Spring vs Spring Boot vs Spring MVC vs Spring Data: what is each?
Answer
- Spring Framework: core container (IoC/DI), AOP, transactions and the base of everything.
- Spring MVC: the web module: controllers,
DispatcherServlet, request mapping, JSON conversion. - Spring Data: simplifies data access (JPA, MongoDB, Redis...) with repository interfaces.
- Spring Security: authentication and authorization.
- Spring Boot: opinionated layer that auto-configures all of the above, adds starters, embedded server and Actuator.
- In one line: Spring is the toolbox, Spring Boot is the pre-assembled workshop.
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