Java Spring Framework versions and their major releases ( AI Generated )
Sure! Here’s a detailed breakdown of the different Java Spring Framework versions and their major releases, from the perspective of what a Java Developer or Software Developer should know for interviews. This includes evolution, features, and what might be commonly asked.
✅ Overview of Spring Framework
The Spring Framework is a powerful, lightweight framework used for developing Java applications, especially enterprise-level applications. It provides comprehensive infrastructure support for developing Java applications and is known for:
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Dependency Injection (DI)
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Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP)
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Spring MVC (Web Framework)
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Data access with JDBC, JPA
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Spring Boot (for microservices)
π Spring Framework Major Versions and Key Features
πΉ Spring Framework 1.x (2004)
Highlights:
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Initial release by Rod Johnson (author of Expert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development)
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Introduced IoC (Inversion of Control) and AOP
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Replaced heavy EJB-based solutions
Interview Tip:
Expect conceptual questions on IoC, DI, and how Spring simplified enterprise Java.
πΉ Spring Framework 2.x (2006)
Highlights:
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Enhanced XML configuration
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Introduction of Java-based configuration
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Integration with more persistence technologies: Hibernate, JPA
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Improved AOP support
Interview Tip:
You may be asked: What’s the difference between XML and Java-based configurations?
πΉ Spring Framework 3.x (2009)
Highlights:
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Introduced annotation-based configuration (@Component, @Autowired, @Service, etc.)
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Support for RESTful web services
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Integration with Spring Expression Language (SpEL)
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Support for Java 5+ features like generics and annotations
Interview Tip:
Be ready to discuss annotations and their purpose (like @Controller, @RestController).
πΉ Spring Framework 4.x (2013)
Highlights:
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Full compatibility with Java 8 (Lambda expressions, Streams)
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WebSocket, JMS, and HTML5 support
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Conditional configuration using
@Conditional -
Introduced Groovy Bean Definition DSL
Interview Tip:
You might get questions on modern Java features with Spring and conditional configuration.
πΉ Spring Framework 5.x (2017)
Highlights:
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Java 8+ baseline, support for Java 9+
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Introduced Reactive Programming support via Spring WebFlux
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Core container improvements (functional bean registration)
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Better integration with Kotlin
Interview Tip:
Expect questions on Reactive programming vs traditional MVC. Know the difference between Spring MVC and Spring WebFlux.
πΉ Spring Framework 6.x (Nov 2022)
Highlights:
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Java 17+ required
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Native compilation support with GraalVM
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Full support for Jakarta EE 9+ (packages moved from
javax.*tojakarta.*) -
Modernized API (removal of deprecated code)
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Built for the cloud-native era
Interview Tip:
This is a hot topic now. Expect questions like: What changed in Spring 6? What is Jakarta EE? Why is GraalVM important?
π Spring Boot Versions (Bonus for Interviews)
Since most modern Java developers use Spring Boot, here’s a quick summary:
| Version | Released | Major Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1.x | 2014 | Auto-configuration, embedded Tomcat, simplified app setup |
| 2.x | 2018 | Actuator improvements, better reactive support, Java 8+ |
| 3.x | Nov 2022 | Java 17+, Spring Framework 6, GraalVM, Jakarta EE 9 |
π Frequently Asked Interview Questions
Core Framework
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What is the difference between ApplicationContext and BeanFactory?
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How does Spring achieve Dependency Injection?
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What are different types of DI in Spring (constructor vs setter)?
Spring MVC
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Explain the flow of a Spring MVC application.
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Difference between @Controller and @RestController?
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How do you handle exceptions in Spring?
Spring Boot
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What is auto-configuration in Spring Boot?
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How does Spring Boot simplify microservice development?
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What is Spring Boot Starter?
Spring 5 & 6 (Modern)
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What is WebFlux?
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How is Spring 6 different from Spring 5?
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What is the impact of Jakarta EE 9+ migration?
π§ Interview Strategy Tips
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Understand evolution: Know why each version introduced new features.
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Focus on annotations, configuration styles, and core concepts.
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Be prepared to write small code snippets or pseudo-code.
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Learn modern practices: Spring Boot, Reactive, GraalVM, and Jakarta EE are hot!
Would you like a visual timeline of Spring versions or a cheat sheet for quick prep before interviews?
( generated by Chatgpt)
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