JSF vs Quarkus: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this Markdown code, we will discuss the key differences between JSF and Quarkus. Both JSF (JavaServer Faces) and Quarkus are frameworks used for application development, but they have significant differences in terms of their features and capabilities.

1. Execution Model: JSF follows a traditional request-driven execution model, where the server handles every request made by the client and sends a response back. On the other hand, Quarkus uses a reactive and event-driven execution model, enabling developers to build highly scalable and low-latency applications.

2. Size and Startup Time: Quarkus is designed to be lightweight and has a minimal memory footprint compared to JSF. This results in faster startup times for Quarkus applications, making it suitable for serverless and containerized environments.

3. Compatibility: JSF is a proven and widely adopted technology with extensive community support and a wide range of libraries and components. Quarkus, being a relatively new framework, may have a smaller ecosystem and might require additional efforts for integration with existing JSF projects.

4. Developer Experience: JSF provides a rich set of components and a robust component model, making it easier to develop complex user interfaces with a minimal amount of custom code. Quarkus, on the other hand, embraces modern paradigms and developer-friendly features, such as live coding, fast testing, and seamless integration with popular development tools.

5. Technology Stack: JSF is typically used in conjunction with Java EE (Enterprise Edition) or Jakarta EE stacks, which provide a comprehensive set of enterprise-level APIs and services. Quarkus, on the other hand, is designed to be used with the MicroProfile stack, which focuses on lightweight and cloud-native applications.

6. Performance: Quarkus is optimized for high-performance applications, with features such as ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, GraalVM native image support, and efficient memory utilization. This allows Quarkus applications to achieve better runtime performance compared to JSF applications.

In summary, JSF and Quarkus differ in their execution models, size and startup time, compatibility, developer experience, technology stack, and performance. These differences should be considered while choosing the right framework for a particular application.