Top 5 Spring Boot 3 Features for Java Developers

Hello guys, if you want to learn Spring Boot 3 and wondering which features to start with then you have come to the right place. Earlier, I have shared 5 worth learning features from Spring Framework 6 and in this article, I am going to share 5 Spring Boot 3 features which are worth knowing and learning for every Java developer But, before we get to the best 5 features that you definitely need to check out in Spring Boot 3, let me tell you a bit about what Spring really is. Spring is basically a framework that can be used for developing various types of applications with the help of Java platforms. It also provides support for the Plain Old Java Objects, also known as POJOs, that developers can use for easily creating the Java SE Programming Model with full and partial Java EE.

5 Spring Boot 3 Features Java Developers should Learn

Spring basically provides a framework that incorporates a lot of useful technologies like Aspect-oriented programming, Dependency Injection, and Plain Old Java Objects. It also allows developers to create a Java method that runs in a database transaction with no help from transaction APIs. Developers can also create a local Java method that defines a remote procedure with no help from remote APIs. 

Another thing you need to know is that Spring is a lightweight framework. It has the best mechanisms that you can use for different frameworks like Struts, Hibernate, EJB, JSF, and Tapestry. It also helps you in solving complex real-time problems. It consists of a lot of modules like WEB MVC, IOC, DAO, and AOP. 

1. Externalized Configuration

If you are a good developer well versed in Spring Boot, it will enable you with a convenient way of bootstrapping a Spring application. You can do this by starting it with the help of the main method.

There are also times when you may be able to use the .run() method to enable the application to run. 

Externalized configuration allows developers to work with the same type of application in a variety of environments. 

This includes properties files, YAML files, environmental variables, and arguments that can be used and taken directly to the beans. You can do this by using either the @Value annotation or @ConfigurationProperties for bounding all the structured objects. 

2. Support For YAML And Properties Files

As you may already know, you will frequently use YAML files for external configuration. Spring Boot will give you the flexibility of YAML support. This is very essential for specifying the hierarchical configuration.

Java records can also be used as a quick way for creating data carrier classes. This includes classes whose aim is to contain data and carry it in between modules. They are also known as POJOs and DTOs. 

It is pretty easy to create immutable DTOs:

public record Customer(String name, String address) {}

You can also treat YAML files as an efficient alternative for properties files. Just think of properties files as basically a text file made up of a set of properties that are needed for running the application. For example, if you are using server-port=8080, what this essentially means is that the port used for running the specific server is 8080. 

3. Logging and Profiles

 Spring Boot has an amazing feature called Commons Logging that can be used for all types of internal logging. Also, this is a great feature that remains almost unchanged until you are looking to tweak it with any specific customizations. 

In Java 12, there are also switch expressions, which can evaluate a single value which can then be used in statements. You do not need to use any nested if-else operators and can instead use the switch-case construct:

DayOfWeek day = DayOfWeek.FRIDAY;
int numOfLetters = switch (day) {
    case MONDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY -> 6;
    case TUESDAY                -> 7;
    case THURSDAY, SATURDAY     -> 8;
    case WEDNESDAY              -> 9;
};

You can use profiling for segregating different parts of the application. By doing this, you will be able to make the application available to different environments according to your requirements. Additionally, you can also use spring.profiles.active={EnvironmentName} for making the application available to only certain profiles. You can select the parts which need to be limited with the help of the annotation @Profile.

4. Admin And Internalization

Spring Boot has a handy Internalization feature that can be used for catering to users who may be familiar with different language modules. There is also a message resource bundle present in the root file of the classpath. Spring Boot makes use of this efficiently. 

Pattern matching can be used directly with instanceof.

See the following example:

if (obj instanceof String s) {
    System.out.println(s.toLowerCase());
}

You can also use it inside a switch-case statement. Check out the following example:

static double getDoubleUsingSwitch(Object o) {
    return switch (o) {
        case Integer i -> i.doubleValue();
        case Float f -> f.doubleValue();
        case String s -> Double.parseDouble(s);
        default -> 0d;
    };
}

You can also use sealed classes for limiting inheritance. This can be done by specifying for allowed subclasses. See the given example: 

public abstract sealed class Pet permits Dog, Cat {}

The admin features in Spring Boot also allow you to have very specific admin-related features with regard to the application. With this, it is pretty easy to access and manage the application remotely. You also have the option of using spring.application.admin.enabled for properly enabling the admin-related features. 

5. Security

You can enable Spring security in the classpath. As you may have already found out, web applications are secured by default. This means that the content negotiation strategy of Spring Boot will basically determine the usage of httpBasic and forLogin according to the requirement. 

You also have the option of using @Value("${property}") annotation when you are dealing with a wide variety of properties or different types of data which are hierarchical in nature. Spring Boot also gives you some type-safe configurations that can be used efficiently in these types of situations. 

Conclusion

That's all about the 5 Spring Boot 3 features Java developers should know and learn. If you liked this list of the 5 best new Spring Boot 3 features you need to learn, feel free to share it with your friends and family. You can also drop a comment if you have any doubts about Spring Boot 3 and we will get back to you in an instant.