Introduction
Spring Boot has become the de facto framework for building Java-based microservices and web backends, thanks to its convention-over-configuration approach and starter dependencies that streamline setup and dependency management . In this article, we’ll dissect the course “Spring Boot Tutorial for Beginners [2025]” by M. Hamedani, extracting not only how to write code but also best practices for structuring projects, leading teams, and delivering production-quality software.
1. Project Setup with start.spring.io and IntelliJ IDEA
Initializing the Project
Use Spring’s official starter generator to bootstrap your project:
curl https://start.spring.io/starter.zip \ -d dependencies=web,data-jpa \ -d language=java \ -d javaVersion=23 \ -d artifactId=store-service \ -d groupId=com.example \ -o store-service.zip unzip store-service.zip
Alternatively, IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate can generate and import a Spring Boot project directly, reducing friction and ensuring you have the necessary plugins: Maven support, Spring initializr integration, and live templates .
2. Dependency Management & Dependency Injection
Spring Boot’s parent POM manages versions for you:
<parent>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
<version>3.1.0</version>
</parent>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-jpa</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.h2database</groupId>
<artifactId>h2</artifactId>
<scope>runtime</scope>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
Spring’s starter POMs pull in compatible versions of transitive libraries (e.g., Jackson, Tomcat) so you never wrestle with version conflicts .
Constructor-Based Injection
@Service
public class ProductService {
private final ProductRepository repo;
public ProductService(ProductRepository repo) {
this.repo = repo;
}
public List<Product> findAll() {
return repo.findAll();
}
}
Constructor injection is preferred for mandatory dependencies, enabling immutable fields and straightforward unit testing.
3. Spring MVC & REST Controllers
A simple REST controller to expose products:
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/products")
public class ProductController {
private final ProductService service;
public ProductController(ProductService service) {
this.service = service;
}
@GetMapping
public List<Product> getAll() {
return service.findAll();
}
@PostMapping
@ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.CREATED)
public Product create(@RequestBody Product product) {
return service.save(product);
}
}
This aligns with Spring MVC’s annotation-driven programming model, separating concerns between controllers, services, and repositories.
4. Profiles & Configuration Properties
You should save this file into src/main/resources:
spring:
datasource:
url: jdbc:h2:mem:storedb
driver-class-name: org.h2.Driver
username: sa
password:
spring:
profiles: prod
spring:
datasource:
url: jdbc:postgresql://db-server:5432/storedb
driver-class-name: org.postgresql.Driver
Typed Properties Binding
@ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "store")
public class StoreProperties {
private String name;
private int port;
// getters and setters
}
@SpringBootApplication
@EnableConfigurationProperties(StoreProperties.class)
public class StoreApplication { … }
Profiles allow targeting different environments (dev, test, prod) without code changes; @ConfigurationProperties delivers type safety and validation.
5. Automated Testing
Unit Test for Service Layer
@SpringBootTest
class ProductServiceTest {
@MockBean private ProductRepository repo;
@Autowired private ProductService service;
@Test
void findAllReturnsList() {
when(repo.findAll()).thenReturn(List.of(new Product("Book")));
var products = service.findAll();
assertEquals(1, products.size());
}
}
Testing with Spring Boot’s test slice annotations (e.g., @WebMvcTest) isolates layers for faster feedback loops.
6. CI/CD Pipelines & Team Collaboration
Integrate GitHub Actions or Jenkins for continuous building, testing, and deployment. Save below file in .github/workflows/pipeline.yml:
name: CI Pipeline
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- name: Set up JDK 23
uses: actions/setup-java@v3
with: java-version: '23'
- name: Build with Maven
run: mvn clean verify
- name: Publish Docker Image
run: |
docker build -t myregistry/store-service:${{ github.sha }} .
docker push myregistry/store-service:${{ github.sha }}
Encourage code reviews, pair programming, and clear Git workflows (feature branches, pull requests) to foster knowledge sharing and maintain code quality.
7. Project Structuring & Leadership Strategies
- Modular Packages: Group by feature rather than layer (e.g.,
com.example.store.order). - Documentation: Maintain up-to-date READMEs, API specs (OpenAPI/Swagger).
- Agile Ceremonies: Daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives to align the team.
- Mentorship: Pair junior developers with senior engineers during onboarding.
- Quality Gates: Automate code coverage checks and static analysis (SpotBugs, SonarQube).
These practices reduce technical debt, improve team morale, and accelerate delivery.
Conclusion & Discussion
Spring Boot 3 empowers teams to move from zero to production-ready services rapidly, but achieving high performance at scale requires disciplined project structuring, robust testing, and a culture of continuous improvement.
What challenges have you faced when introducing Spring Boot into a legacy monolith? I look forward to your insights and questions!