How to differentiate between Spring and Spring Boot?

Spring and Spring Boot are two separate frameworks, yet they are interconnected.

1. Spring is an open-source Java development framework used for building enterprise applications. It offers a range of modules including dependency injection, aspect-oriented programming, transaction management, data access, web development, and more. The framework provides a flexible configuration that can be customized to fit project requirements.
2. Spring Boot is a rapid development framework based on the Spring framework. It simplifies the configuration and deployment process of Spring applications, offering a one-stop solution. By utilizing auto-configuration and the principle of convention over configuration, Spring Boot reduces developers’ workload and enhances development efficiency.

The difference is as follows:

1. Configurations: Spring framework requires manual configuration, where developers need to define various configuration information in XML files or Java classes. In contrast, Spring Boot automatically completes various configurations based on project dependencies and conventions, significantly reducing the amount of configuration work required.
2. Dependency Management: While the Spring framework requires developers to manually manage various dependencies, including version control and conflict resolution, Spring Boot simplifies dependency management by automatically resolving version conflicts through its built-in dependency management tool.
3. Startup method: Spring framework needs to be started in a container, such as Tomcat or Jetty. On the other hand, Spring Boot can be directly started through the main method, as it embeds a servlet container and does not require external container support.

In general, Spring is a powerful framework suitable for building various types of Java applications. Spring Boot, on the other hand, is a rapid development framework based on the Spring framework that simplifies the configuration and deployment process of Spring applications, improving development efficiency.