Introduction

Spring Boot and Velocity is a powerful combination for creating dynamic and data-driven web pages. This guide provides an introduction to integrating Spring Boot with Velocity, explains the basics of Velocity, and offers sample code with explanations for its implementation.


Why Use Velocity with Spring Boot?

Velocity is a versatile and highly customizable template engine that offers several advantages when integrated with Spring Boot:

  • Server-Side Rendering: Velocity enables server-side rendering of web pages, improving SEO and initial load times.
  • Dynamic Content: Velocity allows dynamic content generation and easy integration with server-side data.
  • Customization: Velocity templates can be customized and extended to suit your specific needs.

Getting Started with Spring Boot and Velocity

To start creating dynamic web pages with Spring Boot and Velocity, follow these steps:

  1. Create a Spring Boot project using the Spring Initializr or your preferred IDE.
  2. Add the Velocity dependency to your project's pom.xml (Maven) or build.gradle (Gradle) file:
<!-- Maven -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-velocity</artifactId>
</dependency>
        
// Gradle
dependencies {
    implementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-velocity'
}
  1. Create a Velocity template to define the structure and layout of your web page. Use Velocity's syntax for dynamic data insertion:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Dynamic Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Hello, Velocity!</h1>
    <p>$message</p>
</body>
</html>
  1. Create a Spring Boot controller to handle requests and populate model data. Map the controller method to the Velocity template:
import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
import org.springframework.ui.Model;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
@Controller
public class PageController {
    @GetMapping("/dynamic")
    public String dynamicPage(Model model) {
        model.addAttribute("message", "Hello, Velocity!");
        return "dynamic-page";
    }
}
  1. Access the dynamic web page by navigating to the URL where the controller method is mapped, e.g., /dynamic.

Conclusion

Spring Boot and Velocity is an excellent choice for creating dynamic and data-driven web pages. This guide introduced the integration, explained the benefits of Velocity, and provided sample code for building a basic dynamic web page in a Spring Boot application. As you explore this combination further, you'll find it valuable for creating web pages with server-side rendering and dynamic content.