When and Why Use Java in Web Development?

The use of Java programming language in web development has become increasingly popular over the years. Created in the late 90s, Java is a high-level, object-oriented language designed with platform independency in mind. As a principle, Java code must be able to run on any operating system with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed. This makes Java a popular choice for building web apps, as it can be utilized for both web client and web server purposes. It allows developers to write code once and run it on multiple platforms, translating to a more efficient and cost-effective web application development process. Companies specializing in back-end development services can choose from numerous Java APIs and libraries to create dynamic web pages and other complex web apps.

Web developers using Java can utilize several technologies to create dynamic websites and other web applications. The most popular Java technologies are:

• Java Servlet API
• JavaServer Pages Technology (JSP)
• JavaMail API and JavaBeans Activation Framework
• Java API for XML Processing

Java Servlets are classes that can handle any HTTP request and responses in server-side applications. They are the backbone of Java web development, facilitating rapid development and platform independence. Java servlet technology can generate dynamic web pages, handle user input, manage sessions, and authenticate users. Servlet code is executed within a web container, which manages the servlet’s lifecycle and provides various services to it. Thanks to Java’s efficient memory management capabilities, servlets are immediately purged by a garbage collector once they’re no longer needed.

JavaServer Pages is a technology used in web application development to create dynamic, data-driven web pages. JSP allows developers to inject dynamic content into static web pages using Java and Servlets. It is built on top of Java’s Servlet specification, and the two technologies typically work together. JSP is provided by Java EE and can be used to write dynamic web pages, collect user input through HTML forms, query records from a database, and dynamically create web pages. While JSP may not be the first choice for a modern, dynamic web project, it remains a widely used technology in older Java web applications.

Both are essential tools in web development for sending email notifications, newsletters, and password resets from your web page. JavaMail API is a powerful library that provides an easy-to-use interface for composing and sending emails through SMTP web servers. It also handles receiving email messages through POP3 and IMAP protocols. Meanwhile, JavaBeans Activation Framework is used to determine the type of data in the email attachment and to activate the appropriate application to open it. By leveraging these two powerful tools, web developers can easily create dynamic and personalized email communications for their users, enhancing the user experience and engagement.

The Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) allows applications to parse, transform and validate documents in XML format. JAXP supports DOM and SAX parsing models, widely used in web development to process XML data. JAXP also includes support for XSLT transformations and XPath queries, which can be used to transform and query XML documents. With JAXP, developers can easily integrate XML processing functionality into their Java web applications.

Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) for Java development provide comprehensive coding, debugging, and application deployment tools. There are several popular IDEs available for the Java platform, including:

• NetBeans
• Sun Java Studio Creator IDE
• Sun Java Studio Enterprise IDE

NetBeans IDE is a free and open-source IDE for developing applications in Java and other programming languages. NetBeans is designed to provide comprehensive tools for creating, testing, and deploying software applications built with core Java. It offers code highlighting, refactoring, debugging, profiling, and integration with version control systems.

Sun Java Studio Creator IDE is another popular IDE for developing Java applications. This IDE provides a visual development environment, allowing developers to drag and drop software components to create graphic user interfaces. The Creator IDE also allows for code highlighting, debugging, as well as testing and offers support for web services.

Sun Java Studio Enterprise IDE is an enterprise-level IDE designed for developing complex Java applications. It boasts comprehensive tools for designing, developing, and testing enterprise-level applications. Developers working with Sun Java Studio Enterprise can utilize its rich functionalities, such as code generation, debugging, and profiling. This IDE offers support for web services and J2EE development.

Java development services offer several benefits to developers setting up to create web applications, including:

• Platform independence – Java developers can write programs able to run on any platform as long as it supports the Java Virtual Machine. Java web applications can be deployed on any operating system and hardware platform without any modifications.
• Security – Java’s robust security model protects against common web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection attacks. Java’s extensive standard library offers various tools for implementing secure authentication and access control mechanisms.
• Scalability – Any web application built with Java can be easily scaled to handle large volumes of traffic and transactions. Java web development services provide a range of tools and frameworks, such as Spring Framework and Hibernate, making it easy to build scalable applications.
• Reliability – Thanks to exception handling and garbage collection features, Java is known for its stability and reliability. These functionalities help prevent crashes and ensure the smooth operation of web applications.
• Large developer community – The World Wide Web is brimming with pages dedicated to building software with Java. This programming language has one of the largest developer communities providing support, tools, and resources to create customizable and complex web applications.

The most suitable way to determine if Java is the best programming language for your project is to get in touch with an experienced software development company and obtain expert insights. You can always contact Scalo; we’ll be happy to look into your requirements and software needs.

But suppose you have just started considering different options and are still determining whether Java web application would be the way to go. For that case, we have some of the most common FAQs about Java in web development listed below.