Have you ever needed to build a UI as a backend developer but didn’t want to dive deep into JavaScript frameworks? Sometimes, all you need is a straightforward way to display and interact with data. So, what are the best options for Java developers?

In this talk, we’ll explore three popular tools that make it easy to build UIs in a way that suits backend-focused developers:
HTMX for enhancing static HTML pages with dynamic interactions without heavy JavaScript,
Vaadin for full-stack applications entirely in Java with minimal frontend skills, and
JavaFX for creating Java-based UIs with drag-and-drop simplicity.

We’ll build the same UI in each technology, comparing the developer experience. At the end of the talk, you’ll be better equipped to choose the best UI technology for your next project.