The Spring framework has changed a lot in the last couple of years. We have seen significant releases for Spring, Spring Boot, and Spring Security. These new releases introduced several exciting features to meet the latest software development trends, like Reactive programming, support for Kotlin for developing Spring applications, Spring WebFlux - a new framework to build non-blocking and reactive web applications, and many more. Since the software world is changing and most of the development is happening on Cloud with Microservice architecture leading the way, it's high time that experienced Java developers should upgrade themselves.
If you have been using Spring for years but haven't got a chance to got-up with all the latest development in the Spring world, then the year 2024 is the best time to correct that.
After the Java SE 8 release, most of the Java frameworks are upgraded to support the new style of coding in Java. It has now become standard in Java, and the code written using the old method is no more in practice.
Technical lead and architect are rejecting such code in peer code review and encouraging experienced Java developers, like someone who has 5 to 8 years of experience to learn Java 8 and Spring 5.
It makes sense; you just can't write code in the old way if a better option is available, which is more readable, intuitive, and provide better performance. The same goes for the Reactive programming model.
Well, I will accept that once you gain experience, your learning becomes slow, and many Java developers, including myself, don't put enough effort into keeping ourselves up-to-date.
Your company also plays an essential role in this, for example, if you are working for Investment banks and big organization which is still using old technologies then you will be less likely to upgrade yourself because there is no push.
If you have been using Spring for years but haven't got a chance to got-up with all the latest development in the Spring world, then the year 2024 is the best time to correct that.
After the Java SE 8 release, most of the Java frameworks are upgraded to support the new style of coding in Java. It has now become standard in Java, and the code written using the old method is no more in practice.
Technical lead and architect are rejecting such code in peer code review and encouraging experienced Java developers, like someone who has 5 to 8 years of experience to learn Java 8 and Spring 5.
It makes sense; you just can't write code in the old way if a better option is available, which is more readable, intuitive, and provide better performance. The same goes for the Reactive programming model.
Well, I will accept that once you gain experience, your learning becomes slow, and many Java developers, including myself, don't put enough effort into keeping ourselves up-to-date.
Your company also plays an essential role in this, for example, if you are working for Investment banks and big organization which is still using old technologies then you will be less likely to upgrade yourself because there is no push.
If you are working for a startup, which is very agile in adopting the latest and greatest framework, library, and technology, you will likely upgrade yourself more often.
Btw, if you are entirely new to Spring world and looking for the best way to learn the Spring framework in 2024, then I suggest you first start with a comprehensive online course like Spring Framework 6: Beginner to Guru before you read this book. I have found that it accelerates your learning, and you get more from the books later.
Now, let's see my list of classic Spring Framework books which are still worth reading in 2024.
Though Spring in Action doesn't need any introduction or recommendation and is hands down the best book to learn Spring framework now, it is also updated to Spring 5 which means you can use this to learn and discover what’s new in Spring Framework 5, like Reactive features, WebFlux, etc.
It will also teach you how to use the Spring Framework with Java 9 and aster data access and transactions, work with the new functional web framework and create microservices and other web services using Spring Boot and other cloud technology.
I suggest you follow this book if you are learning the Spring framework in 2024. It's more up-to-date and follows the latest practices for developing a Java application with Spring. If you want, you can also combine this book with Spring Framework 5: Beginner to Guru course on Udemy, which is also the most up-to-date course to learn Spring framework in 2024.
The full title of the book is "Cloud Native Java: Designing Resilient Systems with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Cloud Foundry," and as the title suggests, it covers all the technology and framework you need to roll out your first Java application for the cloud.
Both authors, Josh Long and Kenny Bastani are experts in the Spring framework and provided a detailed overview of all the technology mentioned in the title, like Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Cloud Foundry while keeping the real world example in focus, as their story of Amazon, NetFlix, and Uber sparks interest.
Btw, if you are entirely new to Spring world and looking for the best way to learn the Spring framework in 2024, then I suggest you first start with a comprehensive online course like Spring Framework 6: Beginner to Guru before you read this book. I have found that it accelerates your learning, and you get more from the books later.
5 Best Spring Framework Books for Java developers in 2024
Anyway, if you want to give your career a boost and break the shackle, here are a couple of Spring books, I think experienced Java developers should read to learn about new features of Spring 5, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and how to develop Java application for Cloud using spring frameworks.Update for 2024
In the last couple of years, there are a few more great Spring books cam along which are great for anyone who wants to master advanced topics like Reactive Spring, Security, and Spring Boot in depth. Apart from these books, here are a few more spring books that are worth looking at in 2024- Spring Security in Action by Laurentiu Splica
- Spring Boot: Up and Running
- Reactive Spring by Josh Long
You can read these books to further improve your knowledge of Spring Framework and become a better Java developer in 2024.
Now, let's see my list of classic Spring Framework books which are still worth reading in 2024.
1. Spring in Action 5th Edition
This should be one of the first few books to read in 2024, of course, only after you finish the Effective Java 3rd edition if you haven't already.Though Spring in Action doesn't need any introduction or recommendation and is hands down the best book to learn Spring framework now, it is also updated to Spring 5 which means you can use this to learn and discover what’s new in Spring Framework 5, like Reactive features, WebFlux, etc.
It will also teach you how to use the Spring Framework with Java 9 and aster data access and transactions, work with the new functional web framework and create microservices and other web services using Spring Boot and other cloud technology.
I suggest you follow this book if you are learning the Spring framework in 2024. It's more up-to-date and follows the latest practices for developing a Java application with Spring. If you want, you can also combine this book with Spring Framework 5: Beginner to Guru course on Udemy, which is also the most up-to-date course to learn Spring framework in 2024.
2. Cloud-Native Java
This is one of the must-read Spring books in 2024 for Java developers who want to learn how to design and develop production-quality Java applications for the cloud.The full title of the book is "Cloud Native Java: Designing Resilient Systems with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Cloud Foundry," and as the title suggests, it covers all the technology and framework you need to roll out your first Java application for the cloud.
Both authors, Josh Long and Kenny Bastani are experts in the Spring framework and provided a detailed overview of all the technology mentioned in the title, like Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Cloud Foundry while keeping the real world example in focus, as their story of Amazon, NetFlix, and Uber sparks interest.
This book is aimed primarily at experienced Java/JVM developers who are looking to build a cloud-based Java application using Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Cloud Foundry. There are tons of details that can be overwhelming sometimes.
If you don't know Spring, then this is not the book for you. Instead, you should first read the Spring in Action or Pro Spring Book to get yourself familiar with Spring, or you can take the Spring MasterClass course on Udemy.
If you are interested in Microservices, Spring Boot, and wondered why many companies are using Cloud Foundry, then you should read this book.
This book explains the examples with detailed explanations of complex reactive topics, and it's well organized to build an application from scratch on the reactive paradigm.
Btw, again this book is not for beginners. You need experience in Java 8, and you should be familiar with concepts like lambdas. You also need a basic understanding of Spring Boot and Spring framework, reactive programming, and cloud computing to get the most out of this book.
If you are looking to build efficient backends and microservices using Spring Boot, then this is the must-read of the book for you. I also recommended this book to anyone who is trying to learn spring boot 2.0 with reactive programming model concepts.
It provides re-usable code recipes and snippets from core Spring and Spring MVC, which can be used in web development. It also has recipes covering how to work with Spring REST and Microservices for web services development.
It also covers Spring Batch, NoSQL, and big data for building and integrating various cloud computing services and resources.
Overall, an excellent book to learn modern Java development with Spring 5.
In this book, John Carnell will teach you how to build microservice-based applications using Java and the Spring platform in a step-by-step, organized manner.
It will not only teaches you Core microservice design principles but also all the technology you need to develop and deploy your microservices in the real world.
You will learn about how Spring Boot and Spring Cloud simplify your microservice applications and all the tools Spring Cloud provides for the discovery, routing, and deployment of microservices to the enterprise and the cloud, like Hystrix, Ribbon, etc.
If you don't know Spring, then this is not the book for you. Instead, you should first read the Spring in Action or Pro Spring Book to get yourself familiar with Spring, or you can take the Spring MasterClass course on Udemy.
If you are interested in Microservices, Spring Boot, and wondered why many companies are using Cloud Foundry, then you should read this book.
3. Learning Spring Boot 2.0
Apart from Spring 5, the other major to learn in 2024 is Spring Boot 2.0, and this is the best book to learn all the changes made in Spring Boot 2.0 version.This book explains the examples with detailed explanations of complex reactive topics, and it's well organized to build an application from scratch on the reactive paradigm.
Btw, again this book is not for beginners. You need experience in Java 8, and you should be familiar with concepts like lambdas. You also need a basic understanding of Spring Boot and Spring framework, reactive programming, and cloud computing to get the most out of this book.
If you are looking to build efficient backends and microservices using Spring Boot, then this is the must-read of the book for you. I also recommended this book to anyone who is trying to learn spring boot 2.0 with reactive programming model concepts.
4. Spring 5 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach
If you like to learn new concepts by following the how-to tutorial and recipe book, then this is the book for you. It not just covers new features of Spring 5 but also teaches you how to develop using Spring 5 and Java 9.It provides re-usable code recipes and snippets from core Spring and Spring MVC, which can be used in web development. It also has recipes covering how to work with Spring REST and Microservices for web services development.
It also covers Spring Batch, NoSQL, and big data for building and integrating various cloud computing services and resources.
Overall, an excellent book to learn modern Java development with Spring 5.
5. Spring Microservices in Action by John Carnell
There is a lot of buzz around Microservices, and Spring is leading the way by offering technologies you need to build a microservice-based application in Java.In this book, John Carnell will teach you how to build microservice-based applications using Java and the Spring platform in a step-by-step, organized manner.
It will not only teaches you Core microservice design principles but also all the technology you need to develop and deploy your microservices in the real world.
You will learn about how Spring Boot and Spring Cloud simplify your microservice applications and all the tools Spring Cloud provides for the discovery, routing, and deployment of microservices to the enterprise and the cloud, like Hystrix, Ribbon, etc.
By the way, if you are keen to learn Microservice development in Java using the Spring framework then I also recommend you to check out Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud course by Ranga Karnam on Udemy.
That's all about some of the best books to learn Spring Framework in 2024. These books will help you to learn all key technologies and frameworks, like Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Spring 5 updates, and Spring Security 5 updates, which are very important for Java Web Developers. Spend some time learning those critical updates if you haven't discovered them already. They will not only help in your day-to-day job but also in any perspective interviews you are looking forward to.
Other Spring and Java Resources you may like
- 5 Free courses to learn Spring Core and Spring MVC
- How Spring MVC works internally in Java?
- 10 Courses to learn Spring Boot and Microservices in Java
- 10 Things Java Programmer should learn in 2024
- 10 Online Courses to Learn Spring Security and OAuth2
- 10 Advanced Spring Boot Courses for Java developers
- What is the role of DispatcherServlet in Spring MVC?
- The 2024 Java Developer RoadMap
- 7 Courses to learn Microservices in Java with Spring
- Difference between @RestController and @Controller in Spring MVC?
- 5 Spring Microservices Courses for Java Developers
- 10 Frameworks Java and Web Developers should learn
- Spring and Hibernate training courses for Experienced Java developers
Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like this post, then please share it with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.
P. S. - If you love learning from online courses, which I do, you can also check this list of 5 courses to learn Spring Framework in depth. It contains courses for both beginners and expert Java and Spring Developers.
10 comments :
Seriously no, how come someone would recommend Spring in Action 5th Edition? have you ever read that book?, it has several errors, if you follow the book you will notice the author makes references to classes that aren´t created at the moment of reading some chapters which will make your IDE to complain and the application will just not run, source code in Git doesn't match the book's source code, all these stuff was already reported to the author but he simply ignores the readers, GJ Craig Walls.
wish i read this comment before buying the book :(
Thanq so much dear. I will stay of this book. Author should be responsible for these errors and make error less copy
Java 9 is not necessarily better. It is actually less intuitive in many places.
You can replace this link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1449374646
with this:
https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Native-Java-Designing-Resilient/dp/1449374646
With this, readers can read Table of contents of book (in second link is "Look inside" button).
Thank mkczyk for your useful comment, noted, will update it soon.
I completelly agree that "Spring in Action" is void. "Cloud Native Java" sucks as well, there is nothinf in it. As for books published at Packt or Apress, I got very bad experiences and I'm never buying. The only serious book in this list is "Spring Micro-service in Action " by John Carnell. But ir might be outdated now.
What would you recommend instead of Spring In Action ? I read spring in action more than a a half of a book, it's total disaster. Now can't find good book on Spring/Spring Boot.
Hello John, I suggest then you check some online courses like Spring Beginner to Guru by John Thomson on Udemy. I have shared my Spring course recommendations here
Thank you for your answer!
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