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SPRING VS SPRING BOOT VS SPRING MVC: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Over the past few years, due to the increase in additional functionality, the structure of the Spring framework has become noticeably more complex. Now, starting a new Spring project requires a lengthy preparation procedure to set it up.

Therefore, in order to facilitate the configuring of this framework, Spring Boot and Spring MVC were introduced. What are the roles of Spring, Spring Boot and Spring MVC in solving various problems? What are their benefits and differences? Let's find out!



WHAT IS SPRING?



Spring is one of the most widely used frameworks for applications development, providing a well-balanced programming and configuration model. The goal of its creation was to simplify the development of applications on the popular Java EE technology stack from Oracle, which was quite complicated and not always convenient to use.

Unlike other frameworks, Spring focuses on several areas of application functionality and provides a wide range of additional features for them.

One of the main features of the Spring Framework is the use of the Dependency Injection (DI) pattern. DI makes it much easier to implement the functionality into your applications, allowing you to develop loosely coupled and more generic classes.



WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SPRING FRAMEWORK?



  1. Spring Framework can be used on all architectural layers of web applications;
  2. It uses the POJO model when writing classes, which is a very light structure;
  3. It allows you to freely link modules and easily test them;
  4. Supports declarative programming;
  5. Eliminates the need for self-creation of factory and singleton classes;
  6. Supports various configuration methods;
  7. Provides a middleware level service.



It is worth noting that despite all the benefits that Spring has, the lengthy preparation process needed for its configuration contributed to the emergence of Spring Boot.



WHAT IS SPRING BOOT?



While the Spring Framework focuses on providing flexibility, Spring Boot aims to reduce code length. By using annotated configuration and boilerplate code, Spring Boot reduces time spent on the development process. This capability helps you create standalone applications with less or almost zero configuration overhead.

Autoconfiguration is one of the main Spring Boot’s features. With the help of annotations, it automatically sets up configuration classes.



WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SPRING BOOT?



Spring Boot makes using Spring Framework easier. Spring offers a loosely coupled application, which is, of course, an amazing feature. However, when there are several loosely coupled blocks, keeping track of them becomes a tedious and thankless task. This is where Spring Boot helps simplify things without offering any additional configuration features.



  1. Spring Boot does not require war files deployment;
  2. It creates standalone applications;
  3. It facilitates direct embedding in Tomcat, Jetty or Undertow applications;
  4. Does not require XML configuration;
  5. Aimed at reducing the amount of source code;
  6. Has additional functionality "out of the box";
  7. Easy to start;
  8. Easy setup and management.



With features like auto-configuration, Spring Boot saves you from writing extra code and helps you avoid unnecessary configuration.



Not only does the Spring Framework offer you features like dependency injection or transaction processing, but it also acts as a foundation for other Spring frameworks. The best example is Spring Boot. Using the Spring Framework as a base, it simplifies Spring dependencies and runs applications right from the command line. It also doesn't require an external app container. Spring Boot helps control the components of an application and configures them externally.



WHAT IS SPRING MVC?



Spring MVC is another component (or design pattern) of the Spring Framework. Its main feature is the ability to develop web applications in Java using the Model-View-Controller architecture.

The Model - View - Controller architecture consists of three components, which are embodied in its name. The Model component implies the logic of working with data, the View – the logic of the interface, the Controller – the logic of processing requests.



How it works?



Simply put, the Controller receives data from the Model and displays it in the View. The Controller also processes requests from the user and redirects him to the necessary pages of the application.

The website page is the View component visible to the user. The operation of this design pattern can be compared to the operation of a restaurant. The kitchen is the Model, the waiters are the Controller, and the View is the hall of the restaurant, where the orders are received by the visitors. Kitchen workers do not interact with visitors, visitors do not enter the kitchen, and only the Controller (that is waiters) can receive orders, transfer them to the kitchen and then bring orders to the service hall.



IN A NUTSHELL



Spring Framework has made a significant contribution to the development of Java EE application and continues to do so.

But the advantages of this framework are even more evident when it is used with such components as Spring Boot and Spring MVC. The additional benefits that Spring Boot and Spring MVC provide are of great value to developers as they allow projects to be completed with less effort and time.