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Spring Boot Unleashed: A Comprehensive Guide to Loading External Properties
Introduction:
In the dynamic landscape of Spring Boot development, the ability to configure applications seamlessly is crucial. Externalizing properties allows developers to tweak configurations without modifying code. In this guide, we’ll embark on a journey to explore all possible ways to load external properties in Spring Boot, from traditional properties files to YAML and beyond. Buckle up for a dive into the “why,” “how,” and “what” of each concept, complemented by practical code examples.
Classic Properties Files: A Time-Tested Approach
What is it?
The classic properties file, often named application.properties or application.yml, is the traditional way to externalize configuration in Spring Boot. It consists of key-value pairs that define various properties.
How does it work?
Spring Boot automatically looks for properties files on the classpath, allowing developers to override default configurations. The application.properties file can be extended to include environment-specific properties like application-dev.properties.
Why use it?
Simplicity: Classic properties files follow a straightforward key-value format.