How to Create a Spring Boot Project with IntelliJ IDEA?

Spring Boot is one of the most popular frameworks for building Java applications, and IntelliJ IDEA is a top-tier IDE for Java development. In this article, we will guide you through the process of creating a Spring Boot project using IntelliJ IDEA. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, this article will help you quickly and efficiently set up your first Spring Boot application.

Steps to Create a Spring Boot Application with IntelliJ IDEA

Now, we will discuss the steps to create a springboot project with intellij IDEA

Step 1: Install IntelliJ IDEA

First, we need to install IntelliJ IDEA for Spring Boot on our local machine. We can download the Community Edition (free) or the Ultimate Edition (paid) from the official JetBrains website.

Step 2: Create a Spring Boot Project Using Spring Initializr

• Open the browser and search Spring Initializr
• Fill in the following details, which are mentioned below:
  • Project: Maven Project or Gradle Project (choose based on your preference)
  • Language: Java
  • Spring Boot Version: Choose the latest stable version.
  • Project Metadata: Group (e.g., com.example), Artifact (e.g., demo), Name, and Package Name.
  • Dependencies: Add dependencies like Spring Web, Spring Data JPA, and Spring Boot DevTools (depending on your project requirements).
• Click on the GENERATE button to download the project as a ZIP file.
• Extract the ZIP file to your desired location on your local machine.

Step 3: Import the Spring Boot Project into IntelliJ IDEA

• Open IntelliJ IDEA.
• Go to File > Open.
• Navigate to the folder where you extracted the Spring Boot project.
• Select the project folder (e.g., demo) and click OK.
• IntelliJ IDEA will automatically detect the project type (Maven or Gradle) and start importing the project.
• Wait for IntelliJ IDEA to download all the required dependencies and set up the project.

Step 4: Explore the SpringBoot Project Structure

Once the project is imported, we will see the following structure in IntelliJ IDEA:

• src/main/java: Contains the main application code.
• src/main/resources: Contains configuration files like application.properties or application.yml.
• src/test/java: Contains test cases for your application.
• pom.xml (for Maven) or build.gradle (for Gradle): Manages project dependencies.

Step 5: Run Spring Boot Application in Intellij

• Locate the main application class (usually named DemoApplication.java or similar).
• Right-click on the class and select Run.
• IntelliJ IDEA will start the Spring Boot application, and you will see the logs in the Run window.

Additional Tips:

• Dependencies: Make sure to add the necessary dependencies in Spring Initializr based on your project requirements.
• Configuration: You can configure your application further by editing the application.properties or application.yml file.
• Plugins: IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition supports Spring Boot development, but you might want to install the Spring Assistant plugin for additional features.