Spring and Spring Boot
Getting started with Spring Framework and Introduction to Spring Boot
Looking back over a few years, we see Spring framework and Spring boot getting into talks. Well, the reasons might appear obvious. If I talk about the spring framework, it is one of the most popular frameworks in the entire java ecosystem. It supports the production of almost 90% of Java enterprise applications. Spring Boot is a tool to create Spring applications with zero configuration. Spring Boot is getting popular day by day because you can create REST APIs and Microservices in no time. Often there is confusion about which is better and why? So let us now dive into the basic concepts of Spring and Spring Boot, and by the end of this, you will get a brief knowledge about choosing Spring Boot over Spring.
A Comparison between spring and spring boot
What is Spring?
Spring is a lightweight framework that provides a comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern Java-based enterprise applications that can run on any platform.
Benefits of Spring
- Considering the POJO model, a relatively light framework
- Provides middleware services
- Supports annotations as well as XML Configurations
- Supports Declarative Programming
- Enables loose coupling and easy testability
Best features of Spring
Although Spring has 20 modules with several features to solve different problems. A few popular Spring Module include:
- Spring JDBC
- Spring MVC
- Spring ORM
- Spring Test
- Spring AOP
- Spring JMS
- Spring Expression Language(SpEL)
One key element of Spring is Dependency injection, which helps to simplify by enabling developers to build loosely coupled applications.
Having said that, why should you use Spring Boot despite its numerous advantages? What prompted the creation of Spring Boot, to be more specific?
What is Spring Boot?
With the Spring architecture becoming more complex day by day, it was necessary to introduce Spring Boot. Spring Boot is a microservices-based framework that allows you to create apps in a shorter time. It auto-configures every element. To use specific functionality, the developers only need to use appropriate configurations. Spring Boot is a top recommendation if one is interested in creating a REST API.
Despite providing maximum flexibility, it focuses on reducing code length, providing you with the simplest way to build a Web application. This framework includes default codes and annotation configuration, reducing the time required to develop an application. In other words, Spring Boot enables a self-contained application that requires little to no setup.
Benefits of Spring Boot
- It does not require any XML configuration.
- It creates standalone applications.
- Easier to launch than Spring.
- WAR files deployment is not necessary.
- Its primary goal is to reduce the LOC.
- Directly embedding Jetty, Undertow, or Tomcat is beneficial.
- Provides simple management and customization
- Production-ready features.
Best Features of Spring Boot
- Embedded server to reduce application development complexities
- Starter dependencies with differing viewpoints make the build and app configuration easier.
- Auto-configuration for Spring functionality: A prominent feature that auto-configures the class based on a specific requirement.
- Health checks, metrics, and externalized configuration are all available.
Spring Boot Annotations
Spring Boot Annotation is a form of metadata. It provides additional information about the program. Below are some of the annotations that will be useful while building an application using Spring Boot.
@Required
It applies to bean setter methods. The annotated bean populates at configuration time with the required property. Else it throws an exception BeanInitializationException.
@Autowired
It applies to setter methods, fields, and constructors. The @Autowired annotation implicitly injects object dependency. The Spring container auto-wires the bean by matching the data type.
@Configuration
@Configuration is an analog for XML configuration file. It takes the help of Java Class for configuration, used in classes that define beans.
@Qualifier
@Qualifier can be used to gain more control over the dependency injection process. We use @Qualifier and @Autowired together. This annotation prevents confusion when you create multiple beans of the same type and require to wire only one of them to a property.
@Bean
This annotation is method level. It is an alternative to the XML <bean> tag. It specifies how to create a bean that Spring Container will manage.
@Controller
This annotation indicates the class in a Spring controller. It identifies controllers for Spring MVC or Spring WebFlux.
@RequestMapping
It maps web requests. It includes several optional elements such as consumes, header, method, name, params, path, produces, and value. You can use it with both the class and the function.
Conclusion
Spring Boot is a Spring-based project Initializer. When it comes to removing excess configuration, the Spring framework used with Spring Boot is an excellent choice beneficial to developers. Spring Framework requires manual changes in each setting, whereas Spring Boot offers few or no manual applications.
The Spring Boot Framework aims to help developers reduce development time and provide integration tests and unit setup, thus improving performance. To summarize, Spring Boot is a Spring extension that facilitates testing, development, and deployment.
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