Hey everyone, I just started a new role as a frontend developer on a React application, and I'm feeling a bit confused about our current setup. We have to manually build 30 different WAR files and drag them into a deployment folder to get the app running. There's no automation in place—no CI/CD, no scripts—just this tedious manual process. What's worse, during development, we can't even use live reload or hot reloading. So, every time I make a small UI change, I have to repeat the whole build and deployment process, which really slows down my workflow.
In the other React projects I've worked on, we had npm or yarn scripts, local dev servers, and nice live reload functionality. I'm wondering, is this kind of manual WAR file deployment a common practice in Java-heavy organizations, or does it point to some deeper technical debt? I'd love to get insights from others who've dealt with similar setups, especially those working with Java backends alongside React frontends.
5 Answers
Nope, this is definitely not the norm! Most companies I know would have this automated by CI/CD, or even just local scripts. Having to handle 30 different WAR files manually is just bonkers, especially in this day and age. If they aren't considering automating this, they might be struggling with deeper issues.
Building a CI/CD setup is essential here. You can easily containerize those WAR files using Docker and automate the whole deployment process. Plus, believe it or not, Tomcat has ways to support hot reloading for your development—it's been a feature for a long time! You definitely shouldn’t be stuck in this manual process; it's a clear sign of tech debt.
I don't know what's going on with this company, but it's definitely not normal to deploy like this anymore. You should be able to run a local server for development rather than dragging WAR files around. You might want to either streamline this with some scripts or reconsider if this is the right fit for you.
30 different deployables is just crazy. If your organization insists on sticking with this, I’m guessing they face a lot of headaches from outdated practices. Normally, you want your frontend and backend to be separate; deploying everything as one artifact (like a fat JAR) has been the modern approach for years. Sounds like there’s a big opportunity for you to lead some changes here!
You hit the nail on the head—it’s about bringing them into the present. Change like that can be pivotal!
This setup sounds outdated! You might want to push for a CI/CD pipeline. I worked at a place where a new dev implemented it right when he started—it made such a difference. They hired you for your skills, so show them how a modern process can save time and frustration. It’s definitely worth the effort!
I feel you! I brought up automation at my job too, but they keep saying it’s not a priority. It's annoying when they expect you to just deal with such inefficiencies.
Amen! CI/CD might seem like a big task, but it's a total game-changer for the whole team.
Absolutely! Automating everything would save everyone so much time and hassle. Plus, you'd look like a superhero for making that happen.