Spring 5.3.XX Features
The latest stable release of the Spring Framework is version 5.3.10, which was released on July 14, 2021. However, please note that there may have been new releases since then.
Here are some notable features of the Spring Framework:
- Reactive Programming: Spring 5 introduced a new reactive programming model, which allows developers to build asynchronous and non-blocking applications using the Reactor project. It provides support for reactive streams and enables the development of high-performance, scalable applications.
- Kotlin Support: Spring has been embracing Kotlin as a first-class language for developing Spring applications. Kotlin provides enhanced readability, conciseness, and null safety. Spring provides specific extensions and annotations for Kotlin-based projects.
- Functional Web Framework: Spring WebFlux is a functional web framework introduced in Spring 5, which is built on the reactive programming model. It offers a non-blocking, event-driven architecture and supports functional programming styles.
- Spring Boot: Spring Boot is a framework built on top of the Spring Framework that simplifies the development of Spring applications. It provides auto-configuration, production-ready features, and an embedded web server, reducing the boilerplate code required to set up a Spring project.
- Micrometer: Micrometer is a new metrics collection library introduced in Spring Boot 2.0. It provides a consistent API for gathering application metrics and integrates with various monitoring systems, such as Prometheus, Graphite, and Datadog.
- OAuth 2.0 and Spring Security: Spring provides robust support for securing applications using OAuth 2.0 and other authentication and authorization mechanisms. Spring Security is a powerful framework that enables developers to easily add security features to their applications.
About Reactive Programming
Reactive programming in Spring is a paradigm that allows developers to build applications that are more responsive, resilient, and scalable by using asynchronous, non-blocking programming techniques. The reactive programming model is supported in the Spring Framework through the Spring WebFlux module.
Spring WebFlux is a fully non-blocking web framework introduced in Spring 5, built on top of the Reactive Streams specification. It provides a programming model that is based on reactive streams and embraces the Reactive Streams API for asynchronous and event-driven programming. The key components of reactive programming in Spring are:
1. Publisher/Subscriber Pattern: Reactive programming in Spring follows the publisher/subscriber pattern, where a publisher emits data streams and multiple subscribers consume these streams asynchronously. This allows for efficient handling of concurrent requests and better utilization of system resources.
2. Reactive Streams API: Spring WebFlux uses the Reactive Streams API, which defines a set of interfaces for asynchronous stream processing with non-blocking back pressure. The key interfaces include Publisher, Subscriber, and Subscription.
3. Non-blocking I/O: Reactive programming in Spring leverages non-blocking I/O, allowing applications to handle more concurrent requests with a smaller number of threads. This improves the overall throughput and scalability of the application.
4. Functional Programming Style: Spring WebFlux encourages a functional programming style by providing functional endpoints, which are defined using lambda expressions or method references. This approach allows for better composition of functions and promotes a more declarative and concise coding style.
5. Reactor: Spring WebFlux integrates with Reactor, a popular reactive library for building reactive applications in Java. Reactor provides a rich set of operators and utilities for working with reactive streams and implementing reactive workflows.
By using reactive programming in Spring, developers can build highly responsive and scalable applications that can handle a large number of concurrent requests with minimal resource consumption. It is particularly useful in scenarios where there is a need for high throughput, low latency, and efficient resource utilization, such as real-time streaming, microservices, and event-driven architectures.
About Functional Web Framework
The functional web framework in Spring is called Spring WebFlux. It is a part of the Spring Framework and provides a non-blocking, event-driven programming model for building web applications.
In the traditional Servlet-based approach, web applications are built using blocking I/O, where each request is processed by a dedicated thread. This can limit the scalability and responsiveness of the application, especially under high load. Spring WebFlux addresses this by embracing a functional programming style and non-blocking I/O.
Here are some key features of the Spring WebFlux functional web framework:
1. Functional Endpoints: With Spring WebFlux, you can define your application’s endpoints using a functional approach. Instead of using annotations or configuration classes, you define routes and handlers as functions, often using lambda expressions or method references. This allows for a more concise and declarative coding style.
2. Reactive Streams: Spring WebFlux leverages the Reactive Streams API, which provides a standardized set of interfaces for working with asynchronous, non-blocking streams of data. It allows for backpressure, which enables the receiver to control the rate at which it consumes data from the publisher. This ensures that the system doesn’t get overwhelmed with more data than it can handle.
3. Non-blocking I/O: Spring WebFlux uses non-blocking I/O under the hood, allowing the application to handle multiple requests concurrently with a smaller number of threads. This leads to better resource utilization and improved scalability, especially in high-traffic scenarios.
4. Reactor Integration: Spring WebFlux integrates seamlessly with Reactor, a popular reactive programming library for Java. Reactor provides a rich set of operators and utilities for working with reactive streams, making it easier to handle and manipulate data in a non-blocking manner.
5. Support for Multiple Dispatchers: Spring WebFlux supports multiple dispatchers, allowing you to choose between various runtime options. The default runtime is based on Netty, a high-performance, non-blocking I/O framework. However, you can also use other dispatchers, such as Servlet containers or Undertow.
The functional web framework provided by Spring WebFlux offers a modern, non-blocking approach to building web applications. It is particularly suitable for scenarios that require high throughput, low latency, and efficient resource utilization, such as real-time streaming, microservices, and reactive architectures.
