Using Thymeleaf for Server-Side Rendering in Java
In Java web development, Thymeleaf is a modern and flexible template engine used for server-side rendering (SSR). It integrates seamlessly with Spring Boot and helps developers build dynamic HTML pages directly on the server before sending them to the browser.
Whether you're building a simple form or a complex web application, Thymeleaf offers a natural way to create maintainable and responsive HTML views.
🧩 What is Thymeleaf?
Thymeleaf is a Java-based templating engine that processes HTML, XML, and more. It's often used in Spring MVC/Spring Boot applications to render HTML pages with server-side data.
Thymeleaf focuses on natural templating, meaning the HTML remains valid and viewable even before being processed.
🚀 Why Use Thymeleaf?
- Seamless Spring Boot integration
- Natural HTML templates (valid and readable in browsers)
- Supports loops, conditions, and fragments
- Easy binding with Spring Model attributes
- Secure and flexible output encoding
🔧 Basic Setup with Spring Boot
1. Add Thymeleaf Dependency (Maven)
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-thymeleaf</artifactId>
</dependency>
2. Create a Controller
import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
import org.springframework.ui.Model;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
@Controller
public class HomeController {
@GetMapping("/")
public String home(Model model) {
model.addAttribute("message", "Hello, Thymeleaf!");
return "index"; // Looks for index.html in /templates/
}
}
3. Create a Thymeleaf Template (index.html)
Place this file inside src/main/resources/templates/:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns:th="http://www.thymeleaf.org">
<head>
<title>Welcome Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1 th:text="${message}">Placeholder Message</h1>
</body>
</html>
🛠️ Common Thymeleaf Features
✅ Variable Expressions
<p th:text="${user.name}"></p>
🔁 Iteration
<ul>
<li th:each="item : ${items}" th:text="${item}"></li>
</ul>
🔄 Conditionals
<p th:if="${user.loggedIn}">Welcome back!</p>
<p th:unless="${user.loggedIn}">Please log in.</p>
🔗 Dynamic Links
<a th:href="@{/profile/{id}(id=${user.id})}">View Profile</a>
📦 Directory Structure
src/
├── main/
│ ├── java/
│ └── resources/
│ ├── templates/
│ │ └── index.html
│ └── application.properties
✅ Best Practices
- Use fragments (th:fragment) to create reusable layouts (like headers and footers).
- Secure dynamic content with automatic HTML escaping.
- Separate business logic from view logic — keep templates clean.
- Use Thymeleaf only when server-side rendering is needed (REST APIs may not require it).
🧠 Final Thoughts
Thymeleaf + Spring Boot is a powerful combination for building server-rendered web applications. It's ideal for projects where SEO, initial load performance, or security requires dynamic content to be rendered on the server.
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