What is the main function and purpose of the Spring Boot framework in application development?

Spring Boot is a framework for simplifying the development of Java applications, based on the Spring Framework. Its main function is automatic configuration and rapid creation of ready-to-run applications with minimal setup.

Purpose of Spring Boot:

• Automatic configuration of components depending on the libraries connected.
• Built-in web server (e.g., Tomcat), allowing the application to run as a standalone service.
• Simplification of dependency and configuration management.
• Providing ready-made templates and starters for quick project startup.

Example of creating a simple REST service with Spring Boot:

@SpringBootApplication
public class Application {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
    }
}

@RestController
public class HelloController {
    @GetMapping("/hello")
    public String hello() {
        return "Hello, Spring Boot!";
    }
}

Thus, Spring Boot significantly accelerates development and reduces boilerplate code.