Outdated Java Technologies You Can Skip Learning: JSP, Struts, Hibernate, Servlet, and More

Many Java learners wonder which knowledge has become outdated and can be safely ignored; this article shares a professional answer from Zhihu.

The author proposes three criteria for deciding whether a technology is worth learning: practical use in development, depth of understanding it provides, and relevance to interviews.

JSP : Historically used as the View layer in MVC, but most companies have moved to front‑end/back‑end separation, rendering JSP unnecessary for new projects.

Struts : Once a mainstream MVC framework, now largely replaced by Spring MVC, which integrates tightly with the Spring ecosystem.

Hibernate : A powerful ORM with a steep learning curve and performance overhead; many developers now prefer lightweight alternatives like MyBatis.

Servlet : Although not a primary development technology today, it remains the foundation of Java web containers and MVC frameworks; mastering its lifecycle is essential for deep understanding of any MVC framework.

Other technologies :

Applet – obsolete as browsers no longer support it.

Swing – rarely used in modern enterprise development, with C++ or C# UI frameworks preferred.

JDBC – lower‑level database API; useful to know but not critical if time is limited.

XML – still used but increasingly replaced by JSON for web data exchange; basic familiarity is sufficient.

In summary, the author advises focusing on current tools such as Spring MVC, MyBatis, and deepening Servlet knowledge, while dropping extensive study of the listed outdated technologies.