Comprehensive Notes on Spring and Spring Boot
Notes on Spring and Spring Boot
1. Spring Framework:
- Spring is a comprehensive Java framework for building enterprise-grade applications.
- It simplifies the development of loosely coupled applications by promoting dependency injection
and aspect-oriented programming.
2. Core Concepts in Spring:
a. Inversion of Control (IoC):
- IoC is the design principle that decouples object creation and their dependencies.
- The Spring Container manages the lifecycle and dependencies of objects using configuration
metadata (XML, Java annotations, or JavaConfig).
- Example (using JavaConfig):
```java
@Configuration
public class AppConfig {
@Bean
public Service service() {
return new ServiceImpl();
```
b. Dependency Injection (DI):
- DI is a technique for injecting dependencies into objects instead of hardcoding them.
- Types of DI: Constructor Injection, Setter Injection, Field Injection.
c. Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP):
- AOP allows separating cross-cutting concerns like logging, security, and transactions.
- Example (Using @Aspect):
```java
@Aspect
public class LoggingAspect {
@Before("execution(* com.example.service.*.*(..))")
public void logBefore() {
System.out.println("Executing method...");
```
3. Spring Modules Overview:
a. Core Container:
- Contains Beans, Core, Context, and Expression Language (EL).
b. Data Access/Integration:
- Spring JDBC, ORM (e.g., Hibernate), JMS (Messaging), and Transaction Management.
c. Web:
- Spring MVC, WebSocket, WebFlux for reactive programming.
d. AOP and Security:
- Offers declarative security and aspect-oriented capabilities.
4. Spring Boot:
- Spring Boot simplifies Spring-based application development by providing defaults and eliminating
boilerplate configuration.
5. Key Features of Spring Boot:
a. Auto-Configuration:
- Automatically configures Spring beans based on classpath dependencies.
b. Spring Boot Starters:
- Pre-defined templates to include common dependencies (e.g., `spring-boot-starter-web`).
c. Embedded Web Server:
- Comes with embedded Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow for running applications without deploying WAR
files.
d. Spring Boot Actuator:
- Provides built-in endpoints for monitoring and managing applications.
6. Advanced Concepts:
a. Spring Boot Profiles:
- Enables environment-specific configuration using `application-{profile}.properties`.
b. Customizing Auto-Configuration:
- Use `@ConditionalOnClass` or `@ConditionalOnMissingBean` to customize behavior.
c. Spring Cloud Integration:
- Spring Boot integrates with Spring Cloud for building microservices.
7. Practical Example:
- Creating a REST API using Spring Boot:
```java
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api")
public class HelloWorldController {
@GetMapping("/hello")
public String sayHello() {
return "Hello, World!";
```
8. Interview Questions:
- What is the difference between Spring and Spring Boot?
- How does Spring Boot achieve auto-configuration?
- Explain the role of the Spring IoC container.
- What are Spring Boot Starters? Name a few commonly used ones.
- How do you monitor a Spring Boot application?
9. Best Practices:
- Always use `@Configuration` and `@Bean` for explicit bean definitions when required.
- Leverage Spring Boot Profiles for managing environment-specific configurations.
- Optimize performance using caching mechanisms like Spring Cache.
- Follow security best practices by using Spring Security.
10. Real-World Use Cases:
- Building microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud.
- Developing RESTful web services.
- Enterprise applications using Spring MVC and Spring Data.
Conclusion:
Spring and Spring Boot are essential tools for building scalable and maintainable enterprise
applications. By mastering the core concepts, advanced features, and best practices, you can
confidently design and develop robust applications.
