What does Spring Boot add on top of Spring?
Options
- It replaces Java with a simpler language
- It adds auto-configuration, starters and an embedded server (Correct option)
- It adds a graphical interface for designing Spring apps
- It introduces a new programming language for Spring
Answer
Auto-configuration, starter dependencies and an embedded server, so you can run a production-ready app with minimal setup
Why
Plain Spring needs a lot of manual configuration (XML or Java config, choosing library versions, deploying a WAR to a separate server).
Spring Boot makes sensible default choices:
- Starters: one dependency (
spring-boot-starter-web) brings a compatible set of libraries. - Auto-configuration: if it sees a library on the classpath, it configures it for you.
- Embedded server (Tomcat by default): the app is a normal JAR you start with
java -jar. - Actuator: health and metrics endpoints.
Remember
Spring Boot = Spring with defaults, starters and an embedded server.