MH: Async by default for reactive output channel

spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProducingHandler.java

@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageProducingHandler extends AbstractMessageHan
 
 	private boolean async;
 
+	private boolean asyncExplicitlySet;
+
 	@Nullable
 	private String outputChannelName;
 
@@ -119,6 +121,7 @@ public void setOutputChannelName(String outputChannelName) {
 	 */
 	public final void setAsync(boolean async) {
 		this.async = async;
+		this.asyncExplicitlySet = true;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -213,6 +216,13 @@ protected void onInit() {
 			this.messagingTemplate.setBeanFactory(beanFactory);
 		}
 		this.messagingTemplate.setDestinationResolver(getChannelResolver());
+		setAsyncIfCan();
+	}
+
+	private void setAsyncIfCan() {
+		if (!this.asyncExplicitlySet) {
+			setAsync(this.outputChannel instanceof ReactiveStreamsSubscribableChannel);
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -222,6 +232,7 @@ public MessageChannel getOutputChannel() {
 		if (channelName != null) {
 			this.outputChannel = getChannelResolver().resolveDestination(channelName);
 			this.outputChannelName = null;
+			setAsyncIfCan();
 		}
 		return this.outputChannel;
 	}

spring-integration-r2dbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/r2dbc/dsl/R2dbcDslTests.java

@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
-import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 import reactor.test.StepVerifier;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
@@ -112,7 +111,7 @@ IntegrationFlow r2dbcDslFlow(R2dbcEntityTemplate r2dbcEntityTemplate) {
 									.bindFunction((DatabaseClient.GenericExecuteSpec bindSpec, Person o) ->
 											bindSpec.bind("id", o.getId())),
 							e -> e.poller(p -> p.fixedDelay(100)).autoStartup(false).id("r2dbcInboundChannelAdapter"))
-					.<Mono<?>>handle((p, h) -> p, e -> e.async(true))
+					.handle((p, h) -> p)
 					.channel(MessageChannels.flux())
 					.handleReactive(
 							R2dbc.outboundChannelAdapter(r2dbcEntityTemplate)

src/reference/asciidoc/r2dbc.adoc

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ IntegrationFlow r2dbcDslFlow(R2dbcEntityTemplate r2dbcEntityTemplate) {
                     .bindFunction((DatabaseClient.GenericExecuteSpec bindSpec, Person o) ->
                             bindSpec.bind("id", o.getId())),
             e -> e.poller(p -> p.fixedDelay(100)))
-        .<Mono<?>>handle((p, h) -> p, e -> e.async(true))
+        .handle((p, h) -> p)
         .channel(MessageChannels.flux())
         .get();
 }

src/reference/asciidoc/reactive-streams.adoc

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ See the next section for more information.
 
 === Reactive Reply Payload
 
-When a reply producing `MessageHandler` returns a reactive type payload for a reply message, it is processed in an asynchronous manner with a regular `MessageChannel` implementation provided for the `outputChannel` and flattened with on demand subscription when the output channel is a `ReactiveStreamsSubscribableChannel` implementation, e.g. `FluxMessageChannel`.
+When a reply producing `MessageHandler` returns a reactive type payload for a reply message, it is processed in an asynchronous manner with a regular `MessageChannel` implementation provided for the `outputChannel` (the `async` must be set to `true`) and flattened with on demand subscription when the output channel is a `ReactiveStreamsSubscribableChannel` implementation, e.g. `FluxMessageChannel`.
 With a standard imperative `MessageChannel` use-case, and if a reply payload is a *multi-value* publisher (see `ReactiveAdapter.isMultiValue()` for more information), it is wrapped into a `Mono.just()`.
 A result of this, the `Mono` has to be subscribed explicitly downstream or flattened by the `FluxMessageChannel` downstream.
 With a `ReactiveStreamsSubscribableChannel` for the `outputChannel`, there is no need to be concerned about return type and subscription; everything is processed smoothly by the framework internally.

src/reference/asciidoc/service-activator.adoc

@@ -225,6 +225,10 @@ If the service completes the future with an `Exception`, normal error processing
 An `ErrorMessage` is sent to the `errorChannel` message header, if present.
 Otherwise, an `ErrorMessage` is sent to the default `errorChannel` (if available).
 
+Starting with version 6.1, if the output channel of the `AbstractMessageProducingHandler` is configured to a `ReactiveStreamsSubscribableChannel`, the async mode is turned on by default.
+If the handler result is not a reactive type or `CompletableFuture<?>`, then regular reply producing process happens despite the output channel type.
+
+See also <<./reactive-streams.adoc#reactive-streams,Reactive Streams Support>> for more information.
 
 [[service-activator-return-type]]
 ==== Service Activator and Method Return Type

src/reference/asciidoc/whats-new.adoc

@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ Since `IntegrationComponentSpec` is a `FactoryBean`, its bean definition must st
 The Java DSL and the framework by itself will manage the `IntegrationComponentSpec` lifecycle.
 See <<./dsl.adoc#java-dsl, Java DSL>> for more information.
 
+ - The `AbstractMessageProducingHandler` is marked as an `async` by default if its output channel is configured to a `ReactiveStreamsSubscribableChannel`.
+See <<./service-activator.adoc#async-service-activator,Asynchronous Service Activator>> for more information.
+
 [[x6.1-web-sockets]]
 === Web Sockets Changes