Spring vs Spring Boot

Introduction

Spring provides a comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern Java-based enterprise applications; Spring Boot builds on top of Spring to simplify the development process by reducing the need for boilerplate code and configuration. This chapter will explore the key differences between Spring and Spring Boot, helping you understand when and why to use each.

Comparison: Spring Framework vs. Spring Boot

Here’s a detailed comparison between Spring Framework and Spring Boot across various aspects:

Primary Objective

• Spring Framework:
  • Spring Framework is an open-source Java platform that provides comprehensive infrastructure support for developing Java applications.
• Spring Boot:
  • Spring Boot is built on top of Spring. It simplifies Spring application bootstrapping by providing automatic configuration and runtime simplicity.

Configuration

• Spring Framework:
  • Spring requires a lot of manual configuration. You have to set up everything yourself.
• Spring Boot:
  • It uses auto-configuration and provides opinionated defaults to reduce setup and boilerplate code.

Project Setup

• Spring Framework:
  • Initial project setup can be cumbersome and might involve boilerplate code.
• Spring Boot:
  • Comes with Spring Boot Initializr for quick project bootstrapping.

Web Servers

• Spring Framework:
  • Requires external servers like Tomcat and Jetty for deployment.
• Spring Boot:
  • It comes with embedded servers (Tomcat, Jetty, Undertow) that enable standalone applications.

Deployment

• Spring Framework:
  • Generates WAR/EAR files typically deployed to external application servers.
• Spring Boot:
  • Typically generates standalone JAR with embedded servers for simplified deployment.

Microservices

• Spring Framework:
  • Requires manual setup and integration with other tools for microservices.
• Spring Boot:
  • Easily integrated with Spring Cloud, making microservices development more straightforward.

Production-ready Features

• Spring Framework:
  • Requires additional tools and configurations for monitoring, health checks, etc.
• Spring Boot:
  • The built-in actuator module provides monitoring, metrics, health checks, and more.

Properties & Configuration

• Spring Framework:
  • Property source setup and hierarchy must be configured manually.
• Spring Boot:
  • Provides a unified property source with sensible defaults and environment-specific configurations.

Testing

• Spring Framework:
  • Requires additional configuration and setup for mocking and integration testing.
• Spring Boot:
  • It provides built-in test configuration and simplifies mocking with @MockBean and @SpringBootTest.

Learning Curve

• Spring Framework:
  • Steeper due to the need to understand and configure each module separately.
• Spring Boot:
  • It is easier for beginners due to its convention-over-configuration approach.

Conclusion

Spring provides a comprehensive set of tools and a flexible configuration model, and Spring Boot focuses on simplicity and rapid development by reducing configuration complexity and boilerplate code. Understanding the differences between Spring and Spring Boot can help you choose the right approach for your project’s requirements, enabling you to build robust, maintainable, and efficient applications.