Creating a new Spring Boot project

Spring Boot is a powerful framework that simplifies the development of Java applications. It provides a convenient and opinionated approach to building stand-alone, production-grade Spring-based applications. In this article, we will explore how to create a new Spring Boot project step by step.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have the following prerequisites installed on your machine:

• Java Development Kit (JDK)
• Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse
• Maven or Gradle build tool (we will be using Maven in this tutorial)

Step 1: Set up your IDE

Open your preferred IDE and make sure it is properly configured with JDK and Maven. If you are using IntelliJ IDEA, you can install the Spring Boot plugin to enhance your development experience.

Step 2: Create a new Maven project

To create a new Spring Boot project using Maven, follow these steps:

1. Open your IDE and go to "File" -> "New" -> "Project".
2. Select "Maven" as the project type and click "Next".
3. Choose a meaningful name for your project and specify a location for it on your file system. Click "Next".
4. Select the desired archetype. In this tutorial, we will use the "webapp" archetype, which is suitable for creating web applications. Click "Next".
5. Enter the necessary group and artifact information. These values uniquely identify your project. Click "Next".
6. Review the project configuration and click "Finish" to create the project.

Step 3: Configure Spring Boot dependencies

Once the project is created, open the pom.xml file. This file contains the project's configuration, including dependencies.

Add the following Spring Boot parent and starter dependencies within the <dependencies> section of your pom.xml:

<parent>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
    <version>2.6.3</version>
    <relativePath/> <!-- lookup parent from repository -->
</parent>

<dependencies>
    <!-- Starter for building web, including RESTful, applications using Spring MVC. -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

This will include the necessary dependencies to build a Spring Boot web application.

Step 4: Create the main application class

Next, create a new Java class that will serve as the entry point for your Spring Boot application. This class should be annotated with @SpringBootApplication to enable auto-configuration and component scanning.

import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;

@SpringBootApplication
public class MyApp {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(MyApp.class, args);
    }
}

Step 5: Build and run the application

With everything set up, you can now build and run your Spring Boot application. Use the following steps to accomplish this:

1. Open a terminal or command prompt.
2. Navigate to the root directory of your project.
3. Build the project using Maven by executing the command: mvn clean install.
4. Run the application using the command: java -jar target/myapp.jar.

Congratulations! You have successfully created a new Spring Boot project and executed it.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered the necessary steps to create a new Spring Boot project. By following these steps, you can quickly set up a Spring Boot application and start building your own Java-based web applications. Enjoy coding with Spring Boot!