Open Task Hub

Open Task Hub is a long-term Java/Spring Boot portfolio project: an issue tracker inspired by Jira, Bugzilla, MantisBT and GitHub Issues.

It is intentionally not a React application. The first frontend is server-side rendered with Spring MVC + Thymeleaf + plain CSS. Later, small dynamic pieces can be added with HTMX without introducing a Node/React build pipeline.

Why this project exists

This project is designed to demonstrate a strong modern Java backend profile:

• Java 25
• Spring Boot 4
• PostgreSQL
• Flyway migrations
• JPA/Hibernate
• Spring Security form login
• REST API
• server-side UI with Thymeleaf
• Gradle
• Docker Compose
• validation
• audit log foundation
• project/issue/comment domain model

The long-term plan is intentionally large: this can become a 1,000-10,000 hour learning and portfolio project.

Current MVP features

The generated code already supports:

• login with Spring Security
• bootstrap users
• dashboard
• project list
• project creation
• project detail
• issue list per project
• issue creation
• issue detail
• status change
• comments
• basic REST endpoints
• PostgreSQL schema via Flyway
• audit event records for key actions

Frontend choice

Use Thymeleaf first.

Reasons:

• no React learning burden
• no Node/npm/Vite toolchain
• normal Java controller + HTML templates
• easy to change by one developer
• suitable for internal tools, admin panels and issue trackers
• can later use HTMX for inline updates, filters and partial refreshes

Recommended future frontend stack:

• Phase 1: Thymeleaf + plain CSS
• Phase 2: Thymeleaf fragments + HTMX
• Phase 3: optional Alpine.js for tiny local interactions
• Avoid React unless the project later needs a public SPA-style frontend.

Axon Framework decision

Do not use Axon Framework in the first years of this project.

Axon is useful for CQRS/Event Sourcing systems, but it will make the learning path harder and less generally transferable. Most Java/Spring backend jobs will value clean Spring Boot, JPA, PostgreSQL, REST, security, tests and Docker more than Axon-specific knowledge.

A better path:

1. Start with classic modular monolith.
2. Add domain events using Spring events.
3. Add an outbox table.
4. Add Kafka/RabbitMQ integration.
5. Only then consider CQRS/Event Sourcing in one isolated module.

Requirements

• Docker and Docker Compose for the easiest run path
• Or Java 25 + Gradle 8.14+/9.x + local PostgreSQL

Spring Boot 4.0.x supports Java 17 through Java 26 and Gradle 8.14+ or 9.x according to the official Spring Boot system requirements.

Run with Docker Compose

docker compose up --build

Open:

http://localhost:8080

Demo users:

admin / admin123
robert / robert123

The application creates a demo CNA project with initial issues.

REST examples

List projects:

curl -u admin:admin123 http://localhost:8080/api/projects

Create project:

curl -u admin:admin123 -H 'Content-Type: application/json'   -d '{"key":"NOVA","name":"Nova-3D","description":"Nova-3D engine tasks","visibility":"PRIVATE"}'   http://localhost:8080/api/projects

Create issue:

curl -u admin:admin123 -H 'Content-Type: application/json'   -d '{"title":"Implement workflow editor","description":"Project-specific workflow configuration.","type":"FEATURE","priority":"HIGH"}'   http://localhost:8080/api/projects/CNA/issues

Local development

Create PostgreSQL database:

create database open_task_hub;
create user forge with password 'forge';
grant all privileges on database open_task_hub to forge;

Run:

gradle bootRun

Package structure

com.openeggbert.opentaskhub
├── api          REST DTOs and REST controllers
├── config       security and bootstrap data
├── domain       JPA entities and enums
├── repository   Spring Data JPA repositories
├── service      transactional application services
└── web          Thymeleaf MVC controllers and forms

Next implementation priorities

1. Better validation and error pages.
2. Issue edit screen.
3. Assignee selection.
4. Labels UI.
5. Full-text search.
6. Real permission checks per project.
7. Tests with Testcontainers.
8. OpenAPI/Swagger.
9. LDAP/OIDC integration.
10. Webhooks and companion services.

See docs/ROADMAP-10000H.md and docs/FUTURE-DATA-MODEL.md.