Value annotation with example
The `@Value` annotation in Spring is used to inject values into fields from property files, system properties, or expressions. It provides a convenient way to externalize configuration values and make them available within your Spring beans.
Table of Contents
- Property File Injection: Allows injecting values from property files (e.g., `application.properties` or `application.yml`).
- System Property Injection: Enables injection of system properties.
- Expression Injection: Supports SpEL (Spring Expression Language) to evaluate expressions.
Example
- Step 1: Create a Spring Boot Application
- Ensure you have the necessary dependencies in your `pom.xml` (for Maven) or `build.gradle` (for Gradle).
Maven Dependency
```xml
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
</dependency>
```
Gradle Dependency
```groovy
implementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter'
```
- Step 2: Create the Main Application Class
- Create the main class for the Spring Boot application.
Example
```java
package com.example.demo;
import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
@SpringBootApplication
public class DemoApplication {
public static void main(String[] args) {
SpringApplication.run(DemoApplication.class, args);
}
}
```
Explanation:
- `@SpringBootApplication`: Indicates a configuration class that declares one or more `@Bean` methods and also triggers auto-configuration and component scanning.
- Step 3: Define a Properties File
- Create a properties file (`application.properties`) in the `src/main/resources` directory.
Example
```properties
app.name=MySpringBootApp
app.version=1.0.0
app.description=This is a sample Spring Boot application
```
Explanation:
- `application.properties`: A file used to externalize configuration settings, which can be injected into Spring beans.
- Step 4: Use @Value Annotation in a Bean
- Create a component class and use the `@Value` annotation to inject property values.
Example
```java
package com.example.demo;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
@Component
public class AppConfig {
@Value("${app.name}")
private String appName;
@Value("${app.version}")
private String appVersion;
@Value("${app.description}")
private String appDescription;
public String getAppName() {
return appName;
}
public String getAppVersion() {
return appVersion;
}
public String getAppDescription() {
return appDescription;
}
}
```
Explanation:
- `@Component`: Indicates that this class is a Spring component, which means it is a candidate for component scanning and will be managed by Spring.
- `@Value(“${app.name}”)`: Injects the value of `app.name` from the `application.properties` file into the `appName` field.
- Step 5: Create a Controller to Use AppConfig
- Create a REST controller to expose the injected values.
Example
```java
package com.example.demo.controller;
import com.example.demo.AppConfig;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/config")
public class ConfigController {
private final AppConfig appConfig;
public ConfigController(AppConfig appConfig) {
this.appConfig = appConfig;
}
@GetMapping
public String getConfig() {
return String.format("App Name: %s, Version: %s, Description: %s",
appConfig.getAppName(), appConfig.getAppVersion(), appConfig.getAppDescription());
}
}
```
Explanation:
- `@RestController`: Indicates that this class is a REST controller and its methods return data directly to the HTTP response body.
- `@RequestMapping(“/config”)`: Maps the URL `/config` to the `ConfigController` methods.
- `@GetMapping`: Maps HTTP GET requests to the `getConfig` method, which returns the configuration values.
- Step 6: Running the Application
- Run the application from the main class (`DemoApplication`). You can test the endpoint using a tool like Postman or by navigating to the URL in your browser:
- GET request to `http://localhost:8080/config` should return the application configuration values like:
Example
```text
App Name: MySpringBootApp, Version: 1.0.0, Description: This is a sample Spring Boot application
```
Conclusion
- `@Value`: Used to inject values from property files, system properties, or expressions into Spring beans. It helps in externalizing configuration and provides flexibility in managing application settings.
- Example: Demonstrated how to use `@Value` to inject values from a properties file into a Spring bean and then access these values through a REST controller.