vaadin-framework/documentation/getting-started/getting-started-libraries.asciidoc

---
title: Vaadin Libraries
order: 20
layout: page
---

[[getting-started.libraries]]
= Vaadin Libraries

Vaadin Framework comes as a set of library JARs, of which some are optional or alternative
ones, depending on whether you are developing server-side or client-side
applications, whether you use add-on components, or use CSS or Sass themes.

[filename]#vaadin-server-8.x.x.jar#::
The main library for developing server-side Vaadin applications, as described in
<<../application/application-overview.asciidoc#application.overview,"Writing a Server-Side Web Application">>.
It requires the [filename]#vaadin-shared# and the [filename]#vaadin-themes# libraries.
You can use the pre-built [filename]#vaadin-client-compiled# for server-side development, unless you need add-on components or custom widgets.

[filename]#vaadin-themes-8.x.x.jar#::
Vaadin Framework built-in themes both as SCSS source files and precompiled CSS files.
The library is required both for basic use with CSS themes and for compiling custom Sass themes.

[filename]#vaadin-push-8.x.x.jar#::
The implementation of server push for Vaadin Framework.
This is needed for web applications which use server push (e.g. using the @Push annotation in a Servlet class).

[filename]#vaadin-shared-8.x.x.jar#::
A shared library for server-side and client-side development.
It is always needed.

[filename]#vaadin-client-compiled-8.x.x.jar#::
A pre-compiled Vaadin Client-Side Engine (widget set) that includes all the basic built-in widgets in Vaadin.
This library is not needed if you compile the application widget set with the Vaadin Client Compiler.

[filename]#vaadin-client-8.x.x.jar#::
The client-side Vaadin Framework, including the basic GWT API and Vaadin-specific widgets and other additions.
It is required when using the [filename]#vaadin-client-compiler# to compile client-side modules.
It is not needed if you just use the server-side framework with the pre-compiled Client-Side Engine.
You should not deploy it with a web application.

[filename]#vaadin-client-compiler-8.x.x.jar#::
The Vaadin Client Compiler is a Java-to-JavaScript compiler that allows building client-side modules, such as the Client-Side Engine (widget set) required for server-side applications.
The compiler is needed, for example, for compiling add-on components to the application widget set, as described in <<../addons/addons-overview.asciidoc#addons.overview,"Using Vaadin Add-ons">>.
+
For detailed information regarding the compiler, see
<<../clientside/clientside-compiling#clientside.compiling,"Compiling a Client-Side Module">>.
Note that you should not deploy this library with a web application.

[filename]#vaadin-compatibility-*-8.x.x.jar#::
The Vaadin Framework 7 compatibility packages contain the components and themes that are present in framework version 7, but not in version 8. These packages exist for making it easier to migrate from version 7 to 8. There is a compatibility package for everything except [filename]#vaadin-client-compiler#.

Some of the libraries depend on each other, for instance [filename]#vaadin-shared# is included as a dependency of [filename]#vaadin-server#.

The different ways to install the libraries are described in the subsequent sections.

Note that the [filename]#vaadin-client-compiler# and [filename]#vaadin-client# JARs should not be deployed with the web application. The Maven scope [filename]#provided# can be used.
Some other libraries, such as [filename]#vaadin-sass-compiler#, are not needed in production deployment.