# Java FullStack Spring boot & React app : Backend REST API / 1 - API Set up

Hello,

In this tutorial, we'll set up the backend. What you'll learn here are:

- How to initialize a Spring boot app using the official Spring boot initializer and 
- How to customize a spring boot app port.

## Project set up
Our backend API will be named : **Easytrans-api**. Let's use [Spring initializer](https://start.spring.io/) to initalize the project.

### Initialize the project

1. Go to : https://start.spring.io/
2. Choose Maven Project , language Java, Spring boot version (2.5.2 while I am writing this article)
3. In the Project Metadata section, type :

 
- 
- Group name : *com.codeurinfo*; (reminder, conventionally, a maven group id is the project reverse domain name, here our domain name is : codeurinfo.com)
- Artifact : *easytrans-api*
- Name : *easytrans-api*
- Description : a beautifull description of yours
- Package name : *com.codeurinfo.easytransapi*
- Packaging : *Jar* (we'll make use of the embeded tomcat server in spring boot)
- Java : *8* 


4 . As for dependencies, we just need four, so in Dependencies section, hit ADD DEPENDENCIES ... and choose these below:

- *Rest Repositories*, for Spring Data Rest
- *Spring Data JPA*, for JPA
- *H2 Database*, embeded database
- *Spring Boot DevTools*

Everything must look like this picture:

![easytrans_start_io.PNG](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1626133096279/v4QarBDym.png)

You just need to hit GENERATE CTRL+ ... to generate the zip file of the project.

Now, unzip the zip file :) in your prefered directory and open it in your IDE.

Using VS Code, just open your editor and go to **File -> Open folder** then select the project folder.

Our project is ready and must look like this:

![project_vscode.PNG](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1626134392652/kDEn8n3cw.png)

Notice the 4 dependencies in the pom.xml file!

### Test project
Our project is ready, before we run it, let's remove the *application.properties* file and add *application.yml* file in the *src/main/resources* folder.

Let's configure our app port to 9000. So, open the *application.yml* file and add the below code snipet:

```
server:
  port: 9000
``` 

Now we can run our app, in VS Code, you just open the main java class with *@SpringBootApplication* annotation and clic *Run* above the public static void main instruction.

As result, you must have a similar console:

![run1.PNG](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1626136579602/hdemsDNEIy.png)

Bravo, our backend is ready. Hope you've learnt something here, if yes please give a like to this tutorial and share it. In the next tutorial, we'll add entity classes and make REST call.