Dropwizard vs Spring: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this document, we will explore the key differences between Dropwizard and Spring, two popular frameworks used in web application development. Markdown code will be used to format the content for easy integration into a website.

1. Lightweight vs Comprehensive: Dropwizard is a lightweight framework that focuses on simplicity and fast development. It integrates multiple libraries, such as Jetty, Jersey, and Jackson, to provide a complete stack for building RESTful web services. On the other hand, Spring is a comprehensive framework that offers a wide range of features, including dependency injection, data access, security, and MVC. It provides a modular approach to building web applications.

2. Convention over Configuration vs Customization: Dropwizard follows the principle of "convention over configuration," where it enforces certain conventions and makes assumptions to minimize configuration. It provides a predefined project structure and opinionated defaults, reducing the need for extensive configuration. In contrast, Spring allows for extensive customization, giving developers more flexibility in configuring their applications. It supports both annotation-based and XML-based configuration, allowing developers to fine-tune their application to meet specific requirements.

3. Embedded Server vs External Server: Dropwizard comes with an embedded server, Jetty, which is automatically configured and bundled with the application. This eliminates the need for deploying the application on an external server, making deployment simpler. Spring, on the other hand, allows developers to deploy applications on any web server of their choice, giving them more deployment options.

4. Simplified Development vs Enterprise-Grade Features: Dropwizard simplifies the development process by providing a streamlined set of features. It focuses on developing RESTful web services and includes libraries for request handling, JSON serialization, and database integration. Spring, on the other hand, offers a wide range of enterprise-grade features for building complex applications. It provides support for various architectural patterns, such as MVC, dependency injection, and transaction management, making it suitable for large-scale applications.

5. Opinionated vs Flexible Database Integration: Dropwizard comes with a default database integration using Hibernate and JDBI, which simplifies the process of working with databases. It enforces best practices and provides out-of-the-box support for database migrations. Spring, on the other hand, offers multiple integration options, including Hibernate, JPA, JDBC, and NoSQL databases. It provides more flexibility in choosing the database technology and allows for fine-grained control over database operations.

6. Simple Configuration vs Modular Configuration: Dropwizard uses a simple YAML configuration file for managing application settings. It follows a convention-based approach, where the configuration file is structured based on the project's default settings. Spring, on the other hand, supports multiple configuration options, including XML, Java annotations, and properties files. It provides a modular approach to configuration, allowing developers to configure different components separately.

In summary, Dropwizard is a lightweight framework focused on simplicity and fast development, with an opinionated approach and limited customization options, while Spring is a comprehensive framework with a wide range of features, flexible customization options, and extensive support for enterprise-grade applications.