Creates and scaffolds a new Spring Boot project (3.x or 4.x) by downloading from Spring Initializr, generating package structure (DDD or Layered architecture), configuring JPA, SpringDoc OpenAPI, and Docker Compose services (PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB). Use when creating a new Java Spring Boot proje

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 3. Add Additional Dependencies Edit pom.xml to add SpringDoc OpenAPI and ArchUnit for architectural testing. 4. Create Architecture Structure Based on the user's choice, create the package structure under src/main/java/<packagePath / . Option A: Layered Architecture 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 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: If PostgreSQL is selected: If Redis is selected: If MongoDB is selected: 6. Set Up Docker Compose Create docker compose.yaml at the project root with only the services the user selected. 7. Create .env File for Docker Compose Create a .env file at the project root with default credentials for local development: Include only the variables for the services the user selected. Docker Compose automatically loads this file. 8. Update .gitignore Append Docker Compose volume directories and the .env file to .gitignore : 9. Verify the Build Run the Maven build to confirm the project compiles and tests pass: If the build succeeds, inform the user. If it fails, diagnose and fix the issue before proceeding. 10. Present Summary to User Display a summary of the created project: Architecture Patterns Layered Architecture Traditional three tier architecture with clear separation of concerns: Layer Package Responsibility Presentation controller/ HTTP endpoints, request/response mapping Business service/ Business logic, transaction management Data Access repository/ Database operations via Spring Data Domain model/ JPA entities and DTOs Best for: Simple CRUD applications, small to medium services, teams new to Spring Boot. DDD Architecture Domain Driven Design with hexagonal boundaries: Layer Package Responsibility Domain domain/ Entities, value objects, domain services (framework free) Application application/ Use cases, orchestration, DTO mapping Infrastructure infrastructure/ JPA adapters, external integrations, configuration Presentation presentation/ REST controllers, error handling Best for: Complex business domains, microservices with rich logic, long lived projects. Examples Example 1: Simple REST API with PostgreSQL (Layered) User request: "Create a Spring Boot project for a REST API with PostgreSQL" Result: Layered project with controller/ , service/ , repository/ , model/ packages, PostgreSQL Docker Compose, and SpringDoc OpenAPI. Example 2: Microservice with DDD and Multiple Stores User request: "Bootstrap a Spring Boot 3 microservice with DDD, PostgreSQL and Redis" Result: DDD project with domain/ , application/ , infrastructure/ , presentation/ packages, PostgreSQL + Redis Docker Compose, and SpringDoc OpenAPI. Best Practices Always use Spring Initializr for project generation to get the correct dependency management and parent POM. Use Java records for DTOs — they are immutable and concise. Keep domain layer framework free in DDD architecture — no Spring annotations in domain/ . Use environment variables for sensitive configuration in production (database passwords, etc.). Pin Docker image versions in docker compose.yaml to avoid unexpected breaking changes. Run ./mvnw clean verify after setup to ensure everything compiles and tests pass. Add Testcontainers for integration tests instead of relying on Docker Compose. Constraints and Warnings Spring Initializr requires internet access — this skill cannot work offline. Spring Boot 4.x availability depends on the current release cycle — check start.spring.io for latest versions. Docker Compose credentials are loaded from .env file (git ignored) — never commit secrets to version control. The spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl auto=update setting is for development only — use Flyway or Liquibase in production. ArchUnit version must be compatible with the JUnit 5 version bundled with Spring Boot.

spring-boot-project-creator