Spring Boot Flashcards - Viva Prep
Q: What is Spring Boot? How does it differ from the traditional Spring Framework?
A: Spring Boot is an open-source Java-based framework used to build standalone and production-ready
Spring applications. Unlike traditional Spring, Spring Boot reduces boilerplate code, provides
auto-configuration, embedded servers, and avoids XML configurations.
Q: What are the main features of Spring Boot?
A: - Auto-configuration
- Embedded servers (like Tomcat, Jetty)
- Starter dependencies
- Minimal configuration
- Production-ready metrics and health checks
Q: Explain the term "Convention over Configuration" in Spring Boot.
A: Spring Boot prefers sensible defaults and reduces the need for manual configuration. If the structure and
naming follow conventions, Spring Boot auto-configures components.
Q: What are some advantages of using Spring Boot over Spring MVC?
A: - No need for XML config
- Embedded server support
- Faster development
- Auto dependency management with starters
- Easier testing and deployment
Q: Compare Monolithic Architecture and Microservices.
A: - Monolithic: All modules are tightly coupled and deployed as a single unit.
- Microservices: Each service is independent, loosely coupled, and can be deployed separately.
Q: What is @SpringBootApplication?
A: It is a convenience annotation that combines @Configuration, @EnableAutoConfiguration, and
@ComponentScan. It marks the main class of a Spring Boot application.
Spring Boot Flashcards - Viva Prep
Q: How does @RestController differ from @Controller?
A: @RestController returns data (JSON/XML) directly, combining @Controller and @ResponseBody.
@Controller is used for traditional web applications that return views (HTML/JSP).
Q: Explain the use of @RequestMapping and @GetMapping.
A: @RequestMapping is a general-purpose annotation to handle all HTTP methods.
@GetMapping is a shortcut for @RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.GET).
Q: What is the purpose of @Autowired in Spring Boot?
A: It injects dependencies automatically into Spring-managed beans using Spring's dependency injection.
Q: What is the difference between @PathVariable and @RequestParam?
A: @PathVariable binds data from URL path segments.
@RequestParam binds data from query parameters.
Q: What is the use of the pom.xml file in a Spring Boot project?
A: It defines project dependencies, plugins, build configuration, and metadata for Maven-based Spring Boot
projects.
Q: What are Spring Boot Starters? Can you name a few?
A: Starters are dependency descriptors for Spring Boot. Examples: spring-boot-starter-web,
spring-boot-starter-data-jpa, spring-boot-starter-security.
Q: What is the role of the application.properties file?
A: It holds application-level configuration such as server port, database settings, and logging levels.
Q: What happens when we run spring-boot:run?
A: Maven runs the Spring Boot application by executing the main class and bootstrapping the embedded
server.
Spring Boot Flashcards - Viva Prep
Q: What is RESTful Web Service? How is it different from SOAP?
A: REST uses standard HTTP methods and data formats like JSON. It is lightweight and stateless. SOAP is a
strict protocol using XML and requires more overhead.
Q: What HTTP methods are commonly used in REST APIs and what do they represent?
A: - GET: Read data
- POST: Create data
- PUT: Update/replace data
- PATCH: Modify data
- DELETE: Remove data
Q: What is the purpose of the @RequestBody and @ResponseBody annotations?
A: - @RequestBody: Maps request JSON to Java object.
- @ResponseBody: Converts Java object to JSON/response.
Q: How does Spring Boot return JSON as a response?
A: By default, Spring Boot uses Jackson to convert Java objects to JSON when using @RestController or
@ResponseBody.
Q: What is JPA? How is it related to Hibernate?
A: JPA (Java Persistence API) is a specification for ORM. Hibernate is its implementation. JPA allows
mapping Java objects to database tables.
Q: What is JpaRepository? What are some methods provided by it?
A: JpaRepository extends CrudRepository and provides methods like save(), findAll(), findById(), delete(),
count().
Q: What is ORM? How does it help in persistence?
A: ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) lets developers persist Java objects directly into relational databases
Spring Boot Flashcards - Viva Prep
using mappings. It simplifies DB operations.
Q: What is Swagger and why is it used?
A: Swagger is a tool for documenting and testing REST APIs. It provides an interactive UI to test endpoints.
Q: How do you access Swagger UI in a Spring Boot application?
A: By visiting http://localhost:8080/swagger-ui/index.html after configuring Swagger dependencies.
Q: What is the HTTP response code 201? When is it returned?
A: 201 Created is returned when a new resource is successfully created, typically after a POST request.
Q: How would you create a REST endpoint that returns a list of students?
A: Create a @RestController, use @GetMapping("/students"), and return List<Student> from the handler
method.
Q: What steps will you follow to resolve Maven dependency issues?
A: - Replace http with https in pom.xml
- Update local repository path in .m2/settings.xml
- Do a Maven > Update Project with Force Update enabled
Q: How does Spring Boot handle auto-configuration?
A: Spring Boot auto-configures beans based on the classpath and uses @EnableAutoConfiguration internally
to provide defaults.
Q: What are DTOs and why are they used?
A: DTOs (Data Transfer Objects) are used to transfer data between layers without exposing the internal
structure of entities. They improve encapsulation and reduce API payload.
