The Appeal of Auto-assembly: Spring Boot vs Traditional Spring

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preamble

In the field of Java development, the Spring Framework has long been a powerful and widely used tool for building enterprise-class applications. However, with the passage of time and the development of technology, Spring Boot was born to bring a more simplified and faster development experience for Java developers. In this article, we will delve into the differences between Spring and Spring Boot, focusing on their differences in project configuration, dependency management, embedded servers, development experience, and more. By comparing these two frameworks, we aim to help developers better understand their features in order to make informed choices in real projects.

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make a distinction

1. Project Configuration:

   • Spring： In Spring, project configuration usually requires the use of XML files (such as theapplicationContext.xml) or Java configuration classes to define beans, inject dependencies, and so on.
   • Spring Boot： Spring Boot uses the principle of convention over configuration to reduce the developer’s workload through the default configuration. It uses annotations and autoconfiguration to eliminate the need for cumbersome XML configurations. Most configurations can be configured via property files (such as theapplication.propertiesorapplication.yml) for management.

2. Dependency management:

   • Spring： In Spring, you need to manually manage various dependencies of your project, including version control.
   • Spring Boot： Spring Boot uses “Starter” dependencies, which are a set of predefined dependencies that allow rapid integration of commonly used functionality. Developers only need to introduce the relevant Starter dependencies into the project and do not need to manually configure the version of each dependency.

3. Embedded server:

   • Spring： In Spring, you need to manually configure and integrate a web server such as Tomcat or Jetty.
   • Spring Boot： Spring Boot has a built-in embedded web server (e.g., Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow) that doesn’t require any additional configuration by default, and you can just run a standalone JAR file to start the application.

4. Development Experience:

   • Spring： There are many details that need to be configured and managed manually, which may seem cumbersome.
   • Spring Boot： Simplifies the configuration and development process, allowing developers to focus more on the implementation of business logic, providing a better development experience.

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an actual example

Here’s a simple example to compare Spring and Spring Boot applications. Suppose we want to create a simple RESTful web service that provides basic information about a user.

Sample Spring project:

1. Create a Maven project: In a Maven project, you need to manually add dependencies, configure theweb.xmletc.
2. Define a user entity class:

   public class User {
       // Properties, constructors, getters and setters, etc.
   }

3. Create a Controller:

   @Controller
   public class UserController {
       @Autowired
       private UserService userService;
   
       @GetMapping("/users/{id}")
       public ResponseEntity<User> getUserById(@PathVariable Long id) {
           User user = userService.getUserById(id);
           return new ResponseEntity<>(user, HttpStatus.OK);
       }
   }
   

4. Configure the XML file: Configuring Spring’s XML files, defining beans, setting up database connections, etc.

Sample Spring Boot project:

1. Create a Spring Boot project: Create a project using Spring Initializer or Spring Boot CLI and select the relevant dependencies.
2. Define a user entity class:

   @Entity
   public class User {
       // Properties, constructors, getters and setters, etc.
   }

3. Create a Controller:

   @RestController
   public class UserController {
       @Autowired
       private UserService userService;
   
       @GetMapping("/users/{id}")
       public ResponseEntity<User> getUserById(@PathVariable Long id) {
           User user = userService.getUserById(id);
           return new ResponseEntity<>(user, HttpStatus.OK);
       }
   }
   

4. Configuration file: utilizationapplication.propertiesorapplication.ymlConfigure information such as database connections.

Through a simple example can be seen in Spring Boot , the project structure is more concise , dependency management is more convenient , and does not require too much XML configuration . Spring Boot reduces developer work with defaults and auto-configuration, providing a better development experience, especially in scenarios such as rapid build and deployment of microservices.

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summarize

In this article, we discuss in detail the differences between Spring and Spring Boot, evolving from the traditional Spring framework to the more modern, lightweight Spring Boot. Spring Boot stands out for its automated configuration, embedded servers, and streamlined development process, providing developers with easier tools that are especially suited for building microservices and rapid prototyping. However, this doesn’t mean that the Spring Framework loses its value; it’s still a powerful option, especially in situations where finer-grained control and legacy project migrations are required. The choice of whether to use Spring or Spring Boot depends on the needs of the project, the preferences of the developer, and the best practices for a particular scenario. Whichever framework you choose, it is designed to better serve the development of Java applications and meet the needs of different projects.

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put at the end

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