Getting Started with Spring Boot: Building a Simple Spring Starter Application

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Setting Up a Spring Boot Project
3. Understanding the Project Structure
4. Exploring the SpringStarterApplication.java
5. Running the Application
6. Conclusion

Introduction:

Spring Boot is a powerful framework that simplifies Java-based application development. It provides a faster and easier way to set up, configure, and run applications without the need for complex XML configuration. This article will guide you through setting up a Spring Boot project from scratch and explain its components, using a simple Spring Starter project as an example.

1. Setting Up a Spring Boot Project:

The Spring Starter project is designed to help you get started with Spring Boot. It provides a basic structure that can be extended as per your needs.

Pros and Cons of Using Spring Boot:

When and Where to Use Spring Boot:

When: When you need a scalable, production-ready application with minimal configuration.

Where: Ideal for microservices architecture, REST APIs, and rapid prototyping.

2. Understanding the Project Structure:

Once you create a Spring Boot project using tools like Spring Initializr, the basic structure consists of multiple folders like src, resources, and build files like pom.xml.

• pom.xml: Contains project dependencies and build configuration for Maven.
• src/main/java: Contains the application code.
• src/main/resources: Houses static resources, properties, and templates.

3. Exploring the SpringStarterApplication.java:

The main class SpringStarterApplication.java acts as the entry point for the Spring Boot application. Let’s look at its structure:

Breakdown of the Code:

• @SpringBootApplication: This annotation is a combination of @Configuration, @EnableAutoConfiguration, and @ComponentScan. It marks this class as the main configuration class.
• main() method: The entry point of the application. It uses SpringApplication.run() to bootstrap the application.

4. Run the Application

This will start the Spring Boot application on the default port (8080). Once the application is running, you can visit http://localhost:8080 to see it in action.

Output:

5. Conclusion:

In this article, we explored the basics of Spring Boot by setting up a simple project and understanding its structure. We looked at the main class SpringStarterApplication.java and how to run the application. Spring Boot’s simplicity and out-of-the-box support make it an excellent choice for modern Java applications.