What is the difference between Spring Boot starter dependencies and individual modules within a project?

In Spring Boot, starter dependencies are pre-configured sets of dependencies that simplify the integration of popular libraries and functionalities. For example, spring-boot-starter-web includes everything needed to create a web application (Tomcat, Spring MVC, etc.).

Separate modules within a project are independent parts of the application, which can be implemented as separate packages or modules (for example, in a multi-module Maven project). They contain business logic, services, controllers, etc.

The main difference:

• Starter dependencies are external libraries and configurations that add functionality to the project.
• Separate modules are parts of the project itself, structuring the code and logic.

Thus, starters help quickly add necessary technologies, while modules help organize and divide the code within the project.