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Current State of Java Web Frameworks
2025-09-19 JCConf 2025
LY Corporation, NAOKI KISHIDA
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2025/09/30 2
About me
● Naoki Kishida
● Fukuoka, Japan
● LY Corporation
● X(Twitter): @kis
● blog: kishida's Hatena
● (nowokay.hatenablog.com)
● Java beginners book titled "Becoming Professional in Java"
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2025/09/30 3
Agenda
● Processes in web servers
● Types of Web Frameworks
● Evolution of Web Frameworks
● How about the java standards?
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2025/09/30 4
What is a Web framework?
● A framework in web application server-side development that
abstracts web technology details to enable developers to focus
on application processing
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Processes in web servers
● Simple Web server
● Frameworks are a mechanism
that enables the separation
and extension of
application-specific
components from such web
servers.
void main() throws Exception{
var server = new ServerSocket(8080);
for (;;) {
var soc = server.accept();
Thread.ofVirtual().start(() -> {
try (soc;
var isr = new InputStreamReader(soc.getInputStream());
var bur = new BufferedReader(isr);
var w = new PrintWriter(soc.getOutputStream()))
{
// Parse header
var line = bur.readLine();
if (line == null) return; // exit thread
IO.println("Connect from %s for %s".formatted(soc.getInetAddress(), line));
while (!bur.readLine().isEmpty()) {}
// Process routing by URL
var url = line.split(" ")[1];
var message = switch(url) {
case "/hello" -> "Hello!!!";
case "/date" -> LocalDate.now();
default -> "It works!";
};
// Output header
w.println("""
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
content-type: text/html
""");
w.println();
// Output content
w.println("""
Hello
Hello
%s """.formatted(message)); } catch (IOException ex) { throw new UncheckedIOException(ex); } }); } }Slide 6
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Required processes for web development
● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
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Required processes for web development
● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
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Required processes for web development
● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
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Required processes for web development
● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
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Required processes for web development
● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
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● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
Required processes for web development
var server = new ServerSocket(8080);
for (;;) {
var ip = socket.remoteAddress;
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● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
Required processes for web development
Thread.ofVirtual().start(() -> {
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● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
Required processes for web development
//Ideally, enable to configure the port number.
var server = new ServerSocket(8080);
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● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
Required processes for web development
IO.println("Connect from %s for %s".formatted(soc.getInetAddress(), line));
} catch (IOException ex) { throw new UncheckedIOException(ex); }
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● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
Required processes for web development
// Parse headers
var line = bur.readLine();
if (line == null) return; // exit thread
IO.println("Connect from %s for %s".formatted(soc.getInetAddress(), line));
while (!bur.readLine().isEmpty()) {}
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● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
Required processes for web development
// URL-based routing
var url = line.split(" ")[1];
var message = switch(url) {
case "/hello" -> "Hello!!!";
case "/date" -> LocalDate.now();
default -> "It works!";
};
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● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
Required processes for web development
// Output headers
w.println("""
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
content-type: text/html
""");
w.println();
// Output contents
w.println("""
Hello
Hello
%s """.formatted(message));Slide 18
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Required processes for web development
● HTTP Processing
● Request Handling
● Routing
● Response Handling
● Web Application Processing
● Sessions
● Authentication / Authorization
● Resource Management
● Server Management
● Network Management
● Execution Management
● Configurations
● Monitoring
● Development Management
● Build
● Deployments
● Tests
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19
Types of Web Frameworks
● performs HTTP processing
● make the part easier to write
● Three types of frameworks
● Declarative Form
● Imperative Form
● Component-based Form
var message = switch(url) {
case "/hello" -> "Hello!!!";
case "/date" -> LocalDate.now();
default -> "It works!";
};
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Declarative Form
● Configures declaratively using annotations. It is mainstream.
● Spring Web
● JAX-RS
● in Jakarta EE, “Jakarta RESTful Web Services” with no abbreviation
● Micronaut
● Servlet
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Declarative Form
● roughly similar (same code except annotations)
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
@RestController
public class HelloController {
@GetMapping(value = "/hello", produces = "text/plain")
public String hello() {
return "Hello Spring Boot!!";
}
} import jakarta.ws.rs.*;
import jakarta.ws.rs.core.MediaType;
@Path("/hello")
public class HelloController {
@GET
@Produces(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN)
public String hello() {
return "Hello JAX-RS!!";
}
}
import io.micronaut.http.MediaType;
import io.micronaut.http.annotation.*;
@Controller("/hello")
public class HelloController {
@Get
@Produces(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN)
public String hello() {
return "Hello Micronaut!!";
}
}
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Imperative Form
● Configure routing and processing in a imperative manner
● Javalin
● Helidon SE
● roughly similar
import io.helidon.webserver.WebServer;
void main() {
WebServer.builder()
.port(8080)
.routing(b ->
b.get("/hello", (req, res) -> res.send("Hello Helidon!"))
.get("/date", (req, res) -> res.send(LocalDate.now().toString()))
.get("/*", (req, res) -> res.send("It Works!")))
.build().start();
}
import io.javalin.Javalin;
void main() {
Javalin.create()
.get("/hello", ctx -> ctx.result("Hello Javalin!"))
.get("/date", ctx -> ctx.result(LocalDate.now().toString()))
.get("/*", ctx -> ctx.result("It works!!"))
.start(8080);
}
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Component-based Form
● UI component that combines client and server processing
assembling
● Implemented solely on the server side engineer including UI
● Distinctive for each
● JSF
● ZK
● Vaadin
● Companys are sustained by a paid component.
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JSF
● Java EE / Jakarta EE standards
● Jakarta Faces
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● Java + Facelets(XHTML)
● Java codes are POJO
● have a peculiar control method
JSF
import jakarta.enterprise.context.RequestScoped;
import jakarta.inject.Named;
@Named
@RequestScoped
public class HelloBean {
// Need setter and getter for the fields
private String message = "Hello!!!";
private String input = "";
public void go() {
message = "hello " + input;
}
}
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public class HelloComposer extends SelectorComposer{
@Wire
private Label output;
@Wire
private Textbox input;
@Listen("onClick = #exec")
public void go() {
output.setValue(input.getValue());
}
}
ZK
● Java + ZUL(XML)
● Manage Component Models in Java
It works!!
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@Component
@Route("")
public class MainView extends VerticalLayout{
public MainView() {
TextField textField = new TextField("Enter text");
Span label = new Span("Hello");
Button button = new Button("Go");
button.addClickListener(e -> label.setText(textField.getValue()));
add(textField, button, label);
}
}
Vaadin
● Write entirely in Java, like Swing
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Evolution of Web Frameworks
● Servlet container
● Embedded Servers
● Docker
● Serverless
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Servlet Container
● Deploy the application to application server called a servlet container
● Due to the computer's low performance, multiple applications were run
on one server process (with main RAM of 128MB or such).
● Frameworks that started from Struts are wrappers of servlets
● Process just only HTTP. Servlet mechanisms are used for Auth or Session
● Development and Operation are troublesome
● Require deployment
● Require Tomcat installed
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Rise of Cloud computing
● Supply side
● Multi-server adoption due to performance plateau in threading
● Demand-side
● Increased traffic from 4G and Smartphones
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Servlet Containers are unsuited for Cloud
● Running a single web application across multiple servers for scale-out
● App server installation and deployment just make development more
troublesome
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Embedded Server
● Embedded Server in Spring Boot
● Launch Tomcat from the `main` method
● Deploy the application internally
● Full Stack Frameworks
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Build diversity through server embedding
● Changes from WAR single option
● fat-jar (all required jar included)
● JVM integrated package
● Containerized with Docker
● Native Compile
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Docker and Microservices
● Further multi-core processors
● Using too many Hypervisor-based VM is wasteful
● Emergence of containers that only virtualize OS resources like process IDs
● Enables flexible operation of server processes.
● Separate servers by function to allocate more server resources to high-load
functions
● Microservices
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Startup time and Resilience
● Startup speed is an issue for JVM , Servlets and Spring DI.
● Quarkus and Micronaut solves by independent of servlets and compile-time DI
● Resilience, flexibility during failures is also important.
● Operations assuming failure will occur
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Serverless and Native Image
● Split the microservices by function, each request handler is isolated into
a single process
● Serverless
● Cloud-native CGI
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JIT Optimization timing matters
● Not only the JVM startup time but also JIT optimization timing matters
● Handling a single request, the process terminates before JIT compilation.
● Native compilation with GraalVM
● Standardized in Project Leyden (JEP 483 in Java 24, JEP 515 in Java 25)
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How about the Java standards?
● The Decline of Java EE
● Java EE Guardians and Jakarta EE
● MicroProfile
● Jakarta EE 11
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The Decline of Java EE
● The Java EE model of deploying numerous applications to a
single application server didn't work well in the cloud.
● The Java EE 7 release in 2013 wasn't truly cloud-ready.
● and development on Java EE 8 continued stagnating.
● Advanced features of Java EE application servers replaced by
Kubernetes
● The strengths of Java EE are eroding.
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Java EE Guardians and Jakarta EE
● Dissatisfaction with Oracle's lack of progress on Java EE 8 led
to the launch of the Java EE Guardians in 2016.
● Transferred to Eclipse Foundation in 2017 with the release of
Java EE 8.
● Because the name “Java” can no longer be used, the name
changed into Jakarta EE
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MicroProfile
● Even when expectations for Java EE's cloud-compatibility - especially its
microservices support - were uncertain, strong demand existed, leading
to the formulation of MicroProfile in 2016 by members also participating
in the Java EE Guardians initiative.
● Focuses on monitoring and fault tolerance
● Based on Jakarta EE Core Profile
● Servlet independent
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APIs in MicroProfile
● Telemetry
● Server state retrieval and provisioning
● Open API
● API Specification Description
● REST Client
● API calling
● Config
● Settings
● Fault Tolerance
● Timeout / Retry / Circuit Breaker
● JWT Authentication
● Authentication byJSON Web Token
● Health
● Application availability check
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Jakarta EE 11
● Released in June 2025
● Require Java 17
● Record is supported
● Virtual thread is supported.
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MCP Server
● MCP – remote tools assuming to be invoked from LLMs
● JSON-RPC based remote object
● Spring Boot and Quarkus are supports MCP
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MCP Server
● Roughly same
● For Spring boot
●
@Tool and @ToolParam
● For Quarkus
●
@Tool and @ToolArg
@Service
public class WeatherTool {
@Tool(description = "Get the location’s weather ")
String getWeather(
@ToolParam(description = "The location")
String location) {
if ("taipei".equalsIgnoreCase(location)) {
return "fine";
} else {
return "rain";
}
}
}
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Summary
● Understanding how web frameworks fit into the larger
programming context helps make them easier to manage.
● Knowing the evolusion history makes the function's meaning
clearer.
● Understand the components needed for an application from
the framework’s features
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Thank You