re:Developing Java Applications with Kiro!
Welcome to the comprehensive workshop on modernizing Java applications with Kiro IDE and CLI. This interactive presentation covers AI-powered development workflows, legacy code transformation, and modern Java development practices using Kiro's intelligent features. The content includes:
- Modernization presentation deck
- Tutorials
- Java Project Samples
- Video demos
Devoxx 2025 Presentation
Kiro CLI Install
Kiro CLI is a command-line interface that brings AI-powered assistance directly to your terminal. It helps you write, debug, and optimize code, generate shell commands, and interact with AWS services using natural language.
Kiro CLI supports macOS and Linux but you can find Windows tutorials (via WSL). Installation typically involves downloading and running an installer or using package managers like Homebrew on macOS. After installation, you authenticate with your AWS Builder ID to access the full range of features. Create your Builder ID if you don't have one.
Kiro Install
Kiro is an AI-powered IDE that integrates seamlessly with Amazon Q Developer and other AI tools through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It provides intelligent code completion, refactoring suggestions, and enhanced development workflows.
Step 1: Download and Install
Download Kiro IDE and install it on your system.
Step 2: Launch Kiro
Open Kiro IDE from your applications.
Step 3: Login with Builder ID
Use your AWS Builder ID to authenticate with Kiro. Create your Builder ID if you don't have one.
Step 4: Use your access code
Input your access code after browser authentication
Step 5: Verify Account and limits
Click in the Kiro User icon to check your subscription / free tier status
Complete the authentication process and verify your account setup.
Congratulations! Kiro is now installed and ready to use.
Kiro & MCP
Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration with Kiro IDE allows you to extend functionality with custom tools and resources.
Setting up MCP
Configure MCP servers to provide additional capabilities to your Kiro environment.
AWS Docs MCP Server
Follow the instructions here to add AWS Docs MCP Server config
Whatsapp MCP Server
Follow the instructions here to build a Whatsapp MCP Server
Asana MCP Sample from Al Harris
This repository has a sample JS app with Asana MCP integration
Weather Forecast MCP with Java and Quarkus
Follow this tutorial to create a Java Quarkus MCP Server for weather forecast
Projects
Explore comprehensive Java projects demonstrating modernization techniques, legacy patterns, and AI-powered transformation strategies.
Spring E-commerce CRUD Application
Location: projects/spring
A Spring Boot-based e-commerce application showcasing legacy Java patterns ready for modernization. Contains deliberate legacy code patterns including old-style switch statements, DTO classes suitable for Record conversion, and Java 8 patterns that can be upgraded to modern Java features.
Architecture:
- MVC pattern with Spring Boot
- Repository pattern for data access
- Service layer with business logic
- DTO pattern for data transfer
Legacy Patterns for Modernization:
- DTO classes → Java Records conversion
- Old-style switch statements → Pattern matching
- Verbose toString() methods → Record auto-generation
- Array conversion patterns → Modern Java 17 syntax
Tech Stack: Spring Boot, JPA/Hibernate, Maven, Java 8+ patterns
Modernization Targets: Java 17 Records, Pattern matching, Stream API enhancements
Domain: Customer, Order, Product management with CRUD operations
Legacy JPA Conference System
Location: projects/jpa
A conference management model built with legacy javax technologies, representing typical enterprise Java applications requiring comprehensive modernization. Demonstrates common legacy patterns found in enterprise systems built with older Java versions.
Legacy Technologies:
- JPA 1.0 with javax.persistence namespace
- JavaMail 1.4 for email functionality
- JUnit 4 for testing framework
- Java 8 language features
Modernization Roadmap:
- javax.* → jakarta.* namespace migration
- JPA 1.0 → JPA 3.0+ with modern features
- JUnit 4 → JUnit 5 with modern assertions
- Java 8 → Java 17/21 with modern language features
Tech Stack: JPA 1.0, JavaMail 1.4, JUnit 4, Maven, Java 8
Domain: Education system with member management and persistence
Complexity: Ideal for demonstrating namespace migration and framework upgrades
Struts2 Legacy Web Application
Location: projects/struts
A template application demonstrating professional CRUD operations using the Struts2 framework. Represents legacy web application patterns commonly found in enterprise environments, showcasing traditional MVC architecture and JSP-based view rendering.
Legacy Web Patterns:
- Struts2 MVC framework
- JSP-based view rendering
- XML-based configuration
- Traditional servlet-based architecture
Modernization Opportunities:
- Migration to Spring Boot with Thymeleaf/React
- RESTful API development
- Modern security implementations
- Microservices architecture adoption
Tech Stack: Struts2, JSP, Servlet API, Maven
Use Case: CRUD operations template for enterprise applications
Migration Target: Modern web frameworks (Spring Boot, Quarkus)
Quarkus Financial Entry Management System
Location: projects/quarkus
A production-ready Quarkus-based RESTful application for managing financial entries with DynamoDB integration and AWS Lambda deployment capabilities. Features comprehensive account-based entry management, category filtering, date range querying, and balance calculations.
Architecture:
- RESTful API with JAX-RS endpoints
- Service layer with business logic separation
- DynamoDB integration for NoSQL persistence
- AWS Lambda serverless deployment
- Docker containerization support
Tech Stack: Quarkus 3.14.4, Java 17, DynamoDB, AWS Lambda, Maven, Docker
Key Features: Account management, Category-based filtering, Balance calculations, Serverless architecture
Deployment: AWS SAM template included for Lambda deployment
Development: Hot reload with Quarkus dev mode, Local DynamoDB via Docker Compose
Embabel AI Modernization Agent
Location: projects/modernizer
An advanced AI-powered modernization agent built with the Embabel framework for automating Java codebase transformations. Demonstrates intelligent code analysis, pattern recognition, and automated refactoring capabilities using Large Language Models (LLMs).
AI Capabilities:
- Intelligent code analysis and pattern detection
- Automated refactoring suggestions
- Multi-LLM integration with different personas
- Context-aware code transformations
Framework Features:
- Spring Shell integration for interactive CLI
- Dependency injection for AI components
- Configurable LLM models and hyperparameters
- Unit testing framework for prompt verification
Tech Stack: Spring Boot, Spring AI, Embabel Framework, Maven, Docker
LLM Support: Amazon Bedrock, OpenAI GPT, Google A2A, and Spring AI compatible models
Use Cases: Code modernization, automated refactoring, intelligent code review
Development: Hot reload, comprehensive testing, CI/CD with GitHub Actions
1. Dependency Documentation with Kiro CLI
This demo uses Kiro CLI and JPA sample project to generate basic documentation to the existing Java project highlighting Java 21 upgrade.
Tool used: Kiro CLI
Project Used: JPA
2. Multi-project dependency mapping with Kiro CLI
This demo is similar to the previous one, but instead of analyzing a single Java project, it will analyze all Java projects included in the 📦 sample projects (ZIP).
Tool used: Kiro CLI
Project Used: All projects in demo
3. Creating leadership reports
This demo creates a leadership report with business justification to migrate and modernize the project.
Tool used: Kiro CLI
Project Used: JPA
4. Kiro CLI + openrewrite
In many cases you may want to use deterministic solutions to upgrade your Java projects, but even so AI tools can be used to help you deciding recipes or creating custom operations that can be reused without AI to transform a set of similar projects.
Tool used: Kiro CLI
Project Used: JPA
5. Kiro - Creating steering documents for Spring project
This demo shows how to create steering documents (md spec files) for your projects to improve the context for further AI prompts.
Tool used: Kiro
Project Used: Spring
6. Kiro - Spec-driven development for Java upgrades
How to use spec-driven development with Kiro to create requirement, design and tasks to upgrade your basecode.
Tool used:Kiro
Project Used:Spring
7. Framework migration: Spring to Quarkus
Using Kiro CLI to move the old Spring project to Quarkus framework using the existing Quarkus project as reference architecture.
Tool used: Kiro CLI
Project Used: Quarkus
8. Framework migration: Quarkus to Spring
Using Kiro CLI migrate the existing Quarkus project to Spring Boot.
Tool used: Kiro CLI
Project Used: Quarkus
1. Install Kiro and Kiro CLI
- Install Kiro and Kiro CLI Following the setup instruction.
- Create your AWS Builder ID Account. Create your Builder ID if you don't have one.
- Claim your access code for Kiro
2. Use Kiro CLI to create reports
Open terminal and move to folder with project JPA, type q [enter] and prompt:
"Create a README.md for this project with dependency map and a list of necessary updates to run java 21"
"Create a technical leadership project justification to upgrade to java 21"
3. Kiro CLI + OpenRewrite
Open terminal and move to folder with project JPA, type q [enter] and prompt:
create and execute an openrewrite recipe to upgrade this project to java 21. make sure it compiles!
4. Spec driven Modernization with Kiro
Open Kiro and open folder JPA.
Generate steering docs
Open spec-driven chat
"Create a plan to upgrade this project to java 21"
5. Framework migration / Multi-project
Open the sample projects folder in Kiro:
Open spec-driven chat
"Create a migration plan to modernize JPA using the quarkus app as reference architecture
6. Dependency Gov
Open the sample projects folder using Kiro CLI:
"Create a complete dependency mapping from multiples java projects in this folder. Create allowed, not allowed and allowed with permission dependencies"
7. Framework migration
Now you can play around framework and project migrations:
- Quarkus to Spring
- Spring to Quarkus
- Old JPA project to Quarkus