Here’s a step-by-step guide for creating your first Spring Boot project using Spring Initializr:

Step 1: Go to Spring Initializr

1. Open the Spring Initializr website: https://start.spring.io/.
2. You will see a friendly interface that allows you to configure your new Spring Boot project.

Step 2: Configure Your Project

1. Project Settings:
   • Project Type: Choose either Maven or Gradle (Maven is common for beginners).
   • Language: Select Java, Kotlin, or Groovy. Use Java for now to keep it simple.
   • Spring Boot Version: Select the latest stable version (e.g., 3.x.x).
2. Project Metadata:
   • Group: Enter your domain or namespace (e.g., com.example).
   • Artifact: This is the name of your project (e.g., demo).
   • Name and Description: Optional, but you can customize these values.
   • Package Name: Auto-generated from Group and Artifact but can be edited.
   • Packaging: Choose Jar.
   • Java Version: Select the Java version installed on your machine (e.g., Java 23 for compatibility).
3. Dependencies:
   • Click Add Dependencies and search for the necessary modules, such as:
     • Spring Web for building web applications (REST APIs, etc.).
     • Spring Data JPA if you want database integration.
     • H2 Database for testing with an in-memory database.
     • Spring Boot DevTools for automatic application reload during development.

Add any additional dependencies you need for your project.

Step 3: Download the Project

1. After configuring your project, click on the Generate button.
2. A .zip file containing your project will be downloaded.

Step 4: Import the Project into IntelliJ IDEA

1. Open IntelliJ IDEA.
2. Go to File > Open and select the folder where you extracted your project.
3. If IntelliJ suggests importing the project as a Maven/Gradle project, confirm the selection.
4. Upon importing the project, IntelliJ will automatically resolve and download the dependencies.

Step 5: Run the Spring Boot Application

1. Locate the main class in the project. It is usually located in src/main/java/<package-name> and has an @SpringBootApplication annotation.
2. Right-click on the main class and select Run .
3. Once the application starts, you will see the Spring Boot banner in the console and a log message indicating that the application started successfully.

Example Project Structure

Here’s a high-level view of what your project structure will look like:

src
├── main
|   ├── java
|   │   └── com.example.demo
|   │       └── DemoApplication.java (Main class)
|   └── resources
|       ├── application.properties (Configuration file)
|       ├── static
|       └── templates
└── test

Next Steps

• Open the application.properties file in the src/main/resources/ directory to specify configuration data, such as database properties.
• Start building your business logic, controller classes, and database entities.

Congratulations! 🎉 You’ve successfully created your first Spring Boot project using Spring Initializr.