Fullstack Java: Building Multi-Page Applications with Spring Boot and Thymeleaf

In the world of fullstack development, building multi-page applications (MPAs) offers a practical and traditional approach to building web apps where each page reloads with new data. Java developers often prefer Spring Boot combined with Thymeleaf for this purpose. Together, they provide a powerful and flexible environment to create dynamic, server-side rendered applications.

This blog explores how to build MPAs using Spring Boot and Thymeleaf, highlighting their synergy, benefits, and a simple setup to get you started.


🌱 Why Spring Boot and Thymeleaf?

Spring Boot simplifies backend development with minimal configuration, offering powerful features such as embedded servers, REST support, and dependency injection.

Thymeleaf is a modern, server-side Java template engine for web and standalone environments. It allows you to create dynamic HTML pages using natural templating—meaning your HTML is both browser-friendly and readable even without a server.


Key benefits include:

  • Clean and readable syntax for HTML templates
  • Full integration with Spring MVC
  • Ability to create dynamic content using server-side variables
  • Good for SEO and accessibility (as it delivers fully rendered HTML pages)


🔧 Project Setup

To start, use Spring Initializr (https://start.spring.io) to generate a project with the following dependencies:

Spring Web

Thymeleaf

Spring Boot DevTools (optional, for live reload)

Spring Data JPA and H2 (optional, for database interaction)

Once downloaded, open the project in your preferred IDE (like IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse).


📄 Creating a Multi-Page Flow

Let’s build a simple application that has three pages:

  • Home Page
  • User Form Page
  • Success Page


Step 1: Create HTML Templates

Place your .html files in the src/main/resources/templates folder.

home.html

html


<!DOCTYPE html>

<html xmlns:th="http://www.thymeleaf.org">

<head><title>Home</title></head>

<body>

    <h1>Welcome</h1>

    <a th:href="@{/user-form}">Go to Form</a>

</body>

</html>

user-form.html


html

Copy

Edit

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html xmlns:th="http://www.thymeleaf.org">

<head><title>User Form</title></head>

<body>

    <form th:action="@{/submit-user}" method="post">

        <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Enter Name" />

        <button type="submit">Submit</button>

    </form>

</body>

</html>

success.html


html

Copy

Edit

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html xmlns:th="http://www.thymeleaf.org">

<head><title>Success</title></head>

<body>

    <h2 th:text="'Welcome, ' + ${name} + '!'"></h2>

</body>

</html>


Step 2: Create the Controller

java


@Controller

public class PageController {


    @GetMapping("/")

    public String home() {

        return "home";

    }


    @GetMapping("/user-form")

    public String showForm() {

        return "user-form";

    }


    @PostMapping("/submit-user")

    public String submitUser(@RequestParam String name, Model model) {

        model.addAttribute("name", name);

        return "success";

    }

}

This controller maps each URL to a corresponding HTML view and handles form submission by passing data to the success page.


📈 Advantages of This Approach

  • SEO-Friendly: All content is server-rendered.
  • No JavaScript Dependency: Easier for teams not relying heavily on frontend frameworks.
  • Tight Integration: Spring MVC and Thymeleaf work seamlessly, especially for passing data and rendering views.


🚀 Conclusion

Building multi-page applications with Spring Boot and Thymeleaf is ideal for many enterprise and internal tools where SEO, speed, and ease of development matter. While SPAs (Single Page Applications) with React or Angular are popular, MPAs still have a strong place, especially when server-side rendering and form-based flows are needed.

Learn FullStack Java Course in Hyderabad
Read More : Fullstack Java: Introduction to Spring Boot Actuator for Monitoring Applications


Visit Our IHUB Talent Institute Hyderabad
Get Direction 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Use Tosca's Test Configuration Parameters

Tosca by Tricentis is a powerful model-based test automation tool widely used in enterprise environments for end-to-end testing. One of its most useful features is Test Configuration Parameters (TCPs), which provide flexibility and control in managing test execution. TCPs enable testers to create reusable test cases by passing dynamic values without hardcoding them. This significantly enhances test maintenance, scalability, and efficiency. In this blog, we’ll explore what Test Configuration Parameters are, how to create and use them, and the best practices to follow when working with TCPs in Tosca. What Are Test Configuration Parameters? Test Configuration Parameters are custom-defined key-value pairs that can be associated with test cases, test case folders, or execution lists in Tosca. They help manage configuration data such as environment URLs, browser types, credentials, or any other variable data that may differ across test runs. By using TCPs, you can avoid duplicating test case...
Read more

Tosca Licensing: Types and Considerations

 Tosca by Tricentis is a widely used, enterprise-level automation testing tool known for its model-based approach, scriptless testing, and support for a wide range of applications (web, desktop, mobile, API, etc.). As organizations look to implement Tosca into their quality assurance processes, one of the key areas to understand is its licensing model. In this blog, we’ll explore the various types of Tosca licenses, key considerations for choosing the right license, and best practices to manage licensing efficiently within your test automation ecosystem. 🔑 Why Licensing Matters in Tosca Tosca is a commercial tool, and proper licensing is crucial to access its full range of capabilities, manage costs, scale efficiently, and remain compliant with Tricentis’s usage policies. The right licensing setup ensures that testers and teams can collaborate effectively without disruptions due to access or resource limitations. 📌 Types of Tosca Licenses Tricentis offers several licensing types ...
Read more

Using Hibernate ORM for Fullstack Java Data Management

In the world of fullstack Java development, managing data efficiently and seamlessly across the application is critical. One of the most powerful tools in the Java ecosystem for handling database operations is Hibernate ORM (Object-Relational Mapping). Hibernate simplifies the interaction between Java applications and relational databases, reducing boilerplate code and improving maintainability. This blog explores how Hibernate ORM works, why it’s widely used, and how it fits into the data management strategy of a fullstack Java application. What is Hibernate ORM? Hibernate ORM is an open-source Java framework that provides a powerful and flexible mechanism for mapping Java objects to database tables. It abstracts the low-level JDBC code, allowing developers to work with high-level object-oriented concepts. Instead of writing raw SQL queries, Hibernate allows developers to define database interactions using simple Java classes (also known as POJOs) and annotations or XML configurations...
Read more