10 Most Popular Java Frameworks
Java remains one of the most popular programming languages on the planet. This is due to several reasons. For example, Java is the primary language for the most widespread operating system - Android. Another reason for Java's continued growth in popularity is its reliability and scalability. And since many industries such as banking, finance, retail, Big Data, IT, scientific research, and the stock market rely on Java, this language is here to stay.
Therefore, for any enterprise aiming to continue digital transformation in line with modern technology and consumer demands, Java should already be used across all departments of the company.
However, the Java language itself can offer developers a lot. To help them get the most out of this language (so they can create better and faster products), they need to be equipped with the necessary frameworks that will help them do the job right.
For those who have never heard of a framework, it is a set of functions, libraries, and other code elements that not only make developers' work easier but also indicate what programs can or should be created and how they can be connected to each other. Frameworks save engineers from having to "build everything from scratch," allowing them to select fragments to use in the source code.
Frameworks are designed to be universal and reusable, significantly easing the work of a software engineer.
With the definition of a framework out of the way, let's look at the top 10 frameworks to consider for your developers.
#1 Spring
Spring is one of the most widely used Java frameworks, primarily designed for web application development. Spring supports things like application events and listeners, external configurations, YAML, and type-safe configurations.
One of the key advantages of using Spring is its application of inversion of control, which allows creating a unified whole from disparate components.
But why should your developers use Spring? First of all, Spring is the most popular framework for building web applications in Java. Spring can also expose RESTful services, includes Spring Security (which adds authentication and authorization features), and can establish JDBC connections.
#2 Struts
Apache Struts has been around for over 20 years and was designed to inherit the properties of the Java Servlet API, easing the development process of Java EE web applications and promoting the Model-View-Control architecture. Struts uses XML files for centralized configuration and significantly reduces overall web application development time.
Struts also includes support for themes and templates, POJO-based actions, customizable MVC components, tag support, and integration.
#3 Google Web Toolkit
Google Web Toolkit (also known as GWT) is another open-source framework that helps web developers create and maintain complex browser-based applications. GWT (pronounced "gwit") aims to provide productive web application development without requiring the developer to be an expert in every browser behavior and quirk.
The GWT toolkit includes all Java API libraries, a compiler, and a development server. With GWT, developers can write client-side applications in Java and deploy them as vanilla JS. For more information about our JavaScript development services, please contact our specialists.
#4 Grails
Grails is an open-source web application framework that uses the Apache Groovy language (which is based on Java) and follows the "coding by convention" paradigm. Grails serves as a standalone development environment and hides most configuration details from the developer.
Grails was developed with the goal of creating a robust web framework for Java, reusing existing Java technologies under a single interface, providing a consistent development structure, and having extensive documentation.
Grails includes three variants of the standard web framework for Java, namely:
- No need for XML configuration
- Ready-to-use environment
- Functionality available via a method dynamically added to a class (so-called mixin).
#5 Play
Play is written in the Scala language and is used for developing both web and mobile applications. Since Play compiles into Java bytecode, it is one of the most powerful Java frameworks on the market.
Play includes many features that make it a favorite among many Java developers. With a browser and text editor, you can quickly make "on-the-fly" changes using features like hot-reload workflow, powerful console and build tools, type safety, and built-in testing tools. Additionally, Play supports both Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA IDEs.
#6 Hibernate
The Hibernate framework became so popular due to its ability to extend support for the Java Persistence API. A distinctive feature of Hibernate compared to other tools is that it provides a foundation for mapping an object-oriented domain model to a relational database, achieved using the Hibernate Query Language.
Hibernate provides caching, auto-generation, scalability, and reduction of redundancy (via JDBC API), supports the Persistence API, and facilitates communication between the application and any supported database.
#7 Dropwizard
If you're looking for a lightweight and easy-to-use framework, Dropwizard might be just what you need. This framework allows you to quickly build web applications in Java and RESTful web servers.
Dropwizard supports monitoring (via the Metrics library), uses the Hibernate Validator API, supports Logback and SLF4J for logging, and packages each application as a jar (instead of a war file).
With Dropwizard, you can build microservices and quickly create prototypes for your applications. Dropwizard is developer-friendly, open-source, and supports the use of external libraries.
#8 Vaadin
Another open-source framework specifically designed for building web applications, Vaadin uses HTML5 and type-safe Java-only development. If you're looking for a single framework to help you build web applications with enhanced security and excellent UX, this is likely the framework you need.
Vaadin comes with over 45 UI components, further facilitating fast and reliable development. This framework also includes the Vaadin Collaboration Engine, allowing developers to integrate collaboration features into web applications.
#9 Blade
Another lightweight Java framework, Blade is widely used for full-featured web application development. Blade is a template engine that is part of the broader Laravel framework, used for building complex web applications in Java.
Blade is a very convenient MVC framework that works on a modular principle, allowing applications to be split into modules (which is very useful for debugging). Blade supports plugins and works with JSON configuration files.
For those who want to start with the simplest Java framework, Blade may be just what they are looking for.
#10 Wicket
Another framework from the Apache Foundation, Apache Wicket, aims to bring web development into the modern era of Java. The latest version of Apache Wicket was built on Java 11, so it can keep pace with the further evolution of Java.
Wicket allows you to secure your applications using Content Security Policy - a modern standard that enables applications to declare allowed content origins before it is loaded into the browser. Wicket also supports AJAX, various result types, tags, themes and templates, POJO actions, and customizable MVC components.
Conclusion
If you are looking for the best framework to help your Java developers work more efficiently and reliably, any of these frameworks should suffice. Web applications are more popular than ever, and your developers need every tool to keep up with (or surpass) the competition.
Questions and Answers
1. Are there performance benchmarks for Java frameworks to compare their efficiency and speed?
Yes, benchmarks exist for Java frameworks that allow developers to compare efficiency and speed by evaluating many aspects of these qualities. One example is TechEmpower's Web Framework Benchmarks, which offers performance metrics evaluating frameworks for programming languages, including Java.
2. How do frameworks typically address security issues?
Frameworks typically address security issues through measures such as input validation, security configurations, security libraries, authentication and authorization, and other features. At the same time, developers and teams are responsible for applying security-oriented coding practices and keeping their tools and methods up to date.
3. Can frameworks integrate with other popular Java libraries or tools commonly used in the development process?
Generally, Java frameworks integrate with other popular Java tools or libraries commonly used in the development process, enhancing efficiency and overall quality of that process.