Spring Boot to Quarkus Migration

Modular, gate-driven migration of Spring Boot applications to Quarkus.

Critical Rules

• Never delete code you cannot migrate. If you cannot fully migrate a piece of code, leave the original in place with a // TODO: Migration required — <reason> comment explaining what needs to change and why. This applies to:
  • Methods, classes, or annotations you don’t know how to convert
  • Spring-specific patterns without a clear Quarkus equivalent
  • Configuration or wiring code whose purpose is unclear If you must remove code (e.g., a Spring-only base class), document what was removed and why in a // REMOVED: comment at the same location.
• Don’t break the build. Run the compile command after each phase (./mvnw clean compile -DskipTests for Maven, ./gradlew clean compileJava -x test for Gradle). Never move to the next phase with a broken build.
• Document every decision. When choosing between migration approaches, explain the trade-off to the user.
• No silent changes. Every file modification must be intentional and traceable. If a check fails after a phase, diagnose and fix — don’t skip the check or delete the failing code.

Reference Files

Load the relevant reference file when working on a module:

Step 1: Analyze & Choose Strategy

Scan the application to understand what needs to migrate:

• Build system: Read the build file (pom.xml for Maven, build.gradle or build.gradle.kts for Gradle) — Spring Boot version, starters, plugins
• Java code: Search for Spring annotations (DI, REST, Data, Security, Scheduling)
• Configuration: Read application.properties/application.yml, check for profiles
• UI / View layer: Check for Thymeleaf/JSP templates, static resources, Model+View patterns
• Tests: Check for @SpringBootTest, @WebMvcTest, @DataJpaTest

Present a summary table with area, findings, and complexity. Then ask the user to choose a strategy:

• Spring compatibility (recommended): Use quarkus-spring-web, quarkus-spring-data-jpa, etc. Minimal code changes.
• Native Quarkus: Replace all Spring annotations with JAX-RS/CDI. More work, full Quarkus experience.

Stop here and wait for the user’s response before continuing. Do not ask about git workflow or anything else in the same message.

Step 2: Git branch (optional)

After the user has chosen a strategy, check if the target project is a git repository. If it is, propose the git workflow:

Migration workflow: Each migration run can be isolated in its own branch (migration/run-01, migration/run-02, …) created from main. The branch will contain a single commit with all changes plus a migration report. A draft PR against main will be created for review — it is never merged, it serves as a permanent diff and discussion record. Would you like to use this workflow?

• User accepts → follow modules/git.md — Pre-migration section. Propose the branch name and wait for confirmation before creating it.
• User declines → skip git management entirely, proceed with migration in the current branch.
• Not a git repo → inform the user, skip git management, proceed normally.

Step 3: Execute Modules

Decision Gate Table

For each module, evaluate whether it applies to this project. A module executes only when its gate is PASS. Inspect the project to determine the gate result — do not rely on blind grep commands; use your understanding of the codebase.

Execution Protocol

FOR module IN [build, code, frontend, testing, cleanup]:

  1. EVALUATE — inspect the project for the gate condition
  2. DECIDE
     IF gate == ALWAYS → proceed to step 3
     IF gate == PASS   → proceed to step 3
     IF gate == SKIP   → log "Module {name}: SKIPPED — {reason}", mark checkbox, continue
  3. LOAD — read the module file and relevant reference files
  4. EXECUTE — follow the module instructions, adapting to the chosen strategy
  5. COMPILE — run the project's compile command (`./mvnw clean compile -DskipTests` for Maven, `./gradlew clean compileJava -x test` for Gradle)
     Fails → diagnose and fix before proceeding
  6. LOG — mark checkbox as done

Running Individual Modules

To run a single module outside the full migration flow, read its file directly:

• “Read modules/build.md and execute it”
• “Run only the frontend module”
• “Re-run the cleanup module”

The module will use the current project state and the chosen strategy (if already decided). If no strategy has been chosen, the module will ask.

Step 4: Verify the Migration

Run each check in order. A check fails = stop and fix before continuing.

Step 5: Migration Review (Self-Reflection)

Answer each question honestly:

1. What migrated cleanly? Patterns that mapped 1:1.
2. What required manual judgment? Non-obvious decisions made.
3. What was left as TODO? Every // TODO: Migration required comment and why.
4. Was any code removed? What, where, justification. Flag runtime risks.
5. What checks failed initially? Failures from Step 4 and how you fixed them.
6. What’s missing from the skill references? Mappings you had to figure out.

Migration Report

Present the review as a structured report:

## Migration Report: [app-name]

### Summary
- Strategy: [Full Migration / Spring Compatibility]
- Agent: [AI agent name - e.g claude, pi, opencode, gemini, etc]
- Model: [model name — e.g. claude-sonnet-4-6, check system context]
- Modules completed: [X/4]
- Checks passed: [X/6]
- Token usage: [input tokens / output tokens — check session stats]
- Estimated cost: [~$X.XX — token counts × per-model pricing from anthropic.com/pricing]

### Changes by Module
| Module | Files changed | Key changes |
|--------|--------------|-------------|
| build | pom.xml or build.gradle(.kts), application.properties | ... |
| code | ... | ... |
| frontend | ... | ... |
| testing | ... | ... |

### Validation Results
| Check | Result | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| Builds | PASS/FAIL | |
| No Spring deps | PASS/FAIL | |
| Has Quarkus | PASS/FAIL | |
| Tests pass | PASS/FAIL | |
| Starts up | PASS/FAIL | |
| No leftover templates | PASS/FAIL | |

### Unmigrated Code (TODOs)
| File | Line | What | Why not migrated |
|------|------|------|-----------------|

### Removed Code
| File | What was removed | Justification |
|------|-----------------|---------------|

### Skill Improvement Suggestions
- [Any missing mappings, unclear instructions, or edge cases discovered]

Step 6: Commit and PR (only if git workflow was accepted)

Follow modules/git.md — Post-migration section. Ask the user for confirmation before committing, and again before pushing / creating the draft PR. Do not proceed with either action without explicit user approval.