Web developers primarily use Java web technologies, such as the Spring Framework or Java EE (now known as Jakarta EE), to develop Java web applications.
Below is the List of Some Key Java Web Technologies and Frameworks:
Java web applications are software programs developed by integrating Java technology and intended for running on a web server, delivering content through a web browser.
Servlets and JSP (JavaServer Pages):
The fundamental Java web technologies include Servlets and JSP (JavaServer Pages). They mainly find importance for the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern and are components of the Jakarta EE platform. Although it is common to come across the terms “Servlets” and “JSP” in theoretical aspects, they are not witnessing much practical use nowadays. Most web developers are using Spring Boot, along with Thymeleaf or REST APIs, to achieve better productivity and modularity, as they offer more options for developing modern Java web applications. However, there is still importance in understanding the basics of Servlets and JSP, as it lays a better foundation for understanding the underlying concepts in modern Java web apps.
While Servlets include Java classes for handling HTTP responses and requests, JSP are HTML pages that embed Java code, and they show a close resemblance to ASP or PHP.
Spring Framework (Spring Boot):
Among the various Java web technologies, web developers mostly use the Spring Framework, particularly Spring Boot, as it is more suitable for developing contemporary Java web applications.
It offers a production-ready and simplified process for developing secure, maintainable, and scalable web applications, ideal for a wide range of applications, from RESTful APIs to full-stack web services.
Spring Boot is a component of Spring that optimizes boilerplate code and auto-configures web applications while embedding servers such as Jetty or Tomcat. Due to these features, such Java web technologies enable the easy development of production-grade or standalone apps.
Furthermore, Spring Boot supports database access (Hibernate/JPA), RESTful APIs, security, and more while also simplifying deployment. It is the most popular technology for developing modern web applications.
Jakarta EE:
Jakarta EE (formerly popular as Java EE), with the full-form Java Platform Enterprise Edition, a common platform that web developers use to build enterprise-grade, robust, and scalable Java web applications. It offers a wide range of APIs, inclusive of a runtime environment suitable for developing multi-tiered and large-scale applications. Java EE is ideal for use across enterprise systems, particularly those that adhere to strict Java standards. It is a standard specification while developing enterprise web apps. Java EE includes Servlets, JAX-RS, JPA, EJB, JSF, and JSP.
Java Web Technologies: Thymeleaf or FreeMarker:
Thymeleaf is a modern Java template engine for the backend side, helpful in initializing dynamic HTML and XML pages, as well as other textual content. It finds extensive use alongside Spring Boot, especially for developing maintainable and elegant web interfaces for use with Java web applications. These templating engines, one category of Java web technologies, serve as a substitute for JSP, enabling the rendering of views. Thymeleaf is popular because it is the default view engine for use across modern-day Spring Boot web apps. It ensures maintainable and clean UI development with Server-Side Rendering (SSR), involving the generation of HTML content before directing it to the user’s browser.
Hibernate/JPA:
Hibernate, an Object-Relational Mapping (ORM), is the most prominent within Java web technologies. It ensures the implementation of Java Persistence API (JPA) standards. Hibernate, along with JPA, helps simplify database interaction across Java web applications by connecting Java objects (POJOs) with database tables.
JPA, a specification for ORM in Java, ensures the defining of methods and annotations for CRUD transactions, operations, queries, and relationships. With JPA itself not being an implementation, it necessitates a provider like Hibernate (which is the most popular), EclipseLink, and OpenJPA.