Spring MVC vs Spring Boot

Spring MVC and Spring Boot are both frameworks developed by the Spring team to facilitate the development of web applications in Java. Here are some of the key differences between Spring MVC and Spring Boot:

1. Configuration: Spring MVC requires explicit configuration for various components like the web server, view resolver, and database connection. This can involve writing XML configuration files or Java configuration classes. In contrast, Spring Boot provides a default configuration that can be easily overridden or extended using properties files, annotations, and convention-over-configuration principles.

2. Dependency Management: Spring MVC requires developers to manage dependencies manually using tools like Maven or Gradle. This can involve searching for compatible versions of different libraries and resolving conflicts between them. In contrast, Spring Boot provides an opinionated way of managing dependencies using its built-in dependency management system. This system ensures that all required libraries are included in the application and their versions are compatible.

3. Auto-configuration: Spring Boot provides a feature called auto-configuration that automatically configures various components based on the classpath and application properties. For example, if Spring Boot detects the presence of a database driver in the classpath and relevant database properties in the application.properties file, it will automatically configure the database connection. Spring MVC does not provide this feature.

4. Microservices: Spring Boot is designed for developing microservices, which are small, independently deployable applications that work together to form a larger application. Spring Boot provides features like embedded servers, lightweight containers, and cloud integration that make it easy to develop and deploy microservices. Spring MVC is more suited for developing monolithic applications that are deployed on a single server.

5. Ease of Use: Spring Boot is generally considered easier to use than Spring MVC due to its convention-over-configuration approach, auto-configuration, and built-in dependency management. Spring MVC, on the other hand, requires more explicit configuration and dependency management, which can make it more complex for developers who are new to the framework.

Overall, while both Spring MVC and Spring Boot are designed for developing web applications in Java, they have different strengths and use cases. Spring MVC is better suited for developing traditional monolithic applications, while Spring Boot is more suited for developing microservices and modern web applications that require rapid development and deployment.

SEE OTHER POSTS