Spring in Action

Introduction

The book "Spring in Action" (original title Spring in Action) by Craig Walls is one of the most authoritative and popular guides to the Spring framework. The sixth edition, published in 2022, has been completely revised to reflect the latest versions of Spring 5 and Spring Boot 2. The book has 520 pages and is aimed at practicing Java developers who want to master modern approaches to building enterprise applications.

What the book is about

The book systematically introduces the reader to the key features of the Spring Framework. The author starts with the basics of dependency injection and configuration, then moves on to building web applications with Spring MVC, working with data via Spring Data JPA, security (Spring Security), and integration with external systems. Special attention is paid to reactive programming using Spring WebFlux, as well as cloud deployments and microservice architecture. Each chapter contains numerous practical examples that can be immediately applied in real projects.

Who this book is for

The book is intended for Java developers who already have basic experience with the language. It will be useful both for beginners who want to systematize their knowledge of Spring and for experienced professionals who want to learn new framework features (reactive programming, cloud configurations). A basic familiarity with Java, SQL, and web technologies is recommended for full understanding of the material.

What the reader will learn

• Spring basics: dependency injection, configuration via annotations and Java code, working with the application context.
• Building web applications: controllers, template engines (Thymeleaf), form handling, REST APIs.
• Working with databases: JDBC, Spring Data JPA, repositories, transactions.
• Security: authentication, authorization, CSRF protection, OAuth2.
• Reactive programming: Project Reactor, WebFlux, reactive repositories.
• Microservices and cloud: Spring Cloud, configuration servers, load balancing, fault tolerance.
• Testing: unit and integration tests using Spring Test.

Strengths

The main advantage of the book is its practical focus. The author does not overload with theory but immediately shows how to solve specific tasks. The code examples are neat, well-commented, and available for download. The book's structure is logical: from simple to complex, allowing the reader to gradually delve deeper into the topic. Additionally, the sixth edition covers the most modern technologies, such as Spring Boot 2.6, Spring Security 5.6, and reactive approaches.

Who it is recommended for

The book will be useful for Java programmers who want to transition to the modern Spring stack, as well as developers already using Spring but wishing to systematize their knowledge and learn about new features. It is also suitable for senior students and graduates of technical universities studying enterprise development. If you plan to build reliable, scalable, and secure applications in Java — "Spring in Action" will be an excellent companion.