Skip to content
Learni
View all tutorials
Backend

How to Master Advanced Spring Framework in 2026

18 minADVANCED
Lire en français

Introduction

Spring Framework remains the standard for enterprise Java applications in 2026. This advanced tutorial guides you through complex concepts like aspect-oriented programming, bean post-processors, and reactive integration. You will learn to structure a modular, testable, and performant application. Each section includes complete, ready-to-use code for real production scenarios.

Prerequisites

  • Java 21+
  • Maven 3.9+
  • Solid knowledge of Spring Core and Boot
  • IDE with Spring support (IntelliJ IDEA recommended)

Maven Project Configuration

pom.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>advanced-spring</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0</version>
    <parent>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
        <version>3.3.0</version>
    </parent>
    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-aop</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</project>

This POM includes the essential starters for AOP and web. It ensures compatibility with Spring 6.1+ and avoids dependency conflicts via the parent BOM.

Custom BeanPostProcessor

CustomBeanPostProcessor.java
package com.example.advanced;
import org.springframework.beans.BeansException;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanPostProcessor;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
@Component
public class CustomBeanPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor {
    @Override
    public Object postProcessBeforeInitialization(Object bean, String beanName) throws BeansException {
        if (bean instanceof Auditable) {
            System.out.println("Initialisation de : " + beanName);
        }
        return bean;
    }
    @Override
    public Object postProcessAfterInitialization(Object bean, String beanName) throws BeansException {
        return bean;
    }
}

This post-processor intercepts all beans and applies logic before/after initialization. Useful for auditing or dynamic injection without modifying target classes.

AOP Aspect for Logging

LoggingAspect.java
package com.example.advanced;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Aspect;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Before;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
@Aspect
@Component
public class LoggingAspect {
    @Before("execution(* com.example.advanced.service.*.*(..))")
    public void logBeforeMethod() {
        System.out.println("Méthode service appelée");
    }
}

The aspect captures service calls via pointcut. This centralizes cross-cutting logging without polluting business code.

Service with Custom Annotation

UserService.java
package com.example.advanced.service;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
@Service
public class UserService {
    @Auditable
    public void createUser(String name) {
        System.out.println("Utilisateur créé : " + name);
    }
}

The service uses a custom annotation to mark audited methods. Combined with the BeanPostProcessor, this activates advanced behavior.

Custom Auditable Annotation

Auditable.java
package com.example.advanced;
import java.lang.annotation.*;
@Target(ElementType.METHOD)
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
public @interface Auditable {
}

Simple marker annotation used for detection by the post-processor or aspect. It enables clean declarative configuration.

Best Practices

  • Always use precise @ComponentScan annotations to avoid unnecessary scans
  • Prefer aspects for cross-cutting concerns
  • Document custom BeanPostProcessors
  • Use Spring profiles for environments
  • Write integration tests with @SpringBootTest

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Forgetting @EnableAspectJAutoProxy which disables aspects
  • Creating beans with new() instead of the Spring context
  • Ignoring bean lifecycles in post-processors
  • Not handling exceptions in aspects

Further Reading

Deepen your knowledge with our complete courses at learni-group.com/formations.