How to write a unit test for a Spring Boot Controller endpoint

Spring MVC offers a standaloneSetup that supports testing relatively simple controllers, without the need of context.

Build a MockMvc by registering one or more @Controller’s instances and
configuring Spring MVC infrastructure programmatically. This allows
full control over the instantiation and initialization of controllers,
and their dependencies, similar to plain unit tests while also making
it possible to test one controller at a time.

An example test for your controller can be something as simple as

public class DemoApplicationTests {

    private MockMvc mockMvc;

    @Before
    public void setup() {
        this.mockMvc = MockMvcBuilders.standaloneSetup(new HelloWorld()).build();
    }

    @Test
    public void testSayHelloWorld() throws Exception {
        this.mockMvc.perform(get("/")
           .accept(MediaType.parseMediaType("application/json;charset=UTF-8")))
           .andExpect(status().isOk())
           .andExpect(content().contentType("application/json"));

    }
}