Prompt

Can you give me step-by step plan how can i create from scratch Spring Boot application that will provide REST API to the list of poems.

Application name is "daybreak-server".

When started it should read and parse the list of files with ".md" extension in "daybreak" folder located in user home folder.

These markdowns contain the list of poems and have the following structure:

# Section 1

## Verse 1

> 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
> Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
> All mimsy were the borogoves,
> And the mome raths outgrabe.

# Section 2

## Verse 2

> "Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
> The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
> Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
> The frumious Bandersnatch!"

Gemini Pro 2.5

Here is a step-by-step plan to create the "daybreak" Spring Boot application from scratch.

Step 1: Initialize Your Project

First, you’ll use the Spring Initializr to generate the basic project structure.

  1. Go to start.spring.io.

  2. Configure your project with the following settings:

    • Project: Maven

    • Language: Java

    • Spring Boot: Select the latest stable version (e.g., 3.3.1).

    • Group: io.plotnik

    • Artifact: daybreak-server

    • Name: daybreak-server

    • Package name: io.plotnik.daybreak_server

    • Packaging: War

    • Java: 21

  3. Add Dependencies: In the "Dependencies" section, add the following:

    • Spring Web: Required for building REST APIs.

  4. Generate: Click the "GENERATE" button. A .zip file will be downloaded.

  5. Import: Unzip the downloaded file and open it in VS Code as a Maven project.

Step 2: Create Data Models

Next, define the classes that will represent your data. These are simple Plain Old Java Objects (POJOs).

In the src/main/java/io/plotnik/daybreak_server directory, create a new package named model. Inside this package, create the following two classes.

Poem.java

This class holds the title and text of a single poem.

Poem.java

PoemCollection.java

This class represents the content of a single markdown file.

PoemCollection.java

Step 3: Implement the File Parsing Service

This service will contain the core logic for finding, reading, and parsing the .md files.

Create a new package named service inside io.plotnin.daybreak_service. Then, create the PoemService class.

PoemService.java

PoemService.java

Step 4: Create the REST Controller

Add dependency:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springdoc</groupId>
    <artifactId>springdoc-openapi-starter-webmvc-ui</artifactId>
    <version>2.8.9</version>
</dependency>

https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/org.springdoc/springdoc-openapi-starter-webmvc-ui

This controller will expose your service’s functionality via REST endpoints.

Create a new package named controller and add the PoemController class.

PoemController.java

PoemController.java

Step 5: Prepare Test Data and Run

Finally, set up your test data and run the application.

  1. Create the Folder: In your user home directory (e.g., C:\Users\YourUser on Windows or /home/YourUser on Linux/macOS), create a new folder named daybreak.

  2. Create a Markdown File: Inside the daybreak folder, create a file named titanik.md and paste the exact content you provided in the prompt.

  3. Run the Application:

    • Navigate to the DaybreakApplication.java file in src/main/java/com/example/daybreak.

    • Right-click and select "Run 'DaybreakApplication.main()'" or use the command line: mvn spring-boot:run.

  4. Test the API:

    • Swagger UI: Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8080/swagger-ui/index.html. You will see a user-friendly interface to test your three endpoints.

    • cURL or Postman:

      • curl http://localhost:8080/poems

      • curl http://localhost:8080/poems/titanik

      • curl http://localhost:8080/poems/titanik/1

      • curl http://localhost:8080/poems/titanik/2