Getting Started with Springboot

What is Spring Boot?

Spring Boot is a Java framework that simplifies building production-ready applications.
It is built on top of the Spring Framework and provides tools to quickly set up web apps, APIs, and microservices with minimal configuration.

Why Learn Spring Boot?

Widely used in enterprise and backend systems.
Reduces boilerplate with auto-configuration.
Integrated with Spring ecosystem (Spring MVC, Data, Security, etc.).
Production-ready features (logging, metrics, health checks).
Strong community and industry demand.

Key Features of Spring Boot

Auto Configuration – eliminates manual setup for common tasks.
Embedded Servers – Tomcat/Jetty included, no need for external servers.
Starter Dependencies – preconfigured dependencies for rapid setup.
Production Tools – built-in monitoring and deployment support.
Microservice Ready – designed for modern distributed systems.

Getting Started with Spring Boot

Follow these steps to set up a Spring Boot project and run your first application.

Requirement

Spring Boot requires Java (JDK 17 or later recommended).
Verify Java installation:

java -version

If not installed, follow the Java setup instructions first.

Using Spring Initializr (Web UI)

Go to https://start.spring.io.

Select Project: Maven
Select Language: Java
Choose Spring Boot Version: Stable latest
Add Dependencies: Spring Web
Click Generate to download the project.

Extract the ZIP file and open it in your IDE (IntelliJ, VS Code, or Eclipse).

Using CLI (Optional)

curl https://start.spring.io/starter.zip \
  -d dependencies=web \
  -d name=demo \
  -o demo.zip
unzip demo.zip -d demo

Inside the project folder, run:

./mvnw spring-boot:run

or if using Gradle:

./gradlew bootRun

Open your browser at:

http://localhost:8080

Create a Controller

In src/main/java/com/example/demo/, create HelloController.java:

package com.example.demo;

import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;

@RestController
public class HelloController {
    @GetMapping("/")
    public String hello() {
        return "Hello, Spring Boot!";
    }
}

Restart and Test

Run the app again and open:

http://localhost:8080/

You should see:

Hello, Spring Boot!

Getting Started with Springboot

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