Spring vs Spring Boot

Introduction:
Spring and Spring Boot are both popular frameworks used for building enterprise applications in Java. While they share many similarities, there are also some significant differences between the two. In this blog post, we will explore the differences between Spring and Spring Boot and which one is best to start with.

What is Spring?
Spring is a popular Java framework used for building enterprise applications. It is a modular framework that provides a set of features for building web applications, including web MVC, security, data access, and more. Spring is based on the Inversion of Control (IoC) principle, which promotes loose coupling between components in an application.

What is Spring Boot?
Spring Boot is a framework built on top of the Spring framework that simplifies the process of building and deploying Spring-based applications. It provides a set of opinionated defaults and auto-configurations that reduce the amount of boilerplate code required to build a Spring application. Spring Boot includes features like embedded servers, auto-configuration, and a command-line interface that make it easy to create and run Spring applications.

Differences between Spring and Spring Boot:

• Complexity: Spring is a more complex framework than Spring Boot because it requires more configuration and setup. Spring Boot, on the other hand, provides a set of opinionated defaults that reduce the amount of configuration required to get up and running.
• Dependency Management: Spring Boot provides dependency management out-of-the-box, which means that you don't have to worry about managing dependencies manually. Spring, on the other hand, requires you to manage dependencies manually.
• Auto-Configuration: Spring Boot provides a set of auto-configurations that help you configure your application automatically based on the dependencies you have added to your project. Spring does not have this feature, which means that you have to configure your application manually.

Which one is best to start with?
Both Spring and Spring Boot have their pros and cons, and the choice of which one to start with depends on your specific needs and requirements. If you are new to Java and want to learn Spring, it is recommended to start with Spring Boot. Spring Boot simplifies the process of building and deploying Spring-based applications, which makes it easier to get started. Once you have gained some experience with Spring Boot, you can move on to Spring to explore its more advanced features.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, Spring and Spring Boot are both powerful frameworks used for building enterprise applications in Java. While they share many similarities, they also have significant differences. If you are new to Java and want to learn Spring, it is recommended to start with Spring Boot because it simplifies the process of building and deploying Spring-based applications. Once you have gained some experience with Spring Boot, you can move on to Spring to explore its more advanced features.