How to Create a Package in a Spring Boot Project in VS Code

Spring Boot is a popular framework for building Java-based applications, and Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful, lightweight code editor that supports Java development. In this blog, we'll walk you through creating a Spring Boot project in VS Code, setting up a package structure, and running your application.

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have the following installed:

• Java Development Kit (JDK): You can download it from Oracle's official site or use OpenJDK.
• Maven: You can download it from Maven's official site.
• Visual Studio Code: Download it from here.
• VS Code Extensions: Install the following extensions:
  • Java Extension Pack
  • Spring Boot Extension Pack

Step 1: Create a Spring Boot Project

1. Open VS Code and open the integrated terminal by pressing Ctrl +` (backtick).

2. Generate a Spring Boot project using Maven with the following command:
   sh
mvn archetype:generate -DgroupId=com.example -DartifactId=myproject -DarchetypeArtifactId=maven-archetype-quickstart -DinteractiveMode=false

   Alternatively, you can use the Spring Initializr website to generate a project. Download the project as a ZIP file, extract it, and open the folder in VS Code.

Step 2: Open the Project in VS Code

1. Open the project folder in VS Code. You can do this by navigating to File > Open Folder and selecting the project directory.

2. Open the terminal in VS Code (if it’s not already open) by pressing Ctrl + (backtick).

Step 3: Create Packages

1. Navigate to the src/main/java directory in your project explorer.

2. Create new packages by right-clicking on the java directory, selecting New Folder, and naming it according to your package structure (e.g., com/example/myproject).

Step 4: Add Classes to Your Package

1. Right-click on the package you just created (e.g., com/example/myproject) and select New File.

2. Name the file (e.g., MyClass.java) and press Enter.

3. Define your class within this file. For example:
   `java
   package com.example.myproject;

public class MyClass {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Hello, Spring Boot!");
}
}
`

Step 5: Configure Spring Boot

Ensure you have a main application class to run your Spring Boot application. It should be in the root package or a subpackage of it.

Example Application.java in the root package com.example.myproject:
`java
package com.example.myproject;

import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;

@SpringBootApplication
public class Application {
public static void main(String[] args) {
SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
}
}
`

Step 6: Run Your Spring Boot Application

1. Open the integrated terminal in VS Code by pressing Ctrl + (backtick).

2. Navigate to the project directory if not already there.

3. Use Maven to run your application:
   sh
mvn spring-boot:run

   Alternatively, you can build your project and run the jar file:
   sh
mvn package
java -jar target/myproject-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar


Summary

By following these steps, you can create a package structure in your Spring Boot project using VS Code, add classes, configure your application, and run it successfully. This setup allows you to organize your project code logically and maintainably.