Project Setup & Starters
Set up a Spring Boot project and learn what starters are.
Project Setup & Starters is a free Java Academy lesson on CoddyKit — 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, one of 3 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
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?
Recap
Recap: Learned what starters are, created a main class, added web starter, and built a hello endpoint.
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, and the Java Academy course includes 3 lessons in total. 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.
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; this is — lesson 1 of 3, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
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
- Project Setup & Starters
- DTOs & Validation
- Mini Project: REST API