Practical writing on Java, Spring, AI, and the craft of software engineering.
If you're building with Java and Spring (or trying to figure out where AI fits into your development workflow) you're in the right place. I write practical, beginner-friendly deep dives on Spring Boot, Spring AI, and software engineering fundamentals, collected here in chronological order.
First-Class API Versioning in Spring Boot 4
Learn how to implement API versioning strategies in Spring Boot 4 applications, including best practices for managing backwards compatibility and evolution of your REST APIs.
My CYC 2025 Demo: Why Building MCP Servers in Java Just Got Ridiculously Simple
Learn how Spring AI 1.1.0-M2 makes building MCP servers in Java incredibly simple with just annotations. No callbacks, no complex setup. Includes complete code from my Commit Your Code 2025 conference demo, showing how to expose your Java application's data to Claude and other AI assistants.
Spring Boot 3.x Features: Complete Guide to Major Updates (2022-2025)
Explore the transformative features introduced in Spring Boot 3.0 through 3.5, from Java 17 requirements and GraalVM native images to virtual threads and enhanced observability. This comprehensive guide covers each release's major improvements, including Docker Compose integration, Testcontainers support, structured logging, and SSL certificate management. Learn how Spring Boot 3.x...
JDK 24's Major Improvement: Virtual Threads Without Pinning
Discover JDK 24's breakthrough enhancement that eliminates virtual thread pinning with synchronized blocks and methods. This comprehensive guide explores how this change revolutionizes Java concurrency, dramatically improving scalability for Spring Boot applications with legacy synchronized code. You'll learn about the technical details of thread pinning, see practical performance comparisons, and...
Running AI Models Locally with Docker and Spring AI
Master Docker Desktop's revolutionary Model Runner feature and discover how to build privacy-first AI applications with Spring Boot. This complete tutorial shows you how to run powerful open-source AI models like Gemma locally on your machine, eliminating API costs, protecting sensitive data, and simplifying development workflows. You'll get step-by-step instructions...
Creating Your First Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server in Java
Build powerful AI integrations by creating your own Model Context Protocol (MCP) server using Spring Boot and Spring AI. This comprehensive guide walks you through implementing a custom MCP server from scratch, enabling AI models like Claude to access your private data sources, execute specialized business logic, and interact with...
Stream Gatherers in JDK 24: Building Custom Intermediate Operations for the Stream API
Discover how the new Stream Gatherers feature in JDK 24 provides a more elegant solution for processing blog content compared to traditional stream operations.
Supercharge Your LLM Applications with Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Learn how Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables LLMs to access external data sources and tools, with practical implementation guides for getting started today.
AI-Powered Dev Hacks at ConFoo 2025
Recently, I had the pleasure of presenting on a topic that I'm pretty passionate about: how artificial intelligence can amplify developer productivity and creativity.
Building Dynamic GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot and Query by Example
Learn how to build flexible and maintainable GraphQL APIs using Spring Boot's Query by Example support, reducing boilerplate code while enabling powerful search capabilities.