Spring Framework 5 - Beginner to Guru

Master the #1 framework for Enterprise Java!

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This is the most modern and comprehensive course available for Spring Framework 5 and Spring Boot 2.

All source code examples used in this course have been developed using the latest major release of the Spring Framework - Spring Framework 5 and Spring Boot 2.

In this course, you will build multiple real world applications using Spring Framework 5.

You will see how modern Spring Framework development is done by leveraging the features of Spring Boot 2.

Jump In and Build a Spring MVC App with Spring Boot!

We'll jump right into web development with the Spring Framework. I'll show you how kick off a Spring Boot project by using the Spring Initializr. We will then go step by step to build a simple Book / Author web application.

You will see how easy it is to use Spring Boot, Spring MVC, and Spring Data JPA to create a functional web application running under Tomcat with a H2 in-memory database.

Use Test Driven Development!

In addition to teaching you Spring Framework 5, you will learn about modern best practices used in enterprise application development.

As we build the applications, you'll see me using Test Driven Development (TDD) with JUnit and Mockito.

Using Mockito mocks keeps your Spring Framework unit tests light and fast!

You'll also see how the Spring context can be used for more complex integration tests.

These techniques are best practices used by companies all over the world to build and manage large scale Spring Framework applications.

GitHub Source Code

You will have complete access to all source code examples used in the course.

In each lesson where we write code, you will have a link to GitHub with two branches in the Github repository.

The first branch is the starting state of the code.

The second branch is the ending state of the code.

You can see exactly what changed in each lesson. Each step of the way, you have a working example you can use for troubleshooting.

In fact, you will get access to 15 (and growing!) different GitHub repositories - each packed with Spring Framework programming examples.

And, you're encouraged to fork my GitHub repositories so you can share the Spring Framework applications, which you built, to future employers!

Continuous Integration Builds

Since we are using GitHub and have great test coverage, I also show you how easy it is to set up Continuous Integration builds with CircleCI.

Continuous Integration builds are another best practice used by enterprise developers.

Using CircleCI makes your CI builds a snap!

Project Lombok

We all know Java development can require a lot of boiler plate code. It's just the nature of Java.

Would you like to see how to slash your boiler plate code using Project Lombok?

Spring Data JPA and Hibernate

Spring MVC and Hibernate have long been cornerstones of the Spring Framework. You will learn how to use Spring MVC, Spring Data JPA and Hibernate to build a real world web application. You'll learn about Hibernate configuration, and about the mapping of JPA entities.

The Thymeleaf template engine is hugely popular with the Spring community. You will see how easy Spring Boot makes using Thymeleaf with Spring MVC.

While Bootstrap CSS is not a focus of the course, we will leverage Bootstrap CSS to make our web pages look awesome!

Spring MVC

Spring MVC has a lot of robust capabilities.

I start you off showing you how to build recipe application (using TDD, of course).

Initially, it's all happy path development. We go back and add custom exception handling, form validation, and internationalization.

Reactive Programming

A big theme of Spring Framework 5 is Reactive Programming.

Included in the course are sections on using the Spring Framework with MongoDB, and Spring Data MongoDB.

You will learn to build a end to end Reactive application using Spring WebFlux, Spring Data MongoDB, and Thymeleaf.

Coming Soon to the Course

I plan to add a lot more content to this course!

I want this to be your go-to course for becoming a Spring Framework developer.

Coming soon to the course in 2017:

  • Building RESTFul APIs with Spring MVC and with Spring WebFlux (New in Spring Framework 5!)
  • Spring Security
  • Documenting your APIs with RestDoc and Swagger 2
  • Aspect Oriented Programming
  • Using Spring Events
  • Scheduling Tasks
  • Using JAXB
  • Mapstruct
  • Caching with eHcache
  • Spring JDBC (JDBC Template)
  • Spring RestTemplate
  • JMS Messaging
  • AMQP with RabbitMQ
  • Logging configuration for Logback and Log4J 2
  • And more real world Spring Framework apps!

Message me if there is a topic you'd like to see!

Spring Framework 5 GA Release

This Spring Framework course is so new, it has been developed using Spring Framework 5 'Release Candidate' releases.

Spring Framework 5.0 wes Released to GA on September 28th, 2017.

The Spring Boot 2.0 GA release is expected to be in late 2017.

All source code examples will get updated as the GA releases of the Spring Framework and Spring Boot become available.

Course Extra - Spring Boot Cookbook!

Inside this course, I'm including a Spring Boot Cookbook. You will have complete examples of using the Spring Framework with popular open source technologies. When you get hired as a Spring developer, you'll have ready made Spring Framework examples!

My Spring Boot Cookbook includes example Spring Boot projects for:

  • MongoDB
  • MySQL
  • Postgres
  • Maria DB
  • DB2 Express
  • Neo4J
  • Redis
  • Cassandra
  • ActiveMQ
  • RabbitMQ

Course Extra - Learn Docker!

Docker is an exciting technology that is on fire right now!

As a course extra, I'm including the first 3 sections from my top rated Docker for Java Developers course. You will learn more about what Docker is and how you can deploy and run a Spring Boot application inside a Docker container.

For Java developers, Docker really is a game changer!

Closed Captioning / Subtitles

Closed captioning in english is available for all course videos!

PDF Downloads

All keynote presentations are available for you to download as PDFs.

Lifetime Access

When you purchase this course, you will receive lifetime access! You can login anytime from anywhere to access the course content.

No Risk - Money Back Guarantee

You can buy this course with no risk. If you are unhappy with the course, for any reason, you can get a complete refund. The course has a 30 day Money Back Guarantee.

Future Proof Your Programming Career

There is huge demand for Spring Framework developers. Downloads of Spring Boot are up 425% year over year, while Gartner Research is calling Java EE "Obsolete".

The market trends are clear. Popularity for JEE is rapidly declining.

The popularity for the Spring Framework is growing.

Spring Framework 5 is packed with exciting and innovative new features making it a natural choice for enterprise application development.

Future proof your programming career. Start learning how to building modern applications using the Spring Framework and enroll in this course today!


See What Others are Saying About this Course!

The Spring Core course taught by John Thompson (Spring Framework Guru) is a “no nonsense” introduction to Spring. Taking you from concepts to code, he shows how to code with Spring the right way (with gradually more sophisticated examples as the course progresses). There are also assignments (with solutions) to help you assess your progress and understanding.
I found the “hands on” aspect of the course the most helpful. It is one thing to hear and understand the concepts and to follow along reading the code. It is quite another thing to do the coding yourself. John shows you how to integrate JUnit, GitHub, Spring MVC Test, Spring Boot and especially the IntelliJ IDEA IDE tools to follow along with the material and become a productive Spring programmer.
When I run into trouble, John responds very quickly to get me back into the saddle. As part of the course, you develop a working Spring MVC app (a mini e-commerce site). As a real bonus, you also JPA and Hibernate to persist to a H2 database.
If you are an enterprise Java programmer, this is the course you should take to jump start your journey to mastery of the Spring Framework using best practices.
Don Smallidge

Your Instructor


John Thompson
John Thompson

Hi. I'm John.

I've been in the IT industry for over 20 years. Today, I specialize mainly in Java, the most successful and widely known programming language in use today. I also specialize with the Spring Framework, which is the most popular open source application framework for building enterprise class applications on the Java platform. Just some of the organizations I've worked with include Visa, Kohls, Federal Home Loan Bank, and Belk Department Stores.

Every day I get contacted by recruiters looking for people with Java skills, sometimes 5 to 6 times a day. These are often very good paying jobs, yet, there is a shortage of good people in software development. Positions paying $60 per hour are going unfilled because there are not enough people writing Java. These are positions I turn away, because the pay is well below my market rate.

Malcolm Gladwell claims it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. That's 5 years, 40 hours a week. I've certainly put in the time. I've had the opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in the industry. So, I can claim to be an expert.

Through the courses I'm providing, I hope to leverage my years of experience to accelerate your learning of the Spring Framework. I'm not going to lie to you: the Spring Framework is a big framework. The environment for enterprise Java is even bigger. If you're new to Java, you have a lot to learn. I hope through the content on this web site I can accelerate your education of the Java and Spring landscape.



Course Curriculum


  Web Development with Spring MVC
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  JPA Data Modeling with Spring and Hibernate
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  CRUD Operations with Spring MVC
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

Basic Level

The basic level of the course gives you full access to all the content and source code examples. You will be able to comment on course modules or email me for support. I generally try to respond to questions in 24 hours. Sometimes much faster. Sometimes a little longer.

Guru Level

All the benefits of Basic Level. Plus:

  • Access to the Spring Framework Guru Leader board. Earn Badges and gain levels as you complete the course! And have a profile to show off your work to perspective employers.
  • Priority Support Helpdesk
  • Monthly Group Coaching Calls with John Thompson
  • Access to a private Facebook group to collaborate with other Spring Framework Gurus.

Get started now!