20CS43P : Object Oriented Programming and Design with Java

Tutorial Activity: 12

10 of the Most Popular Java Frameworks.

There are plenty of reasons why Java, being one of the older software
programming languages, is still widely used. For one, the immense
power one wields when using Java is enough to make it their staple.
Couple that with the possibilities that using good Java frameworks bring
and you could lessen the turnaround time for big projects.
This post will show you some of the most popular Java frameworks of
2020. While there are more than just 10 such frameworks, the ones listed
and discussed stick out. Features and ease of use are some of the
rationales used for qualification.

What Are Java Frameworks?

For the sake of leveling the discussion before a load of information
comes your way, let’s quickly settle the “what” question. Java
frameworks are themselves software created to make programming with
Java an easier endeavor. They come in sets of prewritten code that you
can append to your own to create custom solutions to problems.
As you would expect, many iterations of such helpful frameworks would
exist given how different every other programmer is from the rest. That
said, let’s look at just 10 of the Java frameworks popular at the time of
writing.
How one would pick out a single framework over the rest is purely a
matter of preference. For the most part, that could be based on how
much flesh the framework provides when you start new projects. The
visual aspect comes into play too. How pretty can you make the UI
using the framework? Depending on which you choose, tools within the
framework can make it either easy or nearly impossible to create
interfaces that final users will love.

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 20CS43P : Object Oriented Programming and Design with Java
Let’s crack open some of the Java frameworks and discover similarities
or even differences, all in service of making coding with Java much
easier.

1. Spring
Spring is a very lightweight implementation of the Java framework,
usable for pretty much any type of Java project. It’s a modular
framework that you could use for any level or layer of a project. What
makes it stick out is the fact that you can use it to work on not just one
layer of a project but also the entire scope.

Spring Java Framework

If working in the MVC architecture is your thing, you’ll love Spring.
The framework also has good security features that you can just call as
already written functions. This makes processes such as authentication,
verification, and validation so much easier to include (properly) into any
project. Companies like Netflix and eBay use Spring.
Here are some advantages of using the Spring Java framework:

• It’s lightweight and doesn’t require a web server besides the

default container.
• It supports backward compatibility.
• It has annotation-style configuration compatibility.

2. Hibernate

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 20CS43P : Object Oriented Programming and Design with Java
Hibernate is an object-relational mapping (ORM) framework that makes
common data handling mismatch cases a thing of the past. If you’re
always working with relational databases, the Hibernate ORM
framework could easily become your staple.
The framework comes stock with data handling muscle that bridges
paradigm differences. Companies like IBM and Dell have used the
Hibernate framework for their web applications.

Hibernate Java Framework

Advantages to using Hibernate include the following:

• There’s a capability for strong data manipulation with little

coding.
• It’s perfect for OOP-type projects that require high
productivity and portability at the same time.
• Hibernate is open source. It won’t hurt your wallet to give it
try on your next project.

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3. JSF (JavaServer Faces)

It’s often a huge task for back end developers to get the front side of
complex applications right. This is where JSF comes in handy.
The Oracle-built, stable framework comes with a component-based
MVC environment to create beautiful “faces” for Java applications. It’s
packed to the brim with libraries that allow developers to experiment
with the front end—without introducing other frameworks for that part.

JavaServer Faces
Typical advantages of using JSF include but are not limited to the
following:

• JSF is a big chunk of what makes up Java 2E. It’s here to

stay and has massive support.
• Back end developers have plenty of front end tools to use
without too much coding.

4. GWT (Google Web Toolkit)

As can be expected from a Google product, GWT is open source. The
main reason many developers’ work starts with GWT is that it’s easy to
make beautiful UIs with little knowledge of front-end scripting
languages. It basically turns Java code into browser-friendly packages.

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 20CS43P : Object Oriented Programming and Design with Java
Web apps such as Blogger, Google Analytics, and Google Adsense are
all built using Java with the GWT framework. It’s fully featured and
supported by a large group of developers dedicated to the framework,
making it perfect for scale-sensitive application development.

Google Web Toolkit

Here are some advantages of using GWT:

• It bridges the gap between back-end and front-end

development.
• The cross-browser compatibility comes in handy when
deploying applications online.
• Google APIs are easier to implement using GWT—and boy,
are there plenty of them.

5. Struts (The Later Version)

Struts is an Apache-run enterprise-level framework perfect for web
developers. It’s feature-rich and comes in two versions: Struts 1 and 2.
The most widely used is Struts 2, which basically extends the first
version with everything that comes with OpenSymphony web
framework tools.

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That means you get to apply new technologies such as Ruby and new
JavaScript frameworks to extend your Java applications’ functionality.

Struts Java Framework

Interesting advantages of using the Struts Java framework include
the following:

• Struts fits into other frameworks seamlessly.

• You can bring what you’re already working with and extend
capabilities to those already in Struts.
• You’ll enjoy drastically reduced development effort and time
required, allowing you to make more applications rapidly.

6. Blade
The Blade framework is a very lightweight fork from the larger Let’s
Blade project. If you’re predominantly a solo programmer (a freelancer,
maybe) and speed is of the essence, Blade will have you making apps in
no time.
Most of the work is already done for you when you start a Maven
project. All you have to do is add the most current dependencies to your
config file and you’re good to go. There’s no external server required,
much like Node.js, from which a lot of inspiration was drawn when
making the Blade framework.

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Blade Framework for Java Software Development

Here’s why you’d use the Blade Java framework:

• You can add extensions to make your coding faster.

• The Jetty server comes handy in maintaining a lightweight
environment.
• It’s predominantly an MVC framework.

7. Play
The Play framework was created with the ease of web application
development in mind. To use Play, one only needs a web browser, any
text editor, and some inkling of how the command interface works on
any OS. Because it’s so lightweight and because it has seamless NoSQL
compatibility, it’s perfect for mobile development as well.
There are plenty of plugins and libraries from the communities around
Java and web development in general, making it a good framework
where resources are not exactly abundant.

Play Java Framework

Here’s why you might use Play for Java development:

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• Companies such as EA, LinkedIn, Verizon, and Samsung
are using Play in their stacks.
• The Play Java framework is restful by default.
• Realtime development changes appear in the browser or a
test device.
• Cloud deployment options make it possible for teams spread
across the world to participate in mission-critical projects.

8. Vaadin
There’s an idea out there that end users are petty, caring less about how
an app was made (the code and sweat) than how it looks and feels when
in use. If you agree with this notion, then the Vaadin Java framework
will work just fine for you.
With Vaadin, a developer can focus on using pure Java to build apps,
and the framework will handle the interface. That’s thanks to the built-in
UI components that can be called as though they were functions. Like
Cordova, a JavaScript framework for cross-platform development,
Vaadin allows you to use a single codebase to deploy native mobile
apps, as well as web or even desktop applications, after packaging.

Vaadin Java Framework

Here are some Vaadin Java framework advantages:

• Responsive and good-looking CSS interfaces come as

defaults for all instances.
• You have built-in JavaBeans validation by annotation.
• If data visualization is a major deliverable for a project,
Vaadin will put your results on steroids.

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9. Grails
Like most of Apache’s offerings, Grails is open source, and it comes
bearing so much to ease a Java developer’s life.
To start with, it has markup views such that you can generate HTML
code. The same applies for JSON and XML. An active community exists
around Grails too. Working with the Groove language, they
continuously develop plugins you can use for free to enhance your own
applications. To complete the front-side development ease, GORM (a
data handling toolkit) allows developers to access and work with both
relational and nonrelational datasets.

Grails Java Framework

Here’s why you should use Grails:

• You won’t have to try out a new IDE; whatever you’re using
now will do.
• The gentle learning curve for Grails is good for time-sensitive
projects.
• The documentation is clear, and courses are often running to
get you up and deploying in no time.

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10. DropWizard
Probably the least concerned about bells and whistles, Dropwizard is
mostly made to get things done. Developers are able to deploy quicker
due to less sophistication and the abundance of tools to make
applications. It’s also part of the Apache 2 project, making it open
source. It too inherits the millions of users and contributors that make
working with Apache projects so much more pleasurable.

Dropwizard Java Framework

Here are some advantages of using Dropwizard:

• It’s always getting better. Thousands of monthly pull

requests make every glitch easy to navigate.
• A step-by-step guide to Dropwizard can leave you with an
app in less time than it takes to listen to most songs—five
minutes!
• Upon initiation, Jetty, a server, works from within the project.
As a result, testing becomes easy.

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