Java Web Development: From Basics to Deployment

This book is a practical guide to web development in Java, taking you from the very basics to creating a full-fledged, production-ready web application. You will learn how the web works, get acquainted with key Java EE technologies, and master a modern tool stack including Spring Boot, Hibernate, and Thymeleaf.

The book is intended for beginner Java developers who are already familiar with the basics of Java syntax (classes, OOP, collections) but want to apply their knowledge to building web projects. Experienced programmers transitioning from other languages will also find a structured introduction to the Java web development ecosystem here.

What you will learn and master:

• Web Technology Basics: how HTTP requests, sessions, cookies, and client-server architecture work.
• Servlets and JSP: creating dynamic web pages using Java Servlets and JavaServer Pages, working with filters and listeners.
• Spring Boot: setting up and running a web application with Spring Boot, dependency injection (DI), controllers, request handling.
• Template Engines: using Thymeleaf to create flexible HTML templates with dynamic content.
• Working with Databases: connecting to DBMS (PostgreSQL, MySQL) via JDBC and JPA/Hibernate, creating entities, repositories, executing complex queries.
• REST API: designing and implementing RESTful web services, working with JSON, testing via Postman.
• Security: user authentication and authorization with Spring Security, protection against CSRF and XSS attacks, role management.
• Testing: writing unit and integration tests for controllers, services, and repositories.
• Deployment and DevOps: building a project with Maven/Gradle, setting up CI/CD, deploying to cloud platforms (Heroku, AWS) and to a VPS with Docker.

Each chapter contains practical examples with complete, ready-to-run code. You will create several projects: from a simple blog to an online store with a shopping cart, payments, and an admin panel. By the end of the book, you will be able to independently deploy the application on a real server.

The book is written in clear language, without excessive theory, with an emphasis on practice. All examples are relevant for Java 17+ and the latest versions of Spring Boot 3.x. This is your guide to the world of professional Java web development.