When you start a Spring Boot application, you might have noticed a banner appearing in the console. It’s just a plain text banner with the Spring Boot logo and some version information. You might think that it’s a simple and boring banner, but it’s actually customizable. In this article, we’ll explore how to create a custom Spring Boot banner with ASCII art and how it can add personality to your application.

Creating a Custom Spring Boot Banner with ASCII Art

To create a custom banner for your Spring Boot application, you just need to create a file named banner.txt in the src/main/resources directory of your project. The contents of this file will be printed on the console when the application starts up.

First, you need to create an ASCII art banner. ASCII art is a technique that uses printable characters to create images. You can use online tools to generate ASCII art or create it manually using a text editor. Once you have the ASCII art, copy it to the banner.txt file.

You can also add some additional information like the application name, version, and copyright notice to the banner. To do this, you can use the following placeholders:

• ${application.version} – displays the version of the application
• ${application.formatted-version} – displays the formatted version of the application
• ${application.name} – displays the name of the application
• ${spring-boot.version} – displays the version of Spring Boot
• ${spring-boot.formatted-version} – displays the formatted version of Spring Boot
• ${spring-boot.java.version} – displays the version of Java that Spring Boot is running on

Adding Personality to Your Application with a Personalized Banner

A custom banner can add personality and branding to your application. You can use the banner to display a logo or a message that represents your company or project. It can also be used to display important information like the version number or the release date.

If you have multiple instances of your application running, a custom banner can help you easily identify which instance you’re looking at. The banner can also be used to display a fun message or easter egg that will surprise and delight your users.

In conclusion, creating a custom Spring Boot banner with ASCII art is a simple way to add personality and branding to your application. It’s an opportunity to display an eye-catching design or message that represents your company or project. So why not spend a few extra minutes to create a personalized banner that will make your application stand out?