A Java Developer's Guide to Navigating the Frontend Landscape

This is a beginner-friendly session designed for Java developers who are trying to navigate the landscape of frontend development. When you need to develop a new frontend for your application, what approach do you take? Do you leverage your existing Java skills and create it using a Java framework? Or do you opt for a modern JavaScript framework like React, Angular, or Vue? Different requirements may call for different solutions, and in this session we will explore this topic in depth. By the end of this talk, you will be up to date with the latest techniques for building frontend applications.

Presented by Dan Vega - Spring Developer Advocate (Broadcom) at JavaOne 2025 (CA, March 2025).

Tags: #Java #JavaOne #frontend

SES1487

[edwardharman]

I'm a contributor to JTE. It was nice to get a mention.

[rudolfsargsyan]

Spring boot in backend combined with React as a frontend is a pretty beautiful option

[zaymaungmaungmyint]

Thank you for sharing your insights. @Dan Vega

[edgardcz]

What about using compose multiplatform?

[guttormvik]

I’m really happy with Vaadin. For an Application it has never made sense to me to place the logic on the client side.
The migration from Vaadin 8 based on GWT to todays Vaadin based on web components was a bit rough, but from Vaadin24 onwards it looks like they are in a good place.

I’m really surprised there aren’t more frameworks like Vaadin. It just seems like the obvious way to it

[kashifiqbal]

Great talk, just a few points from someone whose last job was frontend and is getting back into Java after a hiatus.
1. React is probably not the best library for Java developer who thinks in OOP rather than functional . React is pretty much a functional programming first library. I would recommend Angular as it lends itself better to an OOP way of thinking.
2. the VDOM is only used in React and VUE, not Angular.
3. And if you're looking at the building a JS/TS frontend then use SPA (single page application) approach, where the majority of the logic for state management, routing etc. is on the client side. This keeps the Java world nicely separated from the JS/TS frontend.

[KangoV]

Nice talk. Funny how most frameworks that were mentioned rely on Spring. JStachio with Micronaut is just awesome (imho).

[HeyHoLetsGo]

Very nice talk, except one thing: Just skip Swing? Isn't Intellij itself using Swing?

[brucelink]

Also Jakarta Faces. Spring requires Jakarta, so it is reasonable to also mention Jakarta resources (even if you then argue Spring is better).

[TomEugelink]

In the Vaadin example you could have just added the title and grid to the page itself, since it extends VerticalLayout. That would make the code even shorter.

[johanmbaabu]

AWT is easy to use native available in all java realeses since java 1 no plugin aor externallibraries needed. any advanced feutures not included like animations and advanced graphics can be manualy bcreated .just by simply creating them manualy in separate class in your project src then calling them even in new projects.

[nathanandjenileegreen]

No mention of OpenXava? There are likely quite a few good projects not mentioned in this talk.

[remek]

Would you ever consider making a video about how to deal with pressure during Sprints as a Java developer? Working in Sprints stresses me out, especially Sprint Commitments. I often end up doing unpaid overtime just to deliver everything by the end of the Sprint or to meet deadlines.

[AbdurRehman-]

So there is a world beyond Spring and Enterprise Java as well!!!

[mauricioreale]

You mean a java native frontend framework that is worth to mentioned.

[johanmbaabu]

me i sue only awt for my aplications desktop, mobile, embeded systems etc. just set the application frame to undecorated so that you tend to manualy draw and style the aplication window manualy hence avaoiding your aplication inherting the os styles

[carnelyve]

After 10 years of Angular and 5 years of React, I am giving up on FE. This is not what engineering was supposed to be.

[Zakaros]

disappointment xD
Just gimme real CSS for JavaFX, with CSS Layouts, breakpoints, and animations
I don't need java in the front end for the web. Typescript with Angular or React is already good enough.

[mobbs]

Oracle shouldn't have given up on frontend after applets were deprecated.

[whatIf-reviews]

make java work with React just like mobx and Ts