30 Spring Boot Interview Questions: Complete Guide for Java Developers

Prepare for your Spring Boot interviews with these 30 essential questions covering auto-configuration, starters, Spring Data JPA, security, and testing.

30 Spring Boot interview questions for Java developers

Spring Boot has become the go-to framework for enterprise Java development. Technical interviews assess understanding of internal mechanisms, best practices, and the Spring ecosystem. This guide covers the 30 most frequently asked questions, from fundamental concepts to advanced topics.

Preparation Tip

Interviewers value candidates who understand the "why" behind each feature. Beyond syntax, explain the problems Spring Boot solves.

Spring Boot Fundamentals

1. What is the difference between Spring and Spring Boot?

Spring is a modular framework offering dependency injection, transaction management, and integration with numerous technologies. Spring Boot is an abstraction layer on top of Spring that simplifies configuration and application startup.

Application.javajava
// With Spring Boot: a single annotation to start
@SpringBootApplication
public class Application {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // SpringApplication configures and starts the Spring context
        SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
    }
}

Spring Boot provides auto-configuration, dependency starters, an embedded server, and production metrics via Actuator. The goal is to go from idea to working code in minutes.

2. How does auto-configuration work?

Auto-configuration analyzes the classpath and automatically configures necessary beans. The mechanism relies on the @EnableAutoConfiguration annotation (included in @SpringBootApplication) and conditions defined in auto-configuration classes.

CustomAutoConfiguration.javajava
@Configuration
@ConditionalOnClass(DataSource.class) // Activates if DataSource is on classpath
@ConditionalOnMissingBean(DataSource.class) // Only acts if no DataSource exists
public class CustomAutoConfiguration {

    @Bean
    @ConditionalOnProperty(name = "app.datasource.enabled", havingValue = "true")
    public DataSource dataSource() {
        // Default DataSource configuration
        return DataSourceBuilder.create()
            .driverClassName("org.h2.Driver")
            .url("jdbc:h2:mem:testdb")
            .build();
    }
}

Spring Boot examines conditions (@ConditionalOn*) to determine which beans to create. This approach avoids conflicts and allows easy override of default configurations.

3. What is a starter and how do you create one?

A starter is a Maven/Gradle module bundling dependencies and configurations needed for a feature. For example, spring-boot-starter-web includes Spring MVC, Jackson, embedded Tomcat, and validation.

xml
<!-- pom.xml for a custom starter -->
<project>
    <artifactId>my-company-starter</artifactId>
    <dependencies>
        <!-- Base Spring Boot dependency -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <!-- Company-specific libraries -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.mycompany</groupId>
            <artifactId>logging-utils</artifactId>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</project>

To create a custom starter, define auto-configuration classes and reference them in META-INF/spring/org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.AutoConfiguration.imports.

4. Explain application.properties vs application.yml

Both formats externalize configuration. YAML offers more readable syntax for nested structures, while properties remains simpler for flat configurations.

properties
# application.properties
server.port=8080
spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb
spring.datasource.username=admin
spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update
yaml
# application.yml - clear hierarchical structure
server:
  port: 8080

spring:
  datasource:
    url: jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb
    username: admin
  jpa:
    hibernate:
      ddl-auto: update

Profiles adapt configuration per environment: application-dev.yml, application-prod.yml. Activation is done via spring.profiles.active.

5. How does @SpringBootApplication work?

This annotation combines three essential annotations that configure Spring Boot application behavior.

DemoApplication.javajava
// @SpringBootApplication is equivalent to these three annotations:
@SpringBootConfiguration // Equivalent to @Configuration
@EnableAutoConfiguration // Activates auto-configuration
@ComponentScan // Scans components in package and sub-packages
public class DemoApplication {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Creates context, runs configurations, and starts server
        ConfigurableApplicationContext context =
            SpringApplication.run(DemoApplication.class, args);

        // The context contains all configured beans
        UserService userService = context.getBean(UserService.class);
    }
}

Placing this class at the package root is crucial: @ComponentScan scans this package and all its sub-packages to find components.

Spring Data and Persistence

6. What is the difference between JpaRepository, CrudRepository, and PagingAndSortingRepository?

These interfaces form a hierarchy offering increasing levels of data access functionality.

UserRepository.javajava
// CrudRepository: basic CRUD operations
public interface UserCrudRepository extends CrudRepository<User, Long> {
    // save(), findById(), findAll(), deleteById(), count(), existsById()
}

// PagingAndSortingRepository: adds pagination and sorting
public interface UserPagingRepository extends PagingAndSortingRepository<User, Long> {
    // Inherits from CrudRepository + findAll(Sort), findAll(Pageable)
}

// JpaRepository: complete JPA features
public interface UserRepository extends JpaRepository<User, Long> {
    // Inherits from previous + flush(), saveAndFlush(), deleteInBatch()

    // Derived query methods
    List<User> findByEmailContaining(String email);

    Optional<User> findByUsernameAndActiveTrue(String username);
}

For most cases, JpaRepository is the recommended choice as it offers all features needed for JPA application development.

7. How do you define custom queries with @Query?

The @Query annotation allows writing JPQL or native SQL queries when derived methods are insufficient.

OrderRepository.javajava
public interface OrderRepository extends JpaRepository<Order, Long> {

    // JPQL with named parameters
    @Query("SELECT o FROM Order o WHERE o.customer.id = :customerId AND o.status = :status")
    List<Order> findCustomerOrdersByStatus(
        @Param("customerId") Long customerId,
        @Param("status") OrderStatus status
    );

    // Native SQL query for specific needs
    @Query(value = "SELECT * FROM orders WHERE created_at > NOW() - INTERVAL '7 days'",
           nativeQuery = true)
    List<Order> findRecentOrders();

    // Modifying query with @Modifying
    @Modifying
    @Transactional
    @Query("UPDATE Order o SET o.status = :status WHERE o.id IN :ids")
    int updateOrderStatuses(@Param("ids") List<Long> ids, @Param("status") OrderStatus status);
}

JPQL queries are portable across databases, while native queries provide access to DBMS-specific features.

8. Explain transaction management with @Transactional

This annotation declares transactional boundaries for a method or class. Spring automatically handles commit, rollback, and propagation.

PaymentService.javajava
@Service
public class PaymentService {

    private final AccountRepository accountRepository;
    private final TransactionLogRepository logRepository;

    // Transaction with custom configuration
    @Transactional(
        propagation = Propagation.REQUIRED,      // Creates or joins a transaction
        isolation = Isolation.READ_COMMITTED,    // Isolation level
        timeout = 30,                            // Timeout in seconds
        rollbackFor = PaymentException.class     // Rollback on this exception
    )
    public void transferMoney(Long fromId, Long toId, BigDecimal amount) {
        Account from = accountRepository.findById(fromId)
            .orElseThrow(() -> new AccountNotFoundException(fromId));
        Account to = accountRepository.findById(toId)
            .orElseThrow(() -> new AccountNotFoundException(toId));

        from.debit(amount);  // Throws exception if insufficient balance
        to.credit(amount);

        accountRepository.save(from);
        accountRepository.save(to);

        // Log will be rolled back with everything else if an exception occurs
        logRepository.save(new TransactionLog(fromId, toId, amount));
    }
}

Propagation levels (REQUIRED, REQUIRES_NEW, NESTED, etc.) define how transactions nest during transactional method calls.

Common Pitfall

@Transactional only works for calls going through the Spring proxy. An internal call within the same class bypasses the proxy and ignores the annotation.

9. How do you handle Lazy vs Eager Loading relationships?

Relationship loading mode directly impacts performance. Lazy Loading defers loading until access, Eager Loading loads immediately.

User.javajava
@Entity
public class User {

    @Id
    @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
    private Long id;

    // Eager: roles are loaded with the user
    @ManyToMany(fetch = FetchType.EAGER)
    private Set<Role> roles;

    // Lazy: orders are only loaded on access
    @OneToMany(mappedBy = "user", fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
    private List<Order> orders;
}
UserService.javajava
@Service
public class UserService {

    @Transactional(readOnly = true)
    public UserDTO getUserWithOrders(Long userId) {
        User user = userRepository.findById(userId).orElseThrow();

        // Accessing orders triggers an additional SQL query
        // This works because the session is open (@Transactional)
        List<OrderDTO> orderDTOs = user.getOrders().stream()
            .map(this::toDTO)
            .collect(Collectors.toList());

        return new UserDTO(user, orderDTOs);
    }

    // Alternative: query with JOIN FETCH to avoid N+1
    public UserDTO getUserWithOrdersOptimized(Long userId) {
        User user = userRepository.findByIdWithOrders(userId);
        // Orders are already loaded, no additional query
        return new UserDTO(user, user.getOrders());
    }
}

The N+1 problem occurs when lazy loading generates one query per collection element. JOIN FETCH or projections solve this problem.

10. What is the N+1 problem and how do you solve it?

The N+1 problem occurs when an initial query (1) is followed by N additional queries to load relationships for each entity.

ArticleRepository.javajava
public interface ArticleRepository extends JpaRepository<Article, Long> {

    // PROBLEM: this query generates N+1 queries
    List<Article> findAll();

    // SOLUTION 1: JOIN FETCH in JPQL
    @Query("SELECT a FROM Article a JOIN FETCH a.author JOIN FETCH a.comments")
    List<Article> findAllWithDetails();

    // SOLUTION 2: Entity Graph
    @EntityGraph(attributePaths = {"author", "comments"})
    @Query("SELECT a FROM Article a")
    List<Article> findAllWithGraph();
}
Article.javajava
@Entity
@NamedEntityGraph(
    name = "Article.withDetails",
    attributeNodes = {
        @NamedAttributeNode("author"),
        @NamedAttributeNode("comments")
    }
)
public class Article {
    @Id
    private Long id;

    @ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
    private Author author;

    @OneToMany(mappedBy = "article", fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
    private List<Comment> comments;
}

Using @EntityGraph or JOIN FETCH reduces queries from N+1 to a single query with joins, significantly improving performance.

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REST API and Web

11. How do you create a REST controller with validation?

Spring Boot combines @RestController with Bean Validation to create robust APIs with automatic input validation.

UserController.javajava
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/users")
@Validated // Activates validation on method parameters
public class UserController {

    private final UserService userService;

    @PostMapping
    @ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.CREATED)
    public UserResponse createUser(@Valid @RequestBody CreateUserRequest request) {
        // Validation is performed automatically before execution
        return userService.createUser(request);
    }

    @GetMapping("/{id}")
    public UserResponse getUser(
        @PathVariable @Min(1) Long id // Validation on PathVariable
    ) {
        return userService.findById(id)
            .orElseThrow(() -> new UserNotFoundException(id));
    }

    @GetMapping
    public Page<UserResponse> listUsers(
        @RequestParam(defaultValue = "0") @Min(0) int page,
        @RequestParam(defaultValue = "20") @Max(100) int size
    ) {
        return userService.findAll(PageRequest.of(page, size));
    }
}
CreateUserRequest.javajava
public record CreateUserRequest(
    @NotBlank(message = "Name is required")
    @Size(min = 2, max = 50, message = "Name must be between 2 and 50 characters")
    String name,

    @NotBlank(message = "Email is required")
    @Email(message = "Invalid email format")
    String email,

    @NotBlank
    @Pattern(regexp = "^(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*[0-9]).{8,}$",
             message = "Password must contain at least 8 characters, one uppercase and one digit")
    String password
) {}

Validation messages can be externalized in message files for internationalization.

12. How do you handle exceptions globally with @ControllerAdvice?

A centralized exception handler standardizes error responses and avoids code duplication.

GlobalExceptionHandler.javajava
@RestControllerAdvice
public class GlobalExceptionHandler {

    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(GlobalExceptionHandler.class);

    // Handle validation errors
    @ExceptionHandler(MethodArgumentNotValidException.class)
    @ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST)
    public ErrorResponse handleValidationErrors(MethodArgumentNotValidException ex) {
        Map<String, String> errors = ex.getBindingResult()
            .getFieldErrors()
            .stream()
            .collect(Collectors.toMap(
                FieldError::getField,
                FieldError::getDefaultMessage,
                (existing, replacement) -> existing
            ));

        return new ErrorResponse("VALIDATION_ERROR", "Invalid data", errors);
    }

    // Handle resource not found
    @ExceptionHandler(ResourceNotFoundException.class)
    @ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND)
    public ErrorResponse handleNotFound(ResourceNotFoundException ex) {
        return new ErrorResponse("NOT_FOUND", ex.getMessage(), null);
    }

    // Handle unexpected errors
    @ExceptionHandler(Exception.class)
    @ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
    public ErrorResponse handleUnexpectedError(Exception ex) {
        log.error("Unexpected error", ex);
        return new ErrorResponse("INTERNAL_ERROR", "An error occurred", null);
    }
}
ErrorResponse.javajava
public record ErrorResponse(
    String code,
    String message,
    Map<String, String> details,
    Instant timestamp
) {
    public ErrorResponse(String code, String message, Map<String, String> details) {
        this(code, message, details, Instant.now());
    }
}

This approach ensures all errors follow the same format, making client-side processing easier.

13. What is the difference between @RequestParam, @PathVariable, and @RequestBody?

These three annotations extract data from different parts of the HTTP request.

ProductController.javajava
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/products")
public class ProductController {

    // @PathVariable: extracts values from the URL
    // GET /api/products/123
    @GetMapping("/{id}")
    public Product getProduct(@PathVariable Long id) {
        return productService.findById(id);
    }

    // @RequestParam: extracts query parameters
    // GET /api/products?category=electronics&minPrice=100&page=0
    @GetMapping
    public Page<Product> searchProducts(
        @RequestParam(required = false) String category,
        @RequestParam(defaultValue = "0") BigDecimal minPrice,
        @RequestParam(defaultValue = "0") int page
    ) {
        return productService.search(category, minPrice, PageRequest.of(page, 20));
    }

    // @RequestBody: deserializes the JSON request body
    // POST /api/products with {"name": "...", "price": ...}
    @PostMapping
    public Product createProduct(@Valid @RequestBody CreateProductRequest request) {
        return productService.create(request);
    }

    // Combination of all three in the same method
    // PUT /api/products/123?notify=true with JSON body
    @PutMapping("/{id}")
    public Product updateProduct(
        @PathVariable Long id,
        @RequestParam(defaultValue = "false") boolean notify,
        @Valid @RequestBody UpdateProductRequest request
    ) {
        Product updated = productService.update(id, request);
        if (notify) {
            notificationService.sendUpdateNotification(updated);
        }
        return updated;
    }
}

@PathVariable identifies a specific resource, @RequestParam filters or paginates results, and @RequestBody transports complex data.

14. How do you implement API versioning?

Several strategies exist for versioning a REST API, each with its advantages.

java
// Version via URL (recommended for clarity)
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/v1/users")
public class UserControllerV1 {
    @GetMapping("/{id}")
    public UserV1Response getUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
        return userService.findByIdV1(id);
    }
}

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/v2/users")
public class UserControllerV2 {
    @GetMapping("/{id}")
    public UserV2Response getUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
        // V2 includes additional fields
        return userService.findByIdV2(id);
    }
}
java
// Version via custom header
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/users")
public class UserController {

    @GetMapping(value = "/{id}", headers = "X-API-Version=1")
    public UserV1Response getUserV1(@PathVariable Long id) {
        return userService.findByIdV1(id);
    }

    @GetMapping(value = "/{id}", headers = "X-API-Version=2")
    public UserV2Response getUserV2(@PathVariable Long id) {
        return userService.findByIdV2(id);
    }
}
java
// Version via media type (content negotiation)
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/users")
public class UserMediaTypeController {

    @GetMapping(value = "/{id}", produces = "application/vnd.myapi.v1+json")
    public UserV1Response getUserV1(@PathVariable Long id) {
        return userService.findByIdV1(id);
    }

    @GetMapping(value = "/{id}", produces = "application/vnd.myapi.v2+json")
    public UserV2Response getUserV2(@PathVariable Long id) {
        return userService.findByIdV2(id);
    }
}

URL versioning remains most popular for its simplicity and visibility in logs and documentation.

15. How do you configure CORS in Spring Boot?

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) controls requests from different origins. Several configuration levels are available.

CorsConfig.java - Global configurationjava
@Configuration
public class CorsConfig implements WebMvcConfigurer {

    @Override
    public void addCorsMappings(CorsRegistry registry) {
        registry.addMapping("/api/**")
            .allowedOrigins("https://frontend.example.com", "https://admin.example.com")
            .allowedMethods("GET", "POST", "PUT", "DELETE", "OPTIONS")
            .allowedHeaders("*")
            .exposedHeaders("X-Total-Count", "X-Page-Count")
            .allowCredentials(true)
            .maxAge(3600); // Cache preflight for 1 hour
    }
}
java
// Per-controller or method configuration
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/public")
@CrossOrigin(origins = "*", maxAge = 3600)
public class PublicApiController {

    @GetMapping("/data")
    public DataResponse getPublicData() {
        return dataService.getPublicData();
    }

    // Override at method level
    @CrossOrigin(origins = "https://specific-client.com")
    @PostMapping("/submit")
    public SubmitResponse submitData(@RequestBody SubmitRequest request) {
        return dataService.submit(request);
    }
}

In production, limit allowed origins and use HTTPS. Never use * with allowCredentials(true).

Spring Security

16. How do you configure Spring Security with JWT?

Spring Security 6+ uses a functional approach for security configuration.

SecurityConfig.javajava
@Configuration
@EnableWebSecurity
public class SecurityConfig {

    private final JwtAuthenticationFilter jwtFilter;

    @Bean
    public SecurityFilterChain securityFilterChain(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception {
        return http
            .csrf(csrf -> csrf.disable()) // Disabled for stateless API
            .sessionManagement(session ->
                session.sessionCreationPolicy(SessionCreationPolicy.STATELESS)
            )
            .authorizeHttpRequests(auth -> auth
                .requestMatchers("/api/auth/**").permitAll()
                .requestMatchers("/api/public/**").permitAll()
                .requestMatchers("/api/admin/**").hasRole("ADMIN")
                .requestMatchers("/api/**").authenticated()
            )
            .addFilterBefore(jwtFilter, UsernamePasswordAuthenticationFilter.class)
            .build();
    }

    @Bean
    public PasswordEncoder passwordEncoder() {
        return new BCryptPasswordEncoder();
    }
}
JwtAuthenticationFilter.javajava
@Component
public class JwtAuthenticationFilter extends OncePerRequestFilter {

    private final JwtService jwtService;
    private final UserDetailsService userDetailsService;

    @Override
    protected void doFilterInternal(
        HttpServletRequest request,
        HttpServletResponse response,
        FilterChain chain
    ) throws ServletException, IOException {

        String authHeader = request.getHeader("Authorization");

        if (authHeader == null || !authHeader.startsWith("Bearer ")) {
            chain.doFilter(request, response);
            return;
        }

        String jwt = authHeader.substring(7);
        String username = jwtService.extractUsername(jwt);

        if (username != null && SecurityContextHolder.getContext().getAuthentication() == null) {
            UserDetails userDetails = userDetailsService.loadUserByUsername(username);

            if (jwtService.isTokenValid(jwt, userDetails)) {
                UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken authToken =
                    new UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken(
                        userDetails, null, userDetails.getAuthorities()
                    );
                authToken.setDetails(new WebAuthenticationDetailsSource().buildDetails(request));
                SecurityContextHolder.getContext().setAuthentication(authToken);
            }
        }

        chain.doFilter(request, response);
    }
}

This configuration creates a stateless API where each request must include a valid JWT token in the Authorization header.

17. How do you secure methods with @PreAuthorize and @PostAuthorize?

Method-level security offers granular control based on roles, permissions, or data.

UserService.javajava
@Service
@PreAuthorize("isAuthenticated()") // All methods require authentication
public class UserService {

    // Only ADMINs can list all users
    @PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN')")
    public List<User> findAll() {
        return userRepository.findAll();
    }

    // User can view their profile OR admins can view any profile
    @PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN') or #id == authentication.principal.id")
    public User findById(Long id) {
        return userRepository.findById(id)
            .orElseThrow(() -> new UserNotFoundException(id));
    }

    // Post-execution check: user can only see their own data
    @PostAuthorize("returnObject.owner.id == authentication.principal.id or hasRole('ADMIN')")
    public Document getDocument(Long documentId) {
        return documentRepository.findById(documentId)
            .orElseThrow(() -> new DocumentNotFoundException(documentId));
    }

    // Collection filtering: returns only authorized elements
    @PostFilter("filterObject.owner.id == authentication.principal.id")
    public List<Project> getUserProjects() {
        return projectRepository.findAll();
    }
}
SecurityConfig.java - Activationjava
@Configuration
@EnableMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true)
public class MethodSecurityConfig {
    // Additional configuration if needed
}

@PreAuthorize checks before execution, @PostAuthorize after. SpEL expressions allow complex rules.

18. How do you protect endpoints against CSRF attacks?

CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) exploits an authenticated user's session. Protection is enabled by default for session-based applications.

SecurityConfig.javajava
@Configuration
@EnableWebSecurity
public class SecurityConfig {

    @Bean
    public SecurityFilterChain filterChain(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception {
        return http
            // CSRF configuration for session-based applications
            .csrf(csrf -> csrf
                .csrfTokenRepository(CookieCsrfTokenRepository.withHttpOnlyFalse())
                .csrfTokenRequestHandler(new CsrfTokenRequestAttributeHandler())
                // Exclude certain endpoints from CSRF protection
                .ignoringRequestMatchers("/api/webhooks/**")
            )
            .build();
    }
}
CsrfController.java - Endpoint to retrieve token (SPA)java
@RestController
public class CsrfController {

    @GetMapping("/api/csrf")
    public CsrfToken csrf(CsrfToken token) {
        // Returns CSRF token to frontend
        return token;
    }
}

For stateless REST APIs with JWT, CSRF can be disabled since there's no session cookie to exploit. Protection is essential for traditional session-based applications.

Stateless API vs session-based applications

JWT APIs are naturally protected against CSRF because the token must be explicitly included in each request. Applications with session cookies require active CSRF protection.

Spring Boot Testing

19. What is the difference between @SpringBootTest and @WebMvcTest?

These annotations configure the test context differently based on needs.

UserControllerIntegrationTest.javajava
@SpringBootTest(webEnvironment = WebEnvironment.RANDOM_PORT)
class UserControllerIntegrationTest {

    // Loads full context: all beans, database, etc.
    @Autowired
    private TestRestTemplate restTemplate;

    @Test
    void shouldCreateUser() {
        CreateUserRequest request = new CreateUserRequest("John", "john@example.com");

        ResponseEntity<User> response = restTemplate.postForEntity(
            "/api/users", request, User.class
        );

        assertThat(response.getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.CREATED);
        assertThat(response.getBody().getName()).isEqualTo("John");
    }
}
UserControllerUnitTest.javajava
@WebMvcTest(UserController.class) // Loads only the web layer
class UserControllerUnitTest {

    @Autowired
    private MockMvc mockMvc;

    @MockitoBean // Replaces @MockBean (deprecated)
    private UserService userService;

    @Test
    void shouldReturnUser() throws Exception {
        // Mock configuration
        when(userService.findById(1L))
            .thenReturn(Optional.of(new User(1L, "John", "john@example.com")));

        mockMvc.perform(get("/api/users/1"))
            .andExpect(status().isOk())
            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.name").value("John"))
            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.email").value("john@example.com"));
    }

    @Test
    void shouldReturn404WhenUserNotFound() throws Exception {
        when(userService.findById(999L)).thenReturn(Optional.empty());

        mockMvc.perform(get("/api/users/999"))
            .andExpect(status().isNotFound());
    }
}

@WebMvcTest is faster because it only loads the specified controller and its direct dependencies. @SpringBootTest is needed for full integration tests.

20. How do you test repositories with @DataJpaTest?

This annotation configures a minimal context for testing the persistence layer with an embedded database.

UserRepositoryTest.javajava
@DataJpaTest
@AutoConfigureTestDatabase(replace = Replace.NONE) // Use Testcontainers
class UserRepositoryTest {

    @Autowired
    private UserRepository userRepository;

    @Autowired
    private TestEntityManager entityManager;

    @Test
    void shouldFindByEmail() {
        // Arrange: create and persist an entity
        User user = new User("John", "john@example.com");
        entityManager.persistAndFlush(user);
        entityManager.clear(); // Clear L1 cache

        // Act
        Optional<User> found = userRepository.findByEmail("john@example.com");

        // Assert
        assertThat(found).isPresent();
        assertThat(found.get().getName()).isEqualTo("John");
    }

    @Test
    void shouldFindActiveUsersWithOrders() {
        // Testing a complex query with joins
        User activeUser = entityManager.persistAndFlush(new User("Active", "active@test.com", true));
        User inactiveUser = entityManager.persistAndFlush(new User("Inactive", "inactive@test.com", false));

        entityManager.persistAndFlush(new Order(activeUser, BigDecimal.valueOf(100)));

        List<User> result = userRepository.findActiveUsersWithOrders();

        assertThat(result).hasSize(1);
        assertThat(result.get(0).getEmail()).isEqualTo("active@test.com");
    }
}

TestEntityManager provides utility methods for JPA testing, notably persistAndFlush() which guarantees immediate database write.

21. How do you use Testcontainers for integration tests?

Testcontainers launches Docker containers for tests with real databases or services.

IntegrationTestBase.javajava
@SpringBootTest
@Testcontainers
abstract class IntegrationTestBase {

    @Container
    @ServiceConnection
    static PostgreSQLContainer<?> postgres = new PostgreSQLContainer<>("postgres:16")
        .withDatabaseName("testdb")
        .withUsername("test")
        .withPassword("test");

    @Container
    @ServiceConnection
    static RedisContainer redis = new RedisContainer("redis:7");
}
OrderServiceIntegrationTest.javajava
class OrderServiceIntegrationTest extends IntegrationTestBase {

    @Autowired
    private OrderService orderService;

    @Autowired
    private OrderRepository orderRepository;

    @Test
    void shouldProcessOrderWithRealDatabase() {
        // Create an order
        Order order = orderService.createOrder(
            new CreateOrderRequest(1L, List.of(
                new OrderItem(101L, 2),
                new OrderItem(102L, 1)
            ))
        );

        // Verify in database
        Order saved = orderRepository.findById(order.getId()).orElseThrow();
        assertThat(saved.getItems()).hasSize(2);
        assertThat(saved.getStatus()).isEqualTo(OrderStatus.PENDING);
    }

    @Test
    void shouldCacheOrderInRedis() {
        Order order = orderService.createOrder(createSampleOrderRequest());

        // First call: database
        Order fetched1 = orderService.findById(order.getId());

        // Second call: Redis cache
        Order fetched2 = orderService.findById(order.getId());

        assertThat(fetched1).isEqualTo(fetched2);
        // Verify cache metrics if needed
    }
}

The @ServiceConnection annotation automatically configures connection properties, eliminating the need for @DynamicPropertySource.

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Configuration and Monitoring

22. How do you externalize configuration with @ConfigurationProperties?

This annotation maps properties to typed Java objects with validation.

MailProperties.javajava
@ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "app.mail")
@Validated
public record MailProperties(
    @NotBlank String host,
    @Min(1) @Max(65535) int port,
    @NotBlank String username,
    @NotBlank String password,
    @Valid SenderConfig sender,
    @Valid RetryConfig retry
) {
    public record SenderConfig(
        @NotBlank @Email String address,
        @NotBlank String name
    ) {}

    public record RetryConfig(
        @Min(1) int maxAttempts,
        @Min(100) long delayMs
    ) {
        public RetryConfig {
            // Default values
            if (maxAttempts == 0) maxAttempts = 3;
            if (delayMs == 0) delayMs = 1000;
        }
    }
}
yaml
# application.yml
app:
  mail:
    host: smtp.example.com
    port: 587
    username: ${MAIL_USERNAME}
    password: ${MAIL_PASSWORD}
    sender:
      address: noreply@example.com
      name: MyApp Notifications
    retry:
      max-attempts: 3
      delay-ms: 1000
MailConfig.javajava
@Configuration
@EnableConfigurationProperties(MailProperties.class)
public class MailConfig {

    @Bean
    public JavaMailSender mailSender(MailProperties props) {
        JavaMailSenderImpl sender = new JavaMailSenderImpl();
        sender.setHost(props.host());
        sender.setPort(props.port());
        sender.setUsername(props.username());
        sender.setPassword(props.password());
        return sender;
    }
}

Java records (since Java 16) are particularly suited for @ConfigurationProperties as they are immutable and concise.

23. How do you use Spring profiles for different environments?

Profiles allow adapting configuration per execution environment.

yaml
# application.yml - Default configuration
spring:
  profiles:
    active: ${SPRING_PROFILES_ACTIVE:dev}
  datasource:
    url: ${DATABASE_URL:jdbc:h2:mem:testdb}

---
# application-dev.yml
spring:
  config:
    activate:
      on-profile: dev
  datasource:
    url: jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/myapp_dev
  jpa:
    show-sql: true
    hibernate:
      ddl-auto: update

logging:
  level:
    com.example: DEBUG

---
# application-prod.yml
spring:
  config:
    activate:
      on-profile: prod
  datasource:
    url: ${DATABASE_URL}
    hikari:
      maximum-pool-size: 20
  jpa:
    show-sql: false
    hibernate:
      ddl-auto: validate

logging:
  level:
    com.example: INFO
DevDataInitializer.javajava
@Component
@Profile("dev") // Only active in development
public class DevDataInitializer implements CommandLineRunner {

    private final UserRepository userRepository;

    @Override
    public void run(String... args) {
        // Create test data
        userRepository.save(new User("dev@example.com", "Dev User", "password"));
        userRepository.save(new User("test@example.com", "Test User", "password"));
    }
}
java
// Service with conditional behavior
@Service
public class NotificationService {

    @Value("${app.notifications.enabled:true}")
    private boolean notificationsEnabled;

    @Autowired(required = false) // Optional based on profile
    private EmailService emailService;

    public void sendNotification(String message) {
        if (notificationsEnabled && emailService != null) {
            emailService.send(message);
        } else {
            log.info("Notification (disabled): {}", message);
        }
    }
}

Profiles can be combined: spring.profiles.active=prod,metrics activates both profiles simultaneously.

24. How do you expose custom metrics with Actuator and Micrometer?

Micrometer provides a facade for monitoring systems. Custom metrics enhance observability.

OrderMetrics.javajava
@Component
public class OrderMetrics {

    private final Counter ordersCreated;
    private final Counter ordersFailed;
    private final Timer orderProcessingTime;
    private final AtomicInteger activeOrders;

    public OrderMetrics(MeterRegistry registry) {
        // Counter for orders created by status
        this.ordersCreated = Counter.builder("orders.created")
            .description("Number of orders created")
            .tag("application", "order-service")
            .register(registry);

        this.ordersFailed = Counter.builder("orders.failed")
            .description("Number of failed orders")
            .register(registry);

        // Timer to measure processing time
        this.orderProcessingTime = Timer.builder("orders.processing.time")
            .description("Order processing time")
            .publishPercentiles(0.5, 0.95, 0.99)
            .register(registry);

        // Gauge for active orders count
        this.activeOrders = new AtomicInteger(0);
        Gauge.builder("orders.active", activeOrders, AtomicInteger::get)
            .description("Number of orders being processed")
            .register(registry);
    }

    public void recordOrderCreated() {
        ordersCreated.increment();
    }

    public void recordOrderFailed() {
        ordersFailed.increment();
    }

    public Timer.Sample startProcessing() {
        activeOrders.incrementAndGet();
        return Timer.start();
    }

    public void stopProcessing(Timer.Sample sample) {
        sample.stop(orderProcessingTime);
        activeOrders.decrementAndGet();
    }
}
OrderService.javajava
@Service
public class OrderService {

    private final OrderMetrics metrics;

    public Order processOrder(CreateOrderRequest request) {
        Timer.Sample sample = metrics.startProcessing();
        try {
            Order order = createOrder(request);
            metrics.recordOrderCreated();
            return order;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            metrics.recordOrderFailed();
            throw e;
        } finally {
            metrics.stopProcessing(sample);
        }
    }
}

These metrics are exposed via /actuator/prometheus for Prometheus or /actuator/metrics for the JSON API.

25. How do you create a custom HealthIndicator?

Health indicators monitor the state of critical components.

ExternalApiHealthIndicator.javajava
@Component
public class ExternalApiHealthIndicator implements HealthIndicator {

    private final RestClient restClient;
    private final ExternalApiProperties properties;

    @Override
    public Health health() {
        try {
            long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();

            ResponseEntity<Void> response = restClient.get()
                .uri(properties.getHealthEndpoint())
                .retrieve()
                .toBodilessEntity();

            long responseTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime;

            if (response.getStatusCode().is2xxSuccessful()) {
                return Health.up()
                    .withDetail("responseTime", responseTime + "ms")
                    .withDetail("endpoint", properties.getHealthEndpoint())
                    .build();
            } else {
                return Health.down()
                    .withDetail("status", response.getStatusCode().value())
                    .build();
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            return Health.down()
                .withException(e)
                .withDetail("endpoint", properties.getHealthEndpoint())
                .build();
        }
    }
}
DatabaseHealthContributor.java - Composite healthjava
@Component
public class DatabaseHealthContributor implements CompositeHealthContributor {

    private final Map<String, HealthIndicator> indicators;

    public DatabaseHealthContributor(
        DataSource primaryDataSource,
        @Qualifier("replicaDataSource") DataSource replicaDataSource
    ) {
        this.indicators = Map.of(
            "primary", new DataSourceHealthIndicator(primaryDataSource),
            "replica", new DataSourceHealthIndicator(replicaDataSource)
        );
    }

    @Override
    public HealthContributor getContributor(String name) {
        return indicators.get(name);
    }

    @Override
    public Iterator<NamedContributor<HealthContributor>> iterator() {
        return indicators.entrySet().stream()
            .map(e -> NamedContributor.of(e.getKey(), e.getValue()))
            .iterator();
    }
}

The /actuator/health endpoint aggregates all indicators. The management.endpoint.health.show-details=always configuration exposes details.

Advanced Concepts

26. How do you implement caching with Spring Cache and Redis?

The Spring Cache abstraction simplifies integration of distributed caches like Redis.

CacheConfig.javajava
@Configuration
@EnableCaching
public class CacheConfig {

    @Bean
    public RedisCacheManager cacheManager(RedisConnectionFactory connectionFactory) {
        RedisCacheConfiguration config = RedisCacheConfiguration.defaultCacheConfig()
            .entryTtl(Duration.ofMinutes(10))
            .serializeKeysWith(SerializationPair.fromSerializer(new StringRedisSerializer()))
            .serializeValuesWith(SerializationPair.fromSerializer(new GenericJackson2JsonRedisSerializer()));

        // Specific configurations per cache
        Map<String, RedisCacheConfiguration> cacheConfigs = Map.of(
            "users", config.entryTtl(Duration.ofHours(1)),
            "products", config.entryTtl(Duration.ofMinutes(30)),
            "sessions", config.entryTtl(Duration.ofMinutes(5))
        );

        return RedisCacheManager.builder(connectionFactory)
            .cacheDefaults(config)
            .withInitialCacheConfigurations(cacheConfigs)
            .build();
    }
}
ProductService.javajava
@Service
public class ProductService {

    // Automatic result caching
    @Cacheable(value = "products", key = "#id")
    public Product findById(Long id) {
        log.info("Fetching product {} from database", id);
        return productRepository.findById(id)
            .orElseThrow(() -> new ProductNotFoundException(id));
    }

    // Cache update on modification
    @CachePut(value = "products", key = "#product.id")
    public Product update(Product product) {
        return productRepository.save(product);
    }

    // Cache invalidation
    @CacheEvict(value = "products", key = "#id")
    public void delete(Long id) {
        productRepository.deleteById(id);
    }

    // Clear entire cache
    @CacheEvict(value = "products", allEntries = true)
    public void clearProductCache() {
        log.info("Product cache cleared");
    }

    // Composite key for searches
    @Cacheable(value = "productSearch", key = "#category + '-' + #minPrice + '-' + #maxPrice")
    public List<Product> search(String category, BigDecimal minPrice, BigDecimal maxPrice) {
        return productRepository.findByCategoryAndPriceBetween(category, minPrice, maxPrice);
    }
}

Cache annotations are transparent: business code remains unchanged and caching is declarative.

27. How do you implement a scheduled task with @Scheduled?

Spring offers several ways to schedule recurring tasks.

SchedulerConfig.javajava
@Configuration
@EnableScheduling
public class SchedulerConfig {

    @Bean
    public TaskScheduler taskScheduler() {
        ThreadPoolTaskScheduler scheduler = new ThreadPoolTaskScheduler();
        scheduler.setPoolSize(5);
        scheduler.setThreadNamePrefix("scheduled-");
        scheduler.setErrorHandler(t -> log.error("Scheduled task error", t));
        return scheduler;
    }
}
ScheduledTasks.javajava
@Component
public class ScheduledTasks {

    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ScheduledTasks.class);

    // Execute every 5 minutes
    @Scheduled(fixedRate = 5 * 60 * 1000)
    public void syncExternalData() {
        log.info("Starting external data sync");
        // Sync with external system
    }

    // Execute 10 seconds after the previous one ends
    @Scheduled(fixedDelay = 10000, initialDelay = 5000)
    public void processQueue() {
        // Queue processing with delay between executions
    }

    // Cron expression: every day at 2 AM
    @Scheduled(cron = "0 0 2 * * *", zone = "Europe/Paris")
    public void dailyCleanup() {
        log.info("Running daily cleanup");
        cleanupService.removeExpiredSessions();
        cleanupService.archiveOldData();
    }

    // Configurable cron via properties
    @Scheduled(cron = "${app.reports.cron:0 0 6 * * MON}")
    public void generateWeeklyReport() {
        reportService.generateAndSend();
    }
}
ConditionalScheduling.java - Conditional activationjava
@Component
@ConditionalOnProperty(name = "app.scheduling.enabled", havingValue = "true")
public class ConditionalScheduledTasks {

    @Scheduled(fixedRate = 60000)
    public void monitorSystem() {
        // Monitoring active only if configured
    }
}

Scheduled tasks run on a separate thread pool to avoid blocking request processing.

28. How do you handle events with ApplicationEvent?

The event system allows decoupling between application components.

UserRegisteredEvent.javajava
public class UserRegisteredEvent extends ApplicationEvent {

    private final User user;
    private final Instant registeredAt;

    public UserRegisteredEvent(Object source, User user) {
        super(source);
        this.user = user;
        this.registeredAt = Instant.now();
    }

    public User getUser() { return user; }
    public Instant getRegisteredAt() { return registeredAt; }
}
UserService.java - Event publishingjava
@Service
public class UserService {

    private final ApplicationEventPublisher eventPublisher;

    @Transactional
    public User registerUser(CreateUserRequest request) {
        User user = new User(request.email(), request.name());
        user = userRepository.save(user);

        // Publish event after transaction
        eventPublisher.publishEvent(new UserRegisteredEvent(this, user));

        return user;
    }
}
UserEventListeners.java - Event listenersjava
@Component
public class UserEventListeners {

    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(UserEventListeners.class);

    // Synchronous listener
    @EventListener
    public void handleUserRegistered(UserRegisteredEvent event) {
        log.info("User registered: {}", event.getUser().getEmail());
    }

    // Asynchronous listener to avoid blocking the main thread
    @Async
    @EventListener
    public void sendWelcomeEmail(UserRegisteredEvent event) {
        emailService.sendWelcomeEmail(event.getUser());
    }

    // Transactional listener: executes after commit
    @TransactionalEventListener(phase = TransactionPhase.AFTER_COMMIT)
    public void notifyExternalSystem(UserRegisteredEvent event) {
        // External notification only if transaction succeeds
        externalApiClient.notifyNewUser(event.getUser().getId());
    }

    // Conditional listener with SpEL
    @EventListener(condition = "#event.user.role == 'PREMIUM'")
    public void handlePremiumUserRegistered(UserRegisteredEvent event) {
        premiumService.initializePremiumFeatures(event.getUser());
    }
}

Transactional events (@TransactionalEventListener) guarantee consistency between the database and side effects.

29. How do you implement an HTTP client with RestClient (Spring Boot 3+)?

RestClient is the modern and fluent API for synchronous HTTP calls, replacing RestTemplate.

ExternalApiClient.javajava
@Component
public class ExternalApiClient {

    private final RestClient restClient;

    public ExternalApiClient(RestClient.Builder builder, ExternalApiProperties props) {
        this.restClient = builder
            .baseUrl(props.getBaseUrl())
            .defaultHeader("Authorization", "Bearer " + props.getApiKey())
            .defaultHeader("Accept", "application/json")
            .requestInterceptor((request, body, execution) -> {
                log.debug("Request: {} {}", request.getMethod(), request.getURI());
                return execution.execute(request, body);
            })
            .build();
    }

    public User fetchUser(Long id) {
        return restClient.get()
            .uri("/users/{id}", id)
            .retrieve()
            .body(User.class);
    }

    public List<Product> searchProducts(String query, int page) {
        return restClient.get()
            .uri(uriBuilder -> uriBuilder
                .path("/products/search")
                .queryParam("q", query)
                .queryParam("page", page)
                .build())
            .retrieve()
            .body(new ParameterizedTypeReference<List<Product>>() {});
    }

    public Order createOrder(CreateOrderRequest request) {
        return restClient.post()
            .uri("/orders")
            .contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
            .body(request)
            .retrieve()
            .onStatus(HttpStatusCode::is4xxClientError, (req, res) -> {
                throw new OrderValidationException("Invalid order: " + res.getStatusCode());
            })
            .body(Order.class);
    }

    // Error handling with ResponseEntity
    public Optional<User> findUser(Long id) {
        ResponseEntity<User> response = restClient.get()
            .uri("/users/{id}", id)
            .retrieve()
            .toEntity(User.class);

        return response.getStatusCode().is2xxSuccessful()
            ? Optional.ofNullable(response.getBody())
            : Optional.empty();
    }
}

RestClient offers an API similar to WebClient but for blocking calls, ideal for applications not using reactive programming.

30. How do you manage database migrations with Flyway?

Flyway automates schema migrations in a versioned and reproducible way.

properties
# application.properties
spring.flyway.enabled=true
spring.flyway.locations=classpath:db/migration
spring.flyway.baseline-on-migrate=true
spring.flyway.validate-on-migrate=true
sql
-- db/migration/V1__create_users_table.sql
CREATE TABLE users (
    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    email VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
    name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    password_hash VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

CREATE INDEX idx_users_email ON users(email);
sql
-- db/migration/V2__add_user_status.sql
ALTER TABLE users ADD COLUMN status VARCHAR(20) DEFAULT 'ACTIVE';

CREATE INDEX idx_users_status ON users(status);
sql
-- db/migration/V3__create_orders_table.sql
CREATE TABLE orders (
    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    user_id BIGINT NOT NULL REFERENCES users(id),
    total_amount DECIMAL(10, 2) NOT NULL,
    status VARCHAR(20) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'PENDING',
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

CREATE INDEX idx_orders_user_id ON orders(user_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_status ON orders(status);
FlywayConfig.java - Advanced configurationjava
@Configuration
public class FlywayConfig {

    @Bean
    public FlywayMigrationStrategy migrationStrategy() {
        return flyway -> {
            // Validation before migration
            flyway.validate();
            // Execute migrations
            flyway.migrate();
        };
    }

    // Callback for post-migration actions
    @Bean
    public Callback flywayCallback() {
        return new BaseCallback() {
            @Override
            public void handle(Event event, Context context) {
                if (event == Event.AFTER_MIGRATE) {
                    log.info("Migrations completed successfully");
                }
            }
        };
    }
}

Each migration file is executed only once and its checksum is verified to detect accidental modifications.

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Conclusion

These 30 questions cover the essential Spring Boot aspects evaluated in technical interviews. Mastering these concepts demonstrates deep understanding of the framework and Java development best practices.

Preparation Checklist:

  • ✅ Understand auto-configuration mechanism and conditions
  • ✅ Master Spring Data JPA: queries, transactions, N+1 problem
  • ✅ Know how to configure Spring Security with JWT and method security
  • ✅ Know different test annotations and their use cases
  • ✅ Use profiles and @ConfigurationProperties for configuration
  • ✅ Implement caching, scheduling, and events
  • ✅ Expose custom metrics and health indicators
  • ✅ Master RestClient for modern HTTP calls

Regular practice with real projects remains the best way to consolidate this knowledge and answer technical questions with confidence.

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#java
#interview
#backend
#java interview

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