@Nayankumar-Dhome
Spring
Migrating from
JSP/Servlet to
Spring MVC
Spring
Nayankumar Dhome
Servlet
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Introduction
If you've built web apps using pure Servlets
and JSPs, you know the struggle: manually
handling HTTP requests, juggling multiple JSP
pages, and trying to keep your application
structure from turning into a mess.
That's why frameworks like Spring MVC
became a game-changer it brought
organization, structure, and ease to Java web
development.
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
What is Migrating from
JSP/Servlet to Spring
MVC?
Migration simply means moving your web
application's architecture from using
traditional Java EE techniques (Servlets and
JSPs) to the Spring MVC framework.
This migration helps your project move
towards better scalability, modularity, and
modern practices while reducing boilerplate
and maintenance headaches.
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Why Migrate to Spring
MVC?
Better Code Organization: MVC pattern
ensures a clean separation between
Controller, Business Logic, and View.
Annotation-Driven Development: No need
to manually configure everything via
web.xml.
Reduced Boilerplate: Fewer lines of code to
handle basic tasks.
Easier Testing: Spring's dependency
injection makes unit testing simpler.
Future-Proof: Integrate easily with REST
APIs, Microservices, and Spring Boot.
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Key Features You Gain
After Migration
@Controller, @RestController replace old
HttpServlet classes.
DispatcherServlet acts as a smart Front
Controller.
Centralized Exception Handling
(@ExceptionHandler, @ControllerAdvice).
Validation and Data Binding simplified.
Easy integration with databases (Spring
Data JPA) and security (Spring Security).
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Internal Working of
Spring MVC
When you migrate:
Servlets ➔ Controllers (@Controller
annotated classes)
JSP Pages ➔ View Resolvers handled
views (JSP, Thymeleaf, etc.)
web.xml URL mappings ➔
@RequestMapping or
application.properties in Boot
Session management ➔ Spring Session
and robust session handlers
Manual Exception handling ➔ Automatic,
Global exception handlers
In short, all your manual wiring becomes
declarative and manageable.
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Spring MVC flow
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Core Annotations
&Terms
@Controller: Marks a Java class as a
controller.
@RequestMapping, @GetMapping,
@PostMapping, @PutMapping,
@DeleteMapping: Maps HTTP requests to
specific methods.
ModelAndView: Carries model data and
view name.
@Valid, BindingResult: For data
validation.
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Basic Code Examples
● Replacing doGet() with
@GetMapping
● Form Handling
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Basic Code Examples
● Global Exception Handling
● JSON API instead of JSP
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Pros and Cons of
Migrating to Spring
MVC
✅ Advantages
Cleaner, modular codebase.
Easy future upgrades (Spring Boot, REST
APIs).
Declarative and annotation-driven
simplicity.
Active community and vast
documentation.
❌ Disadvantages
Learning curve for new developers.
Initial migration might be time-consuming
for very large apps.
Misconfiguration can lead to subtle bugs if
not careful.
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Did You Know?
Many enterprise Java applications today still
have hybrid systems where they serve old
JSPs inside modern Spring MVC apps just by
using a custom ViewResolver!
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
Final Thoughts
Migrating to Spring MVC gives your
application a future-proof architecture.
You'll reduce manual, repetitive tasks and
focus more on building business features.
Spring MVC is much more scalable,
maintainable, and developer-friendly.
Once migrated, adopting Spring Boot or
building Microservices becomes incredibly
easy!
Nayankumar Dhome
nayankumardhome@gmail.com
@Nayankumar-Dhome
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