Spring and Spring Boot are related technologies, but they serve different purposes. Spring is a comprehensive framework for building Java applications, while Spring Boot is an extension of Spring that simplifies application development through auto-configuration and convention-over-configuration.
Key Points: • Spring requires manual configuration, whereas Spring Boot provides auto-configuration to reduce setup effort. • Spring applications typically need an external web server, while Spring Boot comes with embedded servers such as Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow. • Spring offers flexibility and control, whereas Spring Boot focuses on rapid application development. • Spring Boot provides starter dependencies that simplify dependency management. • Spring Boot minimizes boilerplate code and configuration, making development faster and easier.
Example: In a traditional Spring application, developers must configure components, dependencies, and server settings manually. With Spring Boot, many of these configurations are handled automatically, allowing developers to focus on business logic.
Interview Tip: A concise interview answer is:
"Spring is a framework for building enterprise Java applications, while Spring Boot is built on top of Spring and simplifies development through auto-configuration, starter dependencies, and embedded servers, enabling faster application development."
Quick Comparison:
Spring: • More configuration • Requires external server setup • Suitable when fine-grained control is needed
Spring Boot: • Minimal configuration • Embedded server support • Faster development and deployment