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Introduction
Spring Boot is a project that uses the Spring Framework as its foundation. It makes setting up, configuring, and running simple web-based applications easier and faster.
In this article, we will learn Spring Boot. You must have a basic understanding of Spring Framework before learning Spring Boot. So, without any further ado, let's get started!
What is Spring Boot?
Spring Boot is the foundation of every developer's experience, regardless of what they're building. Spring Boot helps us to do it as quickly as possible with the least amount of configuration required upfront.
Spring Boot is a project that uses the Spring Framework as its foundation. It's a Spring module that gives the Spring Framework the RAD (Rapid Application Development) feature. It's used to make a Spring-based application that can run independently.
Spring Boot is a hybrid framework that combines Spring Framework and Embedded Servers. We can be served in seconds due to its embedded application servers.
There is no need for XML configuration in Spring Boot. It employs a convention-over-configuration software design paradigm, which reduces the developer's workload.
To create Spring Boot Java applications, we can use the Spring STS IDE or Spring Initializr.
Why Is It So Popular Among Java Developers?
Spring Boot is widely used in the software industry because it simplifies Java application development and speeds up deployment. Here’s why it's so popular among Java developers:
1. Simplified Project Setup Spring Boot uses built-in starters and an opinionated setup, so developers don’t have to spend time configuring dependencies manually. Tools like Spring Initializr make it easy to start new projects.
2. Reduced Boilerplate Code Spring Boot eliminates repetitive code using annotations like @SpringBootApplication, letting developers focus more on logic rather than configuration.
3. Built-In Server and Auto Configuration It comes with embedded servers like Tomcat and Jetty. Auto-configuration reduces the need to write setup code, which speeds up development and testing.
4. Great for Microservices and REST APIs Spring Boot is ideal for building microservices and RESTful APIs quickly. Its modular approach and lightweight nature fit well with modern cloud-based architectures.
These features make Spring Boot a top choice for Java developers.
Benefits of Spring Boot Framework
Spring Boot Framework should be used because:
Defining more Annotation Configuration is avoided.
It saves time by minimizing the need to write a lot of import statements.
It has a lot of database transaction management features.
It makes it easier to integrate with other Java frameworks such as JPA/Hibernate ORM, Struts, etc.
It lowers the application's cost and development time.
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Differences between Spring and Spring Boot
Spring
Spring Boot
The Spring Framework is a Java EE(Enterprise Edition) framework for developing applications.
Spring Boot is primarily used to create REST APIs.
It’s used is to make Java EE development easier and more productive for developers.
For faster application development, Spring Boot adds the RAD (Rapid Application Development) feature to the Spring framework.
Even for simple tasks, the Spring framework requires far too many lines of code (boilerplate code).
We can eliminate boilerplate code, saving time and increasing productivity.
We must manually build configurations in the Spring framework.
There are default configurations in Spring Boot that allow for faster bootstrapping.
XML Configuration is required in the Spring framework.
In Spring Boot, there is no need for XML configuration.
Features of Spring Boot
The Spring Boot features are as follows:
Features
Description
Admin Support
Spring Boot gives the option of enabling admin-related features for our app. It helps to manage and access applications remotely. The spring.application.admin.enabled property in the Spring Boot application can be used to enable it.
Application Events and Listeners
Spring Boot uses events to handle a variety of tasks. It enables us to create factories files for adding listeners. The ApplicationListener key can be used to refer to it.
Externalized Configuration
We can externalize our configuration with Spring Boot, allowing us to work with the same application in different environments.
Properties Files
Spring Boot has a large number of application properties. As a result, we can use it in our project's properties file.
Logging
All internal logging in Spring Boot is done with standard logging. By default, logging dependencies are managed. If no customization is required, we should not change the logging dependencies.
Security
All HTTP endpoints are secure by default with basic authentication. To create a secure Spring Boot application, many Endpoints are available.
Web design and development
The Spring module is well suited for web application development. We can easily create a self-contained HTTP server using embedded Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow. The spring-boot- starter-web module can be used to start and run an application quickly.
Type-safe Configuration
The application's configuration is governed and validated by the solid type-safe configuration. Application configuration is always a critical task that must be done in a type-safe manner. We can also make use of the annotations that this library provides.
Advantages of Spring Boot
Spring boot has excellent integration with IDEs like eclipse and IntelliJ idea.
The use of XML configuration is not needed.
It comes with a large number of plug-ins.
It boosts productivity and cuts down on development time.
Spring boot helps in resolving dependency conflicts. It identifies required dependencies and imports them for us.
Spring boot has information on compatible versions for all dependencies. It minimizes the runtime classloader issues.
Spring boot’s “opinionated defaults configuration” approach helps in configuring the essential pieces behind the scene. Override them only when we need them. Otherwise, everything just works perfectly.
It helps in avoiding boilerplate code, annotations, and XML configurations.
Spring boot provides an embedded HTTP server Tomcat to develop and test quickly.
Disadvantages of the Spring Boot Framework
The lack of control with Spring Boot leads to frustration in many developers. The opinionated style installs many extra dependencies because it assumes we'll need them. The deployment binary size can become huge if these additional dependencies are installed.
It can be difficult to upgrade our legacy Spring code. Spring Boot tries to address such use cases by providing various tools, such as a command-line tool for migrating legacy code.
Spring Boot Applications Monitoring
Although Spring Boot includes some essential tools for monitoring logs and the health of our application by default, they aren't enough. A Retrace is a tool that allows teams to monitor Java applications efficiently.
By interpreting the logs, Retrace assists us in detecting slow SQL queries, providing performance and CPU usage reports, and displaying the most commonly occurring errors.
Spring Boot is widely used in real-world applications because it simplifies development and supports modern software needs. Below are some practical use cases where Spring Boot proves highly effective:
1. REST APIs Spring Boot makes building RESTful APIs straightforward with its built-in support for annotations like @RestController and @GetMapping. Developers can quickly expose endpoints and handle JSON/XML responses, making it ideal for web and mobile backend services.
2. Microservices Architecture Spring Boot is a go-to framework for creating microservices. Its lightweight setup, embedded servers, and seamless integration with Spring Cloud allow developers to build, deploy, and scale independent services efficiently in distributed systems.
3. Enterprise Software Projects Large enterprises use Spring Boot to develop complex systems with multiple modules. It improves maintainability with clear architecture and speeds up development using auto-configuration, starter dependencies, and easy integration with databases and third-party tools.
These use cases highlight Spring Boot’s strong role in modern Java development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1) What is a Spring Boot?
Answer: Spring Boot is a Spring module that extends the Spring framework's RAD (Rapid Application Development) capabilities.
It's used to create stand-alone spring-based applications that we can just run because spring configuration is minimal.
Q2) What are the benefits of using Spring Boot?
Answer: The benefits of using Spring Boot are as follows:
Create self-contained Spring applications that can be started with the java -jar command.
Directly embed Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow. WAR files aren't required for deployment.
It offers opinionated 'starter' POMs to make Maven configuration easier.
When possible, it configures Spring automatically.
Q3) What are the basic features of Spring Boot?
Answer: The basic features of Spring Boot are:
Admin features
Application events and listeners
Logging
Security
Web Development
Conclusion
In this article, we covered the essentials of Spring Boot—its key features, architecture, real-world use cases, and how it differs from the traditional Spring framework. We also explored why it’s a preferred choice for modern Java development, especially when building REST APIs and microservices.
Spring Boot stands out for its simplicity, auto-configuration, and ability to speed up development. It reduces boilerplate code, supports embedded servers, and is highly scalable—making it ideal for both small apps and enterprise-level solutions.
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