When starting a new software project, what key factors should guide the decision to utilize a full application server like Wildfly, versus opting for a simpler servlet engine like Tomcat? Is there a scenario where one might be more beneficial than the other, especially considering functionality like authentication which can be built independently?
4 Answers
After working with Java and frameworks for years, I can't stress enough how great Docker has been. Deploying a containerized Java app is super practical. I typically start with Spring Initializer, choose my database setup, and then ensure everything is dockerized. Only after that do I lay down the app architecture and features like authentication.
I don't see any technical reasons pushing me towards a full standalone server like Tomcat or Wildfly. If I stick to Jakarta, I would opt for Spring Boot or Quarkus.
I may not be interpreting your question perfectly, but I’ve moved on from building WARs or EARs entirely. Now I just run `java -jar theapp.jar`. It's really common when you're using modern frameworks; they usually combine the web server and app functions into one package. Plus, controlling the JVM settings per app becomes easier without shared app containers.
Honestly, I can't think of a situation where I'd go for a full application server these days. Self-contained apps that use frameworks when necessary seem way easier to handle. Plus, managing dependencies on these servers is just a headache for me.
That's interesting! What do you mean by 'self-contained apps'? Are there specific frameworks you're using?
But isn't Tomcat just a servlet engine? Spring Boot uses it under the hood anyway.