Spring Boot Learning Path
A step-by-step Spring Boot roadmap designed to take you from beginner to production-ready developer using real-world examples and best practices.
How to Use This Learning Path
Follow the stages in order. Each stage links to detailed tutorials already published on Spring Java Lab. By the end, you’ll be confident building, securing, optimizing, and scaling Spring Boot applications.
Stage 1: Spring Boot Fundamentals
Controller vs RestController
Understand how Spring MVC controllers work and when to use REST controllers.
Spring Boot Annotations for REST APIs
Learn the most commonly used annotations for building RESTful APIs.
Returning JSON Responses
How Spring Boot automatically converts objects into JSON responses.
Stage 2: Validation & Error Handling
REST API Validation Annotations
Validate request payloads using standard and custom validation annotations.
Custom Validation Annotations
Create reusable custom validation constraints for enterprise APIs.
Global Exception Handling
Handle errors centrally using @ControllerAdvice and best practices.
Stage 3: Database & JPA
Spring Boot JPA Basics
Learn JPA fundamentals including entities, repositories, and mappings.
CRUD API with Oracle DB
Build a complete CRUD REST API backed by Oracle database.
Database Performance Tuning
Optimize queries, indexes, and connection pooling for production systems.
Stage 4: Security
JWT Authentication & Role-Based Access
Secure APIs using JWT, refresh tokens, and role-based authorization.
API Gateway Security (JWT & OAuth2)
Protect microservices using centralized API Gateway security.
Stage 5: Performance & Resilience
Performance Tuning & Optimization
Improve throughput, memory usage, and response times.
Redis Cache Optimization
Use Redis to reduce database load and improve scalability.
Resilience4j – Retry & Circuit Breaker
Build fault-tolerant Spring Boot services.
Stage 6: Microservices & Interview Prep
Microservices Architecture Guide
End-to-end microservices architecture with Spring Cloud.
Spring Boot Interview Questions
Prepare for real-world Spring Boot interviews.