Exploring Java Frameworks: From Spring to Micronaut

Java frameworks are prewritten code bodies that provide templates or extensions for building applications. They offer benefits like scalability, security, and feature-rich set-ups, streamlining the development process and boosting productivity.

Spring Framework revolutionized Java with its 'Inversion of Control' (IoC) and 'Aspect-Oriented Programming' (AOP). Its ecosystem, including Spring Boot, has become the de facto standard for modern Java applications, offering unmatched flexibility and rapid development capabilities.

Hibernate ORM stands out for simplifying database interactions. It maps Java classes to database tables, abstracting the underlying SQL, thus allowing developers to focus on business logic rather than database complexities.

While less popular now, Apache Struts was once a leading MVC framework for Java, notable for its role in shaping web application architectures. However, it has lost favor due to security vulnerabilities and the rise of more modern alternatives.

JSF, backed by Oracle, is a component-based MVC framework that simplifies building user interfaces for server-side applications. It integrates well with other Java EE standards but faces competition from frontend technologies like Angular or React.

Micronaut is a modern, JVM-based framework designed for building microservice applications. It provides fast startup times and minimal memory footprint, making it a serious contender in cloud-native application development.

Eclipse Vert.x is a polyglot event-driven application framework that enables the creation of highly performant, real-time, and reactive applications on the Java Virtual Machine, often used for scalable and concurrent web applications.