How do I retrieve a URL from a web site using Java?

The easiest way to do a GET is to use the built in java.net.URL. However, as mentioned, httpclient is the proper way to go, as it will allow you among others to handle redirects.

For parsing the html, you can use html parser.

You can use HttpURLConnection in combination with URL.

URL url = new URL("http://example.com");
HttpURLConnection connection = (HttpURLConnection)url.openConnection();
connection.setRequestMethod("GET");
connection.connect();

InputStream stream = connection.getInputStream();
// read the contents using an InputStreamReader