Spring Boot Framework is open-source, meaning developers can freely access the source code, which is available in public, allowing the developer to access it freely without paying fees for the license. In addition to accessing the code, the developer can freely modify and distribute it. This framework helps to simplify the software development process, particularly while developing microservices and web applications. While developers can use Spring Framework to build applications, Spring Boot eases the entire process.
With the inclusion of conventions and tools set, the Spring Boot framework helps developers start with the software development process using minimal configuration alone. While offering resources to create standalone applications quickly and runnable production-grade applications.
There are many advantages that accompany the Spring Boot framework. Notably, it reduces the complexities involved in installing and running a Spring application as it contains pre-configured libraries and templates.
Spring Boot Features
No Code Generation
Sprint Boot works without generating the code. As a result, it simplifies the configuration process. And it allows the developer to have a complete grip on the code.
Spring Boot Application Configuration
Without configuring the complex XML files, Spring Boot makes use of simple-to-use property files such as application.yml. to configure. Logging levels, server points, and database connections are some of the things that the developer can configure using these files.
Spring Boot Actuator
It helps the developer monitor and manage an application by assessing the environment properties, metrics, health checks, and many more.
Spring Boot DevTools
The developer tool in Spring Boot is commonly known as DevTools. This module allows the shortening of development time, particularly while using the Spring Boot framework. Another advantage is that it picks up in case of any changes and restarts the application.
Embedded Web Servers
Spring Boot allows the direct embedding of servers into the application. Without requiring the maintenance of separate servers such as Undertow, Jetty, and Apache Tomcat.
With the embedding of all the necessary requirements in a single JAR file, it is easy to deploy these applications.
Spring Boot CLI
This framework enables the easy creation of Spring applications as it enables the running of Groovy scripts. Developers can enable rapid testing and prototyping even without building the complete Java application.
Starter Templates
The design of predefined dependencies and configurations for use in specific purposes is known as starters.
There are different types of starters, and some include the following,
spring-boot-starter-thymeleaf to integrate Thymeleaf template engine
spring-boot-starter-jpa to access the database
spring-boot-starter-web exclusive to web-based applications
The above starters help reduce the complexities in application development as they include readily usable templates to perform specific basis tasks that are common.
Standalone Applications
Due to inbuilt web servers such as Jetty, Undertow, and Tomcat, Spring Boot can run as a standalone application. This means that this framework does not need a remote web server such as Apache to run an application.
Additionally, the Spring Boot framework enables deploying applications in JAR file format with needed configurations and dependencies.
Production-Ready
With built-in features, Spring-Boot is production-capable. That includes the following features,
Metrics
Various metrics, including HTTP requests, JVM stats, and application memory usage, can be fetched using the Spring Boot actuator.
Health Checks
With the framework, developers can continuously monitor the health of software applications.
Externalized Configuration
This framework enables developers to externalize the configuration, enabling them to use a single application for various environments.
Auto-Configuration
The Spring-Boot framework’s auto-configuration is prominent one. With predefined libraries in the classpath, the Spring Boot framework enables the automatic configuration of application components.
For instance, if a developer is using Spring Data JPA, the Spring Framework detects it and automatically performs certain functionalities such as data source configuration, installs entity manager, and ensures transaction management.