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Java Academy · Lesson

Project Setup & Starters

Set up a Spring Boot project and learn what starters are.

Lesson 1 of 38 steps

Project Setup & Starters is a free Java Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 1 of 3. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Java Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The Java Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.

Intro

Spring Boot makes Java web apps easy. You only need a few dependencies and a main class to get started.

Starters

Starters are dependency bundles. Example: spring-boot-starter-web adds Spring MVC + Tomcat.

Code: Main class

This is the smallest Spring Boot application. @SpringBootApplication sets up everything.

import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;

@SpringBootApplication
public class Main {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    SpringApplication.run(Main.class, args);
  }
}

Add starter

Add spring-boot-starter-web to get web features. Use Maven or Gradle to declare it.

Code: HelloController

This REST controller responds to /hello with plain text.

import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.*;@RestController
class HelloController {
  @GetMapping("/hello")
  public String hello() {
    return "Hello Spring Boot";
  }
}

Run app

Run with your IDE or mvn spring-boot:run. Visit http://localhost:8080/hello.

Starter check

Quick check: What is the main purpose of a Spring Boot starter?

Answer it in the interactive lesson

Recap

Recap: Learned what starters are, created a main class, added web starter, and built a hello endpoint.

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Write and run real code in your browser, get instant help from a 24/7 AI tutor, and pick up where you left off on the web or in the app.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the “Project Setup & Starters” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Project Setup & Starters” is free to read here on the web. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Java Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO. The Java Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Project Setup & Starters”?

Set up a Spring Boot project and learn what starters are. You practise Java Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Java Academy?

No prior experience is required. Java Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 1 of 3.

How long does the “Project Setup & Starters” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Java Academy lesson?

Yes. Every Java Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. Project Setup & Starters
  2. DTOs & Validation
  3. Mini Project: REST API
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