Spring
Spring is an open source, free, modular framework that simplifies development with Java. Framework, which means framework, are code documents containing libraries previously developed by software developers. Framework saves developers from having to rewrite commonly used code from page to page.
Being open source and can be used by everyone for free, Spring was developed by Rod Johnson. The goal of Spring is to develop Java applications much easier and faster. 2EE applications are developed simply and quickly using Spring. At the same time, Spring provides the infrastructure to develop many applications from the simplest application to high-level applications that appeal to a wide range of people.
Spring consists of different modules such as IOC, AOP, DAO, Context, ORM,WEB and MVC. It allows the use of many modules and ensures their smooth integration.
Thanks to its modular structure, having a large ecosystem, and easy usability, Spring has become one of the popular Java frameworks used by thousands of developers.
It supports the use of frameworks such as Struts, Hibernate, Tapestry,EJB andJSF. Spring Boot,Spring Data, Spring MVC,Spring Batch andSpring Security are based on Spring. At the core of the Spring framework is theIoC Container.
Advantages of Spring
Spring is a Java-based andlightweight framework. It is often preferred in a wide range of sectors. It is also used by many large companies.
With Spring, people deal with much less code and configuration operations. Thus, they get rid of a serious workload.
The fact that Spring is secure, low-cost, and flexible; using system resources efficiently and increasing coding efficiency has made it a popular framework. So, what are the advantages of using Spring?
- It simplifies application development by eliminating the effort to write all program code from scratch.
- It is used free of charge by all developers.
- The modular structure of Spring facilitates the work of developers and allows them to choose the module they want. These Spring modules are used according to the needs of the project. Unwanted modules are also removed from the project.
- With Spring, the necessary infrastructure is created to easily perform and manage operations such as data access, messaging, testing, and security.
- It easily distributes the application to multiple servers without having to rewrite the code.
- Development is done using POJO without the need for an application server.
- With Spring, Singleton objects are automatically created.
- Spring supports xml configuration.
- Thanks to the APIs it offers, it makes the work of developers easier. These APIs facilitate the use and integration of many open-source products.
- It is easier to test the applications developed with Spring.
- Spring automatically queries complex databases with a large number of data.
Disadvantages of Spring
- Hard to Learn: Spring can be difficult for developers with less coding experience.
- Complex: Spring is composed of a large number of variables. This makes Spring more complex.
- XML Requirement: Numerous XMLs are required to work with Spring.
Spring Features
- It includes predefined templates.
- It's easy to test.
- It is a light framework.
- It provides rapid development.
- It has a strong abstraction feature.
- It supports developers with different resources.
- It offers comprehensive tools.
Spring Architecture
Spring Core Container
The Spring Core Container forms the foundation of Spring and offers these basic features to developers. Basic functions such as disconnecting are included in the Spring Core. It consists of four modules such as Core, Beans, Context, and Expression Language.
- The SpEL module is a powerful expression language for searching and modifying an object graph.
- The Contex module, whose basic element is ApplicationContext, is built on Beans and Core. It allows access to any defined object.
- The Core module includes the basic mechanisms to be integrated into applications by the framework, including IoC and DI features.
- The Bean module is responsible for creating and managing Spring Beans.
Spring Web
The Spring Web layer consists of modules such as Web, Web-MVC, Web-Socket, and Web-Portlet. The most common applications developed with Spring are web applications, and therefore this cloak is very important.
- Web-MVC is found within a Spring MVC application for web applications.
- Web-Socket provides communication between the client and the server.
- Web Portlet module provides an MVC application to use in the portlet environment.
Spring Data Access/Integration
Spring Data Access, used to handle data persistence, consists of JDBC, ORM, OXM, JMS, and Transactions modules.
- The JDBC module eliminates the problem of the developer manually connecting to the database.
- Spring ORM supports and integrates popular ORMs such as JPA and JDO.
- The OXM module is responsible for Object/XML - XMLBeans, JAXB, etc. connections.
- JMS, that is Java Messaging Service module, allows messages to be created and sent.
Spring AOP
Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) means Aspect Oriented Programming. Spring AOP allows for across-the-board programming.
Spring and Spring Boot
While Spring helps to make dependency adding, data binding, AOP, data access, and development of web applications easier, Spring Boot makes the Spring framework easier to use through various methods.
Learning Spring
The Spring framework is an important skill for Java developers to progress in their careers. As it is used in almost every Java project, it is quite important to learn the Spring framework. There are many courses, books, and articles to learn Spring.
As Coderspace, we organize many free Bootcamps for our software developers. You can improve yourself in this field by participating in our Spring Bootcamp and find the job of your dreams. You can check out our Bootcamps here