Server-Side Development with Kotlin and Spring Boot

Introduction

The book «Server-Side Development with Kotlin and Spring Boot» (author — Sebastian Mucke, 2021) is a practical guide to building server-side applications in Kotlin using the popular Spring Boot framework. Unlike many publications focused on Java, this book is entirely dedicated to Kotlin — a modern, concise, and safe language that is increasingly replacing Java in the Spring ecosystem.

The edition spans 352 pages and covers the full development cycle: from project setup to deploying a finished application in the cloud. The author emphasizes practical examples, allowing the reader not only to understand the theory but also to immediately apply the knowledge in practice.

What the book is about

The book systematically introduces the reader to the key concepts of server-side development in Kotlin. The main focus is on the Spring Boot framework, but related technologies are also covered: databases, security, testing, and containerization.

The book's structure is logical and clear:

• Chapters 1–2: Introduction to Kotlin for server-side development, environment setup, and creating the first Spring Boot application.
• Chapters 3–5: Working with databases (Spring Data JPA, H2, PostgreSQL), creating REST APIs, and handling requests.
• Chapters 6–8: Security (Spring Security, JWT), testing (JUnit, Mockito), and logging.
• Chapters 9–10: Application deployment (Docker, Heroku, AWS) and monitoring.

Who this book is for

The book is aimed at developers who already have basic knowledge of Kotlin or Java and want to learn server-side development using Spring Boot. It will be useful for:

• Java developers transitioning to Kotlin;
• beginner backend developers familiar with programming fundamentals;
• students and graduates of IT specialties studying modern frameworks;
• anyone who wants to build reliable and scalable web applications in Kotlin.

What the reader will learn

After reading the book, the reader will be able to:

• Set up a Spring Boot project using Gradle and Kotlin DSL;
• Create RESTful web services using Spring Web and Kotlin;
• Work with relational databases via Spring Data JPA and Hibernate;
• Implement authentication and authorization using Spring Security and JWT;
• Write unit and integration tests for server-side code;
• Containerize the application with Docker and deploy it in the cloud;
• Use idiomatic Kotlin features (data classes, extension functions, coroutines) in a server context.

Strengths

The book's main advantage is its practical focus. Each chapter contains ready-made code examples that can be immediately run and modified. The author does not overload the text with excessive theory but explains important concepts (e.g., dependency injection, AOP, reactive programming) at an accessible level.

Special mention should be made of the emphasis on Kotlin-specific approaches: using data classes for models, extension functions for utilities, and null safety to prevent errors. This makes the book not just a translation of a Java guide into Kotlin, but an independent work that takes into account the language's features.

Another plus is the inclusion of a chapter on deployment — many Spring Boot books skip this topic, limiting themselves to local development. Here, the reader learns how to package the application into a Docker image and run it on a cloud platform.

Who it is recommended for

The book «Server-Side Development with Kotlin and Spring Boot» is recommended for anyone who wants to quickly and effectively learn how to build server-side applications in Kotlin. It is suitable for both self-study and as a