Spring vs Spring Boot: Key Differences & Hands-On Tutorial

Spring and Spring Boot are both part of the Spring Framework, but they serve different purposes. Let’s compare them first and then go through a hands-on Spring Boot tutorial.

🔹 Spring vs Spring Boot: Key Differences

Feature	Spring Framework	Spring Boot
Definition	A comprehensive framework for Java EE applications.	A simplified way to build Spring applications with minimal setup.
Configuration	Requires extensive XML or Java-based configuration.	Uses auto-configuration, reducing boilerplate code.
Dependency Management	Manually managed via `pom.xml` or `gradle.build`.	Uses Spring Boot Starters for simplified dependencies.
Web Server	Requires external Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow.	Comes with an embedded Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow.
Microservices Support	Needs additional setup for REST APIs & Microservices.	Optimized for microservices architecture.
Ease of Development	More complex and requires manual setup.	Faster development with minimal configuration.

Spring vs Spring Boot

👉 Bottom Line: Spring Boot is an extension of Spring that makes it easier to create and deploy Spring-based applications.

🚀 Hands-On Spring Boot Tutorial: Building a REST API

Step 1️⃣: Set Up a Spring Boot Project

You can create a new Spring Boot project using Spring Initializr:

Open Spring Initializr.
Select:
- Project: Maven or Gradle
- Language: Java
- Spring Boot Version: Latest stable
- Dependencies: Spring Web
Click Generate to download the project.

Step 2️⃣: Add REST Controller

Navigate to src/main/java/com/example/demo/ and create a new file:

package com.example.demo;

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

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api")
public class HelloController {

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

📌 Explanation:

@RestController – Marks this class as a REST API controller.
@RequestMapping("/api") – Defines the base URL path.
@GetMapping("/hello") – Maps HTTP GET requests to /api/hello.

Step 3️⃣: Run the Spring Boot Application

In your terminal, navigate to the project folder and run:

mvn spring-boot:run

gradle bootRun

Step 4️⃣: Test the API

Open a browser or use Postman and go to:

http://localhost:8080/api/hello

📌 You should see: “Hello, Spring Boot!” 🎉

🎯 Why Choose Spring Boot?

✔ Fast Development – No need to set up an external server.
✔ Auto Configuration – Reduces boilerplate code.
✔ Production-Ready – Built-in monitoring and logging with Spring Actuator.
✔ Great for Microservices – Works seamlessly with Spring Cloud.

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