Part 3 Setting up

• Part 3 Setting up
  • Java Environment
  • Initializr
    • Framework
    • Dependencies
  • How to
  • Notes

This section is fairly straightforward. We’ll take a look at some recommendations and basic configurations.

Java Environment

For simplicity’s sake we’ll work under Java 17. As of the time of this writing, the latest JDK is version JDK 21. Since what we need is straightforwardness, we’ll stick to Java 17. Make sure to have that JDK installed alongside your favorite java IDE(Eclipse).

Initializr

We’ll make use of the spring.initializr as it allows for a quick setup for our entire project. This means automatic dependency injection, project, language, and also Spring Boot version selection

Framework

We’ll work under Gradle since it’s very dev-friendly when building our project.

• For Spring Boot stick with the latest (SNAPSHOT) version available.

Feel free to adjust your project’s metadata as you see fit.

• Packaging: Jar
• Java: Version 17

Dependencies

We’ll need three main dependencies:

1. Spring Data JPA: To have annotations and methods for persistence (SQL syntax).
2. MySQL Driver: To connect to our database.
3. Spring Web: This provides most of the REST API annotations and tools we’ll use.

How to

1. Click on Generate at the bottom. It will download a .zip file.
2. Extract it into your java workspace and import it as a Gradle project.
   • Please check your directory is the root directory and not a nested one.
3. It should start the configuration and build right away depending on your IDE.
4. If any errors occur, double check directory structure and retry from step 2.

Notes

Take some time to familiarize yourself with the project and its structure before moving on to the next section. Explore the files, do some research, and really get to know why everything is there.