Java backend advice for Android app [closed]

Question

I'm creating an Android app that will need a powerful backend for User Authentication, Chats, Data Analysis, etc.

I'm looking for some advice on how I should develop the backend (preferably with a Java based solution).

At the moment I'm considering JBOSS (WildFly) with with JAX-RS.

Is that a sound approach or would you do something else?

Answer 1

Your question has a really wide spectrum of interpretation.

I think you should first focus on :

1. The platform (java EE in your case, since you seem most experienced with the java language)

2. The frameworks and database for all the features you need. The Spring suite is commonly used in java backends but there are other great frameworks out there. If you go the Spring way, Spring Boot will get you a running backend in no time and Spring Security can take care of the user auth part very easily. Spring Data has some ways to deal with your db store but I don't know what your needs are in terms of data analysis.

3. and only then the application server (WildFly, Glassfish, Tomcat, Jetty, ...)

Keep in mind that, at some point, you'll have to host your web-app to make it available to your android clients and if you choose the cloud approach (like most people nowadays), not all app servers are supported by cloud providers. Same thing goes for the Java version you'll choose (not all cloud provider support java 7 for example).

Answer 2

There are many options at your disposal. For an app you can use any as a backend server side.

If you strictly need to be in Java, you could try

Spring Boot Easy to configure, pretty much everything reconfigured for you. Can use groovy as a language

Grails Grails has tons of plugin and easy to get started. Runs on JVM. You can use Java if you really don't want Groovy

And you can always use traditional Spring MVC app.