Top 10 Spring Boot Annotations To Use In 2024

Spring Boot, a popular Java-based framework, is constantly evolving, and its annotations streamline development by simplifying configurations and dependencies. Here are the top 10 Spring Boot annotations to use in 2024:

1. @SpringBootApplication

• Combines @Configuration, @EnableAutoConfiguration, and @ComponentScan.
• Use Case: It marks the main class of a Spring Boot application.
• Why Use: Reduces boilerplate code for application setup.

2. @RestController

• Combines @Controller and @ResponseBody.
• Use Case: Used to create RESTful web services.
• Why Use: Simplifies writing REST APIs by eliminating the need for @ResponseBody on each method.

3. @RequestMapping

• Maps HTTP requests to handler methods.
• Use Case: Used to define URL patterns and HTTP methods.
• Why Use: Provides flexibility in handling web requests.

4. @GetMapping, @PostMapping, @PutMapping, @DeleteMapping, @PatchMapping

• Specialized annotations for HTTP methods.
• Use Case: Simplifies request mapping for specific HTTP verbs.
• Why Use: Makes the code more readable and expressive.

5. @Entity & @Table

• Marks a class as a JPA entity and maps it to a database table.
• Use Case: Used for ORM (Object Relational Mapping) with databases.
• Why Use: Simplifies database interactions with JPA.

6. @Autowired

• Automatically injects dependencies.
• Use Case: Used for dependency injection in Spring-managed components.
• Why Use: Eliminates boilerplate code for manual wiring.

7. @ConfigurationProperties

• Binds external configurations to a Java object.
• Use Case: For structured configuration mapping (e.g., application.properties).
• Why Use: Supports type-safe and hierarchical configuration management.

8. @EnableScheduling

• Enables scheduling tasks.
• Use Case: Used for tasks like CRON jobs.
• Why Use: Simplifies periodic task execution.

9. @Transactional

• Manages transaction boundaries.
• Use Case: Ensures atomicity and consistency in database operations.
• Why Use: Simplifies transaction management.

10. @ExceptionHandler

• Defines custom exception-handling logic.
• Use Case: Maps specific exceptions to error-handling methods.
• Why Use: Improves the user experience by customizing error responses.