Code Archaeology

Aug 24, 2026 · Backend Development

Why Spring Changed HttpMethod from Enum to Class: Fixing an Open Set Mismatch

Spring changed HttpMethod from enum to class in Spring 6.0 because HTTP methods form an open, extensible set per RFC 7231, making enum's closed nature a poor fit that forced workarounds like dual getters and null-returning resolve methods until a major version break allowed the fix.