Lighter Web Framework Documentation

Lighter is a fully-featured web framework for Java. It’s primarily designed for RESTful services, but it can be used for all sorts of other things too!

Lighter is different than most other Java web frameworks. Lighter stands inbetween micro-frameworks like Spark Java and giant monolithic frameworks like Spring Boot. Like a micro-framework, Lighter is small and doesn’t come with a lot of dependencies. It lets you choose your own serialization, persistance, and dependency injection solutions. Like a monolithic framework, Lighter provides declarative configuration and high-level abstractions.

Lighter achieves this by working at compile-time instead of run-time. Lighter uses almost no reflection. Instead, it depends on annotation processors to provide high level constructs. This allows Lighter’s abstractions to have close to zero cost.

Lighter aims to be the anti-framework framework. Whenever possible, it achieves abstraction without magic. When it does use magic, Lighter focuses on making it inutitive and easy to follow. Lighter avoids pulling in dependencies it doesn’t have to and lets the developer structure their application. Lighter provides abstraction without incuring performance penalties or clarity costs.

For complete API documentation, check out the javadocs (link TBD).

TESE DOCS ARE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS. Almost every page still has a lot of work that needs to be done. Many pages have not been started.