Introduction

Welcome to the Axon Framework 5 Getting Started Guide! This tutorial is based on the version 5.0.0-M1, the first Milestone release of Axon Framework 5. While this version is not yet production-ready or feature-complete, it does show a lot of new interesting features coming in Axon Framework 5.

Building a new application from scratch can be daunting, especially when learning a new framework. This tutorial will guide you through the various stages of development, starting with creating your first project and explaining the capabilities of Axon Framework 5.

Axon Framework 5 introduces a lot of changes, so even if you are already familiar with Axon Framework 4, we still recommend you to go through this tutorial.

What’s New in Axon Framework 5?

Axon Framework 5 represents a significant evolution with major improvements to the framework’s architecture:

Dynamic Consistency Boundary (DCB) - A revolutionary concept that allows more flexible event sourcing patterns overcoming traditional aggregates limitations. With this mind-shift, you can organize your code around features than entities with ease, called Vertical Slice Architecture.

  • Revisited Configuration - A new, more flexible configuration model.

  • Improved Testing Support - Enhanced testing fixtures that allow you to verify your app configured as same as in the production code.

  • Java 21 Baseline - Taking advantage of the latest Java features.

  • Async Native Architecture - The new Unit of Work is fully composable from async functions. With the removal of ThreadLocal usage, the framework now better supports asynchronous programming models like Project Reactor, Kotlin Coroutines, and the upcoming Java Fiber.

Whether you’re new to Axon Framework or upgrading from version 4, this tutorial will help you understand these new concepts through practical examples.

About this tutorial

This tutorial will guide you through creating a "Axon University Registration Application" using Axon Framework 5. We will implement features using Vertical Slice Architecture using "Test First" approach.

You can either:

Your feedback matters!

Keep in mind that Axon Framework 5 is currently in a milestone version, so it may be subject to change. This is where you come in! Your feedback is incredibly valuable as we refine the framework.

Because of that, your opinion is even more valuable to us. Your input will help shape the future of event sourcing with Axon Framework! After playing around with the Axon Framework 5, please share your feedback on AxonIQ Discuss. If you’d like to, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team directly on LinkedIn, we will be so happy to talk with you.

Are you ready? Let’s get started building our application!