Java Spring Boot 3.0 is here and it’s packed with exciting new features that are worth exploring. With a release date of November 2022, this latest version of Spring Boot introduces several new changes that you need to know about. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the most significant updates in Java Spring Boot 3.0, and how they will impact your application development.
JAVA 17
Java 17 Baseline and Java 19 Support Spring Boot 3.0 requires a minimum of JDK 17, which means that applications running on JDK 8 or 11 will no longer be supported. It is a significant upgrade that enables Spring Boot 3.0 to take full advantage of the new features and improvements in Java 17. Additionally, Spring Boot 3.0 is tested with JDK 19 and is fully compatible with it.
Jakarta EE
Java EE was developed and maintained by Oracle and provided a standardized set of APIs and tools for building applications. However, in 2017, Oracle decided to transfer the ownership of Java EE to the Eclipse Foundation, dedicated to open-source software and the Java EE specification was renamed Jakarta EE. Jakarta EE continues to be an open-source platform for building enterprise applications.
In Spring Boot 3.0, the switch to Jakarta EE 9 requires developers to use the jakarta.* packages instead of the old javax.* packages. This means that if you are using Jakarta EE types like annotations, validations, or JPA in your application, you will need to change all of them to jakarta.* packages.
GraalVM Native Image Support
First off, what is AOT compilation? Well, it stands for Ahead Of Time compilation, and it's a way of compiling your Java code into machine code before runtime. This means that instead of relying on the Just In Time (JIT) compiler to compile your code at runtime, it's already been done beforehand.
So, why would you want to use AOT compilation? For starters, it can improve the startup time of your Java applications. Since the code is already compiled into machine code, it can be loaded and executed more quickly. Additionally, it can potentially reduce memory usage, since the compiled code takes up less space than the bytecode.
However, there are some downsides to AOT compilation as well. For one, it can increase the size of your application, since the compiled machine code needs to be included with your application. Additionally, it can limit the flexibility of your code, since any changes to the code will require recompilation.
In Spring Boot 3.0, AOT compilation is supported through GraalVM Native Image, which can convert a Java application into a native executable that can be run directly on the computer, without needing the JVM. This can result in faster startup times and lower memory consumption for the application.
Observability
Observability Spring Boot 3.0 introduces Spring Observability, which is built upon Micrometer and Micrometer Tracing. Spring Observability is an excellent addition to the framework, as it makes it easier to monitor and troubleshoot your application.
In conclusion, Java Spring Boot 3.0 is a significant upgrade that introduces several new features and improvements. With the new baseline and support for Java 17 and 19, the switch to Jakarta EE, the GraalVM native image support, and Spring Observability, Spring Boot 3.0 is a framework that is well-equipped to handle the challenges of modern application development. And while the framework may be all business, it’s always fun to learn a little bit about the history and culture behind it.