Dos and Don'ts Every Spring Boot Developer Must Know

Spring Boot has become a popular choice for developing applications due to its ease of setup, development acceleration features, and its seamless integration with the Spring ecosystem. However, to effectively utilize Spring Boot, developers must be aware of the best practices and potential pitfalls that come with it. In this article, we're exploring the essential dos and don'ts that every Spring Boot developer should adhere to, ensuring efficient and successful application development.

Dos for Spring Boot Developers

Do Leverage Spring Boot Starters

Spring Boot Starters are one of the most powerful features that allow you to get started quickly without losing focus on your application. They compose a set of convenient dependency descriptors one can trust. Make sure to leverage these starters as they provide convenient sets of dependencies and ease the configuration.

Do Use Spring Boot DevTools

Enable Spring Boot DevTools for improved developer productivity. The DevTools module includes features like automatic restarts, live reload, and configurations that simplify debugging during development phases. Make use of DevTools to speed up your development process and efficiently test changes.

Do Externalize Configuration

Externalizing configuration is crucial in deploying the application across different environments without touching the application binary. Make use of the application.properties or application.yml files to define your configurations. Spring Boot also allows for profiles, making it easier to switch configurations based on the environment or stage of deployment.

Do Rely on Dependency Injection

Spring Boot offers robust dependency injection capabilities that help manage and decouple classes. Use annotations like @Autowired for injecting dependencies and let Spring manage your beans. Proper use of dependency injection leads to cleaner, more maintainable, and easily testable code.

Do Monitor and Manage Your Applications

Integrate Spring Boot Actuator to monitor and manage your applications. Actuator provides a plethora of production-ready features like health checks and metrics for your applications. Incorporating monitoring helps in keeping an eye on vital stats which aids in preemptive management and optimization.

Don'ts for Spring Boot Developers

Don't Overlook the Importance of Testing

Skipping tests is a cardinal sin in software development. Utilize Spring Boot's testing support, including annotations and mock environments, to create comprehensive unit and integration tests. Remember, well-tested code is more reliable and less prone to bugs.

Don't Ignore Application Security

Security should never be an afterthought. Spring Security is a part of the Spring ecosystem that should be utilized to protect your applications. Ensure that you have implemented proper authentication and authorization mechanisms. Handle user data responsibly and leverage built-in security features to their fullest capacity.

Don't Clutter Your Application with Unnecessary Dependencies

While Spring Boot's dependency management is strong, it’s easy to add unnecessary dependencies that could bloat your app. Be careful with dependency additions, as they can affect the performance, security, and complexity of your application. Regularly review and manage your dependencies.

Don't Hard Code Values in the Code

Avoid hardcoding values in your code. Always strive to keep your code flexible by configuring values such as URLs, database credentials, and API keys in external configuration files. This makes your application more adaptable and easier to manage across different environments.

Don't Ignore the Documentation

Spring Boot has comprehensive documentation available. It serves as an invaluable resource to understand the ins and outs of the framework. Make sure to read official guides and documents regularly as they will help you stay updated with the latest features, best practices, and security updates.

Conclusion