Is Grails Framework Still Vigorous?

As of the latest update in August 2023, the Grails framework is not entirely dead, but its prominence in discussions around modern web development has diminished. Built on the Spring framework and using the Groovy programming language, Grails continues to have an active and supportive community, with ongoing updates and developments.

Current Status of Grails

Despite not being as prominent as other frameworks such as Spring Boot, Angular, or React, Grails still receives regular updates and maintains an active user base. The Grails team has been working diligently to keep the framework updated and supported. However, many developers have shifted to more widely adopted technologies, which may give the impression that Grails is less active or relevant.

Support and Development

The vitality of the Grails framework is evident in its active community and the updates provided. The framework continues to receive support and enhancements, indicating its ongoing relevance. Moreover, the acquisition by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) has ensured a bright future for Grails, providing a robust platform for continued development and innovation.

Company Endorsements and Usage

A number of companies continue to utilize Grails, showcasing its enduring value. The official Grails website lists numerous companies that are actively using the framework. Examples include industries such as financial services, healthcare, and technology. Businesses such as Company A, Company B, and Company C have successfully integrated Grails into their digital ecosystems, leveraging its robustness and ease of use.

Even on a personal level, the author of this article (if using a pseudonym) has been a long-time enthusiast of Grails, having used it since Grails 1.1 in 2012. Currently, the author manages several production servers running Grails applications, with one client serving over 1.2 million subscribers. These deployments demonstrate the framework's continuing relevance and reliability.

Grails in Academia and Enterprise

In educational settings, Grails is gaining traction. The author teaches Grails as part of a specialization course at Federal University of Sorocaba (UFSCar) in Brazil, where students continually express admiration for the framework's features. UFSCar has been using Grails as the primary framework for their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system for nearly four years, with proven success. Additionally, there is significant interest in Grails within the enterprise sector.

Comparisons with Spring Boot

Grails 3, in particular, can be seen as a more accessible version of Spring Boot. Features of Grails 3 are similar to Spring Boot, making it appealing to developers who appreciate the ease and power of Spring Boot. Therefore, if developers are familiar with and prefer Spring Boot, they will likely find Grails 3 a natural fit and equally powerful.

Conclusion

In summary, Grails is not dead and shows no signs of imminent decline. It has a dedicated community, receives regular updates, and continues to be a valuable tool in the developer's toolkit. With ongoing development, Grails will continue to thrive and offer immense benefits to developers across various industries.

For those considering using Grails for a project, it is essential to verify the latest community activity, documentation, and support resources to ensure it meets their requirements. The future looks promising for Grails, providing a robust and flexible framework for modern web development.