring Cloud Function also has some utilities for integration testing that will be very familiar to Spring Boot users. Suppose this is your application: [source, java] ---- @SpringBootApplication public class SampleFunctionApplication { public static void main(String[] args) { SpringApplication.run(SampleFunctionApplication.class, args); } @Bean public Function uppercase() { return v -> v.toUpperCase(); } } ---- Here is an integration test for the HTTP server wrapping this application: [source, java] ---- @SpringBootTest(classes = SampleFunctionApplication.class, webEnvironment = WebEnvironment.RANDOM_PORT) public class WebFunctionTests { @Autowired private TestRestTemplate rest; @Test public void test() throws Exception { ResponseEntity result = this.rest.exchange( RequestEntity.post(new URI("/uppercase")).body("hello"), String.class); System.out.println(result.getBody()); } } ---- or when function bean definition style is used: [source, java] ---- @FunctionalSpringBootTest public class WebFunctionTests { @Autowired private TestRestTemplate rest; @Test public void test() throws Exception { ResponseEntity result = this.rest.exchange( RequestEntity.post(new URI("/uppercase")).body("hello"), String.class); System.out.println(result.getBody()); } } ---- This test is almost identical to the one you would write for the `@Bean` version of the same app - the only difference is the `@FunctionalSpringBootTest` annotation, instead of the regular `@SpringBootTest`. All the other pieces, like the `@Autowired` `TestRestTemplate`, are standard Spring Boot features. And to help with correct dependencies here is the excerpt from POM [source, xml, subs=attributes+] ---- org.springframework.boot spring-boot-starter-parent . . . . org.springframework.cloud spring-cloud-function-web {project-version} org.springframework.boot spring-boot-starter org.springframework.boot spring-boot-starter-web test org.springframework.boot spring-boot-starter-test test ---- Or you could write a test for a non-HTTP app using just the `FunctionCatalog`. For example: [source, java] ---- @FunctionalSpringBootTest public class FunctionalTests { @Autowired private FunctionCatalog catalog; @Test public void words() { Function function = catalog.lookup(Function.class, "uppercase"); assertThat(function.apply("hello")).isEqualTo("HELLO"); } } ----