Using Spring Boot Starter Parent as the parent POM in your Spring Boot project offers several benefits:
- Dependency Management: Spring Boot Starter Parent simplifies dependency management by providing predefined versions for common dependencies used in Spring Boot applications. You don't need to specify versions for individual dependencies manually, reducing the risk of version conflicts and ensuring compatibility between dependencies.
- Plugin Configuration: Spring Boot Starter Parent configures essential Maven plugins with default settings optimized for Spring Boot applications. This includes plugins for compiling source code, running tests, packaging artifacts, and other build-related tasks. You can leverage these preconfigured plugins without the need for additional configuration.
- Java Version Compatibility: Spring Boot Starter Parent ensures compatibility with specific Java versions by setting default configuration for the Java compiler plugin and source/target compatibility. This helps maintain consistency across your project and ensures that your application is built and executed with the appropriate JDK version.
- Consistency and Best Practices: By using Spring Boot Starter Parent, you adhere to established best practices and conventions recommended by the Spring Boot community. This promotes consistency across Spring Boot projects, simplifies maintenance, and makes it easier for team members to understand and collaborate on the codebase.
- Standardized Project Structure: Spring Boot Starter Parent defines a standardized project structure and layout, which is aligned with Spring Boot's conventions and recommended practices. This helps improve code organization, readability, and maintainability, making it easier to navigate and understand the project.
- Reduced Configuration Overhead: Spring Boot Starter Parent reduces configuration overhead by providing sensible defaults for various aspects of the project, including dependencies, plugins, and Java version compatibility. This allows you to focus more on writing application code and less on managing project configurations.
- Up-to-date Dependencies: Spring Boot Starter Parent is regularly updated to include the latest versions of dependencies, bug fixes, and improvements. By inheriting from Spring Boot Starter Parent, your project automatically benefits from these updates, ensuring that your application stays up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices.
Overall, using Spring Boot Starter Parent as the parent POM in your Spring Boot project promotes consistency, reduces configuration complexity, and helps you build and maintain high-quality Spring Boot applications more efficiently.