In today’s digital world, web applications play a crucial role across various industries. Building robust and scalable applications often requires choosing the right development tools. Among these tools, Java frameworks stand out for their efficiency and reliability, making them a popular choice for enterprise-level development. This article explores the top 10 Java frameworks that developers can leverage in 2024 to create powerful web applications.
Top Java Frameworks
We’ll delve into their unique features and functionalities, aiding developers in selecting the Java framework best suited for their specific project needs
What is Java?
Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language widely used for developing various applications, including web applications, enterprise software, mobile apps, big data applications, and more. It was created by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (later acquired by Oracle) in 1991 to be portable, secure, and robust.
Here are some key features of Java that contribute to its popularity:
- Platform-independent: Java code can run on any platform with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed, making it “write once, run anywhere.”
- Object-oriented: Java promotes object-oriented programming principles, allowing for better code organization, reusability, and maintainability.
- Secure: Java incorporates various security features to protect applications from vulnerabilities.
- Large community and resources: Java has a vast developer community and extensive online resources and tutorials, making it easier to learn and troubleshoot.
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Top 10 Java Frameworks You Should Know
Let’s look into the best framework in Java that is a good choice to learn in 2024 if you are a Java developer or aspire to be one.
1. Spring
Spring is an open-source framework that can be used by any Java application. It eliminates the problem of tight coupling among modules as it provides loose coupling so that modification in one class doesn’t lead to the need for change in other classes. Spring is a package in itself as it supports features such as configuration and security. It has an active community and therefore a lot can be found about it online.
The following features of Spring make it unique and developers awestruck:
- Inversion of control (IoC) – Object coupling is done at runtime, rather than compile time.
- Dependency Injection – It works together with IoC and allows loose coupling by supplying the dependency of objects.
2. Hibernate
Hibernate is an Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) that makes handling databases with Java easier by eliminating the problems faced with JDBC as JDBC does not support object-level relationships which is a key concept while developing applications. Queries in Hibernate are known as HQL (Hibernate Query Language). It maps database tables to corresponding Java classes directly by creating an abstraction layer for the code to be loosely coupled. With Hibernate in the Java framework, developers do not have to think about establishing database connections or performing operations, it is taken care of by Hibernate itself. The hibernate.cfg.xml file contains information about database configuration and mapping.
3. Struts
Apache Struts is an open-source framework that is used for web applications. It follows MVC (Model-View-Controller) thus resulting in a convenient application by dividing model, view, and controller, and binding these three through the struts-config.xml file. It has two versions, Struts 1 and Struts 2. Struts 2 is the upgraded version and is preferred by all companies for implementing this framework in Java. It supports AJAX, REST, and JSON as it comes with various plugins. It provides an easy setup and is more flexible as compared to traditional MVC architecture. It is a good choice for web developers.
4. Google Web Toolkit (GWT)
Do we really have to guess who developed the Google Web Toolkit? It’s Google as evident from the name. Google products like AdSense, Blogger, and Google Wallet have been developed using GWT. The key reason why Google Web Toolkit is considered a developer-friendly Java framework is that it makes working with Google APIs easier. The ability to convert Java code into JavaScript code based on a browser makes it stand out in the queue of Java frameworks. Beautiful and elegant Internet Java applications can be made using it.
5. Java Server Faces (JSF)
JSF is developed by Oracle. It is a part of Java Platform, Enterprise Edition, and therefore is standard through the Java Community Process. JSF is based on MVC architecture and is a component-based UI framework that allows developers to just drag and drop UI components without deeply knowing any of the technologies such as JavaScript, etc. JSF is among the top preferred frameworks of Java for developers to work on. Besides this, it eliminates the need to introduce a new framework as it allows available backend Java code to be extended with a web interface. Facelets is the system for templating in JSF and allows integration with AJAX-enabled components.
6. Dropwizard
Dropwizard is one of the finest frameworks for Java “Does exactly what it says on the tin” fit for the Dropwizard, it is a wizard. It completes the application very fast owing to its enormous support for logging, application metrics, and advanced configurations. It bundles up many libraries from the Java ecosystem into a single framework. The rapid development of RESTful APIs and support for rapid prototyping make Dropwizard magical when its features are seen all together.
7. Grails
Grails are a beginner-friendly Java framework and are written in the Groovy programming language. Groovy is similar to Java and has more features than Java. Grails is based on the MVC pattern and runs on the Java platform, being compatible with Java syntax. GSP (Groovy Server Pages) is the rendering element in Grails and GORM is the ORM implementation for it. What if we mix Groovy and Java code? It will run fine. One of the highlights of Grails is that we can integrate Grails and Java code.
8. Vaadin
Vaadin has a whole new way of working as it eliminates the worry of client-server communications and routing so that one can concentrate on the presentation layer alone. It is open-source and components can be customized to create highly versatile code. You can write your application completely in Java as the UI components of Vaadin take care of the browser activities. One of the key features of Vaadin is that it is a cross-platform framework, i.e., you can migrate your code to a different platform and this makes it among the best frameworks in Java.
9. Blade
Looking for the simplest Java framework? Say Hi to Blade!
The blade is a lightweight full-stack web framework based on MVC architecture. It works on a module basis, which helps in debugging by dividing an application into modules. Blade works with JSON files and is used for full-stack web development.
10. Play
Play framework follows convention over configuration. One of the unique things is that you can write Play applications not only in Java but in Scala as well. Play does not necessarily follow J2EE web standards. Play makes integration with Maven projects easier and creates simple JAR files. Play offers support for both the IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse and that’s why it is a highly praised framework for Java. It provides in-built relational database access libraries. It includes many features which make it a favorite of many Java developers.
Conclusion
With a diverse range of Java frameworks available, selecting the most appropriate one can be overwhelming. However, by carefully considering your project requirements, team expertise, and desired features, you can make an informed decision. Each framework offers unique strengths and caters to specific development needs. Explore the functionalities mentioned throughout this article to gain a deeper understanding of how each framework can empower your development process.
Furthermore, staying updated with the latest advancements in the Java ecosystem is crucial. As the technology landscape evolves, frameworks continuously improve their functionalities and features. By staying informed, you can ensure your development skills remain at the forefront of the industry
Must Read:
Top 10 Java Frameworks You Should Know in 2024-FAQs
What are the key considerations when choosing a Java framework for enterprise development?
Consider project requirements (web, mobile, etc.), team expertise, community support, and framework popularity/maturity
What are some common challenges faced when using Java frameworks in enterprise development?
Challenges include framework complexity, integration issues, performance optimization, and security concerns.
How can developers stay updated on the latest advancements in Java frameworks?
Follow official documentation/blogs, subscribe to news/communities, and attend industry events.
