5 Popular Java Development Frameworks

Java is a popular language for developers, and the majority of the development community is still running Java 8 in a production setting. A Java software development company will use a framework to avoid “reinventing” the wheel.

The key frameworks that Java software development companies are using include:

1. Blade             

Blade offers a minimal footprint and is a simple framework to start using. The small footprint allows the framework to remain speedy, and the goal of the framework is to have developers understand the framework in a single day.

The source code is less than 500 kb.

Blade is designed for JAVA 8, and it includes key features, such as:

·         MVC framework

·         Template engines

·         CSRF and XSS security

·         Basic authentication

·         Plug-in extensions

·         JSON output built-in

Blade offers rapid development and can be used for full-stack development. The advantages of the framework include built-in security, multiple file support, components and also support for webjar resources.

There are some limitations, including a lack of mobile-app design and a dependency engine that is rather complex.

Overall, Blade is a versatile framework that will help developers transition to the framework rapidly.

2. GWT

Google’s Web Toolkit is designed to help developers create complex applications. The framework takes away the mundane learning of browser quirks and JavaScript to allow for high-performance applications to be developed.

The framework includes Java API libraries.

Developers can write their applications in Java and deploy them in JavaScript rapidly.

The source code is compiled into JavaScript that is optimized and runs across all browsers: PC and mobile, too.  When using GWT, it’s quick and easy to learn, and it’s a fast way to decrease server-side loan.

Google is the framework’s developer, so it has a strong community backing and is often updated.

Compilation is slow, but GWT has impressive IDE support. You can even use the IDE support to help with debugging AJAX applications. There’s a plugin offered by GWT that helps bridge the gap between Java and JavaScript debugging.

The framework is good for progressive web app development, but you’re often required to produce more code even for simple tasks. There’s also a unique method of defining the structure, so there is a bit of a learning curve with GWT.

3. Spring MVC

Spring MVC is a very popular framework, and it’s a framework that has enhance modularity and improves the readability of your coding. The framework is a J2EE/Java framework that offers a broad range of functions and features.

This full-scale framework is known for its robust security features, authentication, REST APIS, add-ons and flexible dependency injection.

Modules are loosely coupled, so you have greater overall freedom when coding. When learning this framework, there are two key things to keep in mind:

·         The learning curve is steep

·         MVC takes time to learn

One of the main concerns for someone new to frameworks is that MVC can be very difficult to understand at first. Since most frameworks follow the MVC concept, it is a way of organizing projects efficiently that most frameworks will require the user to learn.

4. Grails

The Grails framework is a dynamic framework that works with key Java technologies, including:

·         Hibernate

·         Java EE containers

·         Quartz

·         SiteMesh

When it comes to Grails, developers choose this framework because of its Enterprise Java Bean support. You don’t need to configure XML, so developers can start in a rapid development environment that enables scalable applications.

Grails is a great option for e-commerce sites and content management systems thanks to its flexible profiles, advanced plugin system, Spring Boot controller layer and object mapping library.

The community is also very responsive, which makes development faster and more efficient.

When it comes to Grails, a key deciding factor for programmers is if they want to learn the Groovy language. You will need to learn the integration process which is rather complex, and it’s not the best choice when creating multi-threaded applications.

5. Apache Struts

Struts 2.5.20 GA was released in January 2019 offering an array of new features to developers already using the framework. The framework is robust and ships with support for JSON, AJAX and REST plugins.

The robust plugin architecture is a bonus, and the MVC framework allows for fast creation of modern, elegant web applications.

Struts has the power to create enterprise-level applications, and the Hibernate plugin takes control of all of your object mapping needs. Spring can also help with dependency injection. It’s a well-organized development environment that focuses on rapid development principles.

Scaling is held back slightly due to single ActionServlets, but the ability to quickly use plugins is a nice added bonus.

The framework has a lot of rules, and due to the complex design, the framework is less flexible than some other options on our list.

While these five frameworks are a great choice for a development company, there are others available, too. Hibernate, Vaadin, Wicket and Vert.X are a few additional frameworks worth a try.