Top 10 Spring Boot Features Every Developer Should Know

Introduction

Spring Boot has revolutionized the way developers build web and enterprise applications in Java.

By simplifying configurations and providing built-in tools, Spring Boot allows developers to focus on coding rather than setup.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, understanding its top features can significantly enhance your productivity.

Let’s dive into the top 10 features of Spring Boot every developer should know.

Also read: Building a REST API with Spring Boot in Just 15 Minutes

1. Auto-Configuration

One of the most celebrated features of Spring Boot is auto-configuration.

It eliminates the need for lengthy configuration files by automatically setting up the application based on the dependencies you include in your project. For instance:

• Adding Spring Web automatically configures a web server like Tomcat.

• Including a database dependency sets up a DataSource.

This feature allows developers to focus on business logic while Spring Boot handles the setup.

Pro Tip: You can override defaults by specifying custom configurations in your application.properties or application.yml file.

2. Embedded Server

Spring Boot applications come with an embedded server, such as Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow.

This means you can run your application as a standalone program without deploying it to an external server.

Advantages:

• Simplifies development and testing.

• Reduces the dependency on external server configurations.

To run your app, simply use: mvn spring-boot:run

3. Spring Boot Starter Dependencies

Spring Boot provides starter dependencies to bundle commonly used libraries, reducing the need for manual dependency management.

For example:

• spring-boot-starter-web: Includes Spring MVC and Tomcat.

• spring-boot-starter-data-jpa: Includes JPA and Hibernate.

These starters simplify the process of adding dependencies and ensure compatibility between libraries.

4. Spring Boot Actuator

The Actuator module provides production-ready features like monitoring, metrics, and health checks for your application. Key features include:

• Application health endpoints (e.g., /actuator/health).

• Metrics endpoints to monitor performance.

• Integration with tools like Prometheus and Grafana.

Example Usage: Add Actuator to your pom.xml:

Access health metrics via:

http://localhost:8080/actuator/health

5. Spring Boot DevTools

The DevTools module boosts developer productivity by enabling features like automatic restarts and live reloads during development.

Key Benefits:

• Automatically restarts the application when code changes are detected.

• Enables caching during development to speed up testing.

Add DevTools to your project:

6. Externalized Configuration

Spring Boot allows you to externalize configurations, making it easy to manage application settings across environments. Configuration can be placed in:

• application.properties

• application.yml

• Environment variables

For example:

Externalized configurations support profiles, allowing you to define settings for different environments (e.g., dev, test, prod).

7. Command-Line Interface (CLI)

Spring Boot’s CLI enables you to quickly prototype applications using Groovy scripts. It simplifies coding by automatically resolving dependencies.

Install CLI: brew install spring-boot-cli

Example: Create a hello.groovy file

Run it with:

spring run hello.groovy

8. Spring Initializr

The Spring Initializr is a web-based tool that helps you bootstrap a Spring Boot project. It generates a complete project structure with the necessary dependencies.

Access Spring Initializr here

Steps:

1. Select the project type (Maven/Gradle).

2. Choose dependencies like Web, JPA, or Security.

3. Download the project and start coding immediately.

9. Security with Spring Boot

Spring Boot simplifies adding security features to your application through its spring-boot-starter-security dependency. It provides:

• Authentication and authorization mechanisms.

• Default login forms.

• Integration with OAuth2 and JWT.

Example:

Define custom security settings in your SecurityConfig class.

10. Microservices Support

Spring Boot is widely used for developing microservices due to its simplicity and seamless integration with Spring Cloud. Features include:

• Easy integration with service discovery tools like Eureka.

• Config servers for managing centralized configurations.

• Built-in support for distributed tracing and circuit breakers.

Example Microservices Features:

• Create REST APIs effortlessly.

• Use Spring Cloud for load balancing and API gateways.

Also read: Unveiling the Easiest Coding Language to Learn for Beginners

Conclusion

Spring Boot offers a comprehensive set of features that streamline the development process and help you build robust applications efficiently.

From auto-configuration and embedded servers to microservices support and security, mastering these features can make you a more productive developer.

Explore these features in your next project to experience the power of Spring Boot firsthand.

Ready to dive deeper? Check out our related guides and tutorials to enhance your Spring Boot expertise.

Also read: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide to Building Web Apps with Spring Boot

Recent Stories