spring-boot-project-creator
This skill generates a fully configured Spring Boot project (versions 3.x or 4.x) by downloading from Spring Initializr, creating organized package structures using either Domain-Driven Design or Layered architecture patterns, and automatically configuring Java Persistence API, SpringDoc OpenAPI documentation, and Docker Compose environments with PostgreSQL, Redis, or MongoDB. Use it when initializing new backend applications, scaffolding microservices, or bootstrapping Spring Boot projects from scratch with standardized structure and local development infrastructure.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/giuseppe-trisciuoglio/developer-kit /tmp/spring-boot-project-creator && cp -r /tmp/spring-boot-project-creator/plugins/developer-kit-java/skills/spring-boot-project-creator ~/.claude/skills/spring-boot-project-creatorSKILL.md
# Spring Boot Project Creator
## Overview
Generates a fully configured Spring Boot project from scratch using the Spring Initializr API. The skill walks the user through selecting project parameters, choosing an architecture style (DDD or Layered), configuring data stores, and setting up Docker Compose for local development. The result is a build-ready project with standardized structure, dependency management, and configuration.
## When to Use
- Bootstrap a new Spring Boot 3.x or 4.x project with a standard structure.
- Initialize a backend microservice with JPA, SpringDoc OpenAPI, and Docker Compose.
- Scaffold a project following either DDD (Domain-Driven Design) or Layered (Controller/Service/Repository/Model) architecture.
- Set up local development infrastructure with PostgreSQL, Redis, and/or MongoDB via Docker Compose.
- Trigger phrases: **"create spring boot project"**, **"new spring boot app"**, **"bootstrap java project"**, **"scaffold spring boot microservice"**, **"initialize spring boot backend"**, **"generate spring boot project"**.
## Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure the following tools are installed:
- **Java Development Kit (JDK)**: Version 17+ (Java 21 recommended for Spring Boot 3.x/4.x)
- **Apache Maven**: Build tool (Spring Initializr generates Maven projects by default)
- **Docker** and **Docker Compose**: For running local infrastructure services
- **curl** and **unzip**: For downloading and extracting the project from Spring Initializr
## Instructions
Follow these steps to create a new Spring Boot project.
### 1. Gather Project Configuration
Ask the user for the following project parameters using **AskUserQuestion**. Provide sensible defaults:
| Parameter | Default | Options |
|-----------|---------|---------|
| **Group ID** | `com.example` | Any valid Java package name |
| **Artifact ID** | `demo` | Kebab-case identifier |
| **Package Name** | Same as Group ID | Valid Java package |
| **Spring Boot Version** | `3.4.5` | `3.4.x`, `4.0.x` (check start.spring.io for latest) |
| **Java Version** | `21` | `17`, `21` |
| **Architecture** | User choice | `DDD` or `Layered` |
| **Docker Services** | User choice | PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB (multi-select) |
| **Build Tool** | `maven` | `maven`, `gradle` |
### 2. Generate Project with Spring Initializr
Use `curl` to download the project scaffold from start.spring.io.
**Base dependencies** (always included):
- `web` — Spring Web MVC
- `validation` — Jakarta Bean Validation
- `data-jpa` — Spring Data JPA
- `testcontainers` — Testcontainers support
**Conditional dependencies** (based on Docker Services selection):
- PostgreSQL selected → add `postgresql`
- Redis selected → add `data-redis`
- MongoDB selected → add `data-mongodb`
```bash
# Example for Spring Boot 3.4.5 with PostgreSQL only
curl -s https://start.spring.io/starter.zip \
-d type=maven-project \
-d language=java \
-d bootVersion=3.4.5 \
-d groupId=com.example \
-d artifactId=demo \
-d packageName=com.example \
-d javaVersion=21 \
-d packaging=jar \
-d dependencies=web,data-jpa,postgresql,validation,testcontainers \
-o starter.zip
unzip -o starter.zip -d ./demo
rm starter.zip
cd demo
```
### 3. Add Additional Dependencies
Edit `pom.xml` to add SpringDoc OpenAPI and ArchUnit for architectural testing.
```xml
<!-- SpringDoc OpenAPI -->
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springdoc</groupId>
<artifactId>springdoc-openapi-starter-webmvc-ui</artifactId>
<version>2.8.15</version>
</dependency>
<!-- ArchUnit for architecture tests -->
<dependency>
<groupId>com.tngtech.archunit</groupId>
<artifactId>archunit-junit5</artifactId>
<version>1.4.1</version>
<scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
```
### 4. Create Architecture Structure
Based on the user's choice, create the package structure under `src/main/java/<packagePath>/`.
#### Option A: Layered Architecture
```
src/main/java/com/example/
├── controller/ # REST controllers (@RestController)
├── service/ # Business logic (@Service)
├── repository/ # Data access (@Repository, Spring Data interfaces)
├── model/ # JPA entities (@Entity)
│ └── dto/ # Request/Response DTOs (Java records)
├── config/ # Configuration classes (@Configuration)
└── exception/ # Custom exceptions and @ControllerAdvice
```
Create placeholder classes for each layer:
- **config/OpenApiConfig.java** — SpringDoc OpenAPI configuration bean
- **exception/GlobalExceptionHandler.java** — `@RestControllerAdvice` with standard error handling
- **model/dto/ErrorResponse.java** — Standard error response record
#### Option B: DDD (Domain-Driven Design) Architecture
```
src/main/java/com/example/
├── domain/ # Core domain (framework-free)
│ ├── model/ # Entities, Value Objects, Aggregates
│ ├── repository/ # Repository interfaces (ports)
│ └── exception/ # Domain exceptions
├── application/ # Use cases / Application services
│ ├── service/ # @Service orchestration
│ └── dto/ # Input/Output DTOs (records)
├── infrastructure/ # External adapters
│ ├── persistence/ # JPA entities, Spring Data repos
│ └── config/ # Spring @Configuration
└── presentation/ # REST API layer
├── controller/ # @RestController
└── exception/ # @RestControllerAdvice
```
Create placeholder classes for each layer:
- **infrastructure/config/OpenApiConfig.java** — SpringDoc OpenAPI configuration bean
- **presentation/exception/GlobalExceptionHandler.java** — `@RestControllerAdvice` with standard error handling
- **application/dto/ErrorResponse.java** — Standard error response record
### 5. Configure Application Properties
Create `src/main/resources/application.properties` with the selected services.
**Always include:**
```properties
# Application
spring.application.name=${artifactId}
# SpringDoc OpeProvides chunking strategies for RAG systems. Generates chunk size recommendations (256-1024 tokens), overlap percentages (10-20%), and semantic boundary detection methods. Validates semantic coherence and evaluates retrieval precision/recall metrics. Use when building retrieval-augmented generation systems, vector databases, or processing large documents.
>
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