@Around advice for full control in Spring Boot - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - @Around advice for full control

Method call intercepted

↓

@Around advice starts

↓

Pre-processing logic

↓

Proceed with original method?

No→Skip method execution

Yes↓

Call original method

↓

Post-processing logic

↓

Return result or modify

↓

Method call completes

The @Around advice intercepts a method call, runs code before and after the method, and can decide to run or skip the original method, controlling the final result.

Execution Sample

Spring Boot

@Around("execution(* com.example.service.*.*(..))")
public Object aroundAdvice(ProceedingJoinPoint pjp) throws Throwable {
  System.out.println("Before method");
  Object result = pjp.proceed();
  System.out.println("After method");
  return result;
}

This advice prints messages before and after the original method runs, then returns the method's result.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Evaluation	Result
1	Method call intercepted	Method in target package called	Proceed to advice
2	Print 'Before method'	Runs before original method	Message shown
3	Call pjp.proceed()	Original method executes	Original method result obtained
4	Print 'After method'	Runs after original method	Message shown
5	Return result	Return value from advice	Original method result returned
6	Method call completes	Caller receives result	Execution ends

💡 Method call completes after advice returns the original method's result

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 3	Final
result	null	original method's return value	original method's return value

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we call pjp.proceed() inside @Around advice?

Calling pjp.proceed() runs the original method. Without it, the original method is skipped (see execution_table step 3).

Can @Around advice modify the method's return value?

Yes, by changing the 'result' variable before returning it (see execution_table step 5).

What happens if pjp.proceed() is not called?

The original method does not run, and the advice can return a custom value or skip execution (not shown in this example but implied).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what happens at step 3?

A The method call is intercepted

B The advice prints 'After method'

C The original method is executed

D The advice returns the result

💡 Hint

Check the 'Action' and 'Result' columns at step 3 in the execution_table

At which step does the advice print 'Before method'?

A Step 2

B Step 4

C Step 1

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for the print action before the original method call in the execution_table

If pjp.proceed() is not called, what changes in the execution flow?

A The advice prints 'After method' twice

B The original method is skipped

C The method call is never intercepted

D The advice cannot return a result

💡 Hint

Refer to the key_moments section about skipping the original method

Concept Snapshot

@Around advice intercepts method calls
Runs code before and after method
Calls pjp.proceed() to run original method
Can skip or modify method execution
Returns final result to caller

Full Transcript

The @Around advice in Spring Boot intercepts method calls matching a pointcut. When a method is called, the advice runs first, allowing code before the method. Calling pjp.proceed() runs the original method and captures its result. After that, the advice can run more code and modify or return the result. If pjp.proceed() is not called, the original method is skipped. This gives full control over method execution flow.