WHAT IS JAVA DEVELOPER

Java: A Brief Look According to Java’s website, Java is "a programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995." Java is an object-oriented, class-based, general-purpose language widely used for coding applications and has been popular among developers for over 20 years. The compiled code of a Java application (called "byte code") runs on most operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. Java was created by Sun engineers known as the "Green Team" as a language for digital devices such as set-top boxes and televisions. However, the language was too complex for machines at the time, but it was an excellent fit for Internet programming. Java was first known as "Green talk," then "Oak," and finally "Java." There have been 19 versions of Java released thus far, with the 20th version slated for a March 2022 release.

What exactly is a Java Developer?

A Java developer takes care of developing software and applications using Java programming. He or she collaborates with other software engineers and web developers to utilize Java for developing applications, websites, and more.

A Java developer needs to be active until the end of the whole development life cycle of a solution or product. A developer also needs to be capable of analyzing and identifying technical problems concerning the Java language and should come up with efficient, workable solutions.

Exception Handling

In Java, "exception" means an event that interrupts the normal flow of events in a program. Exception handling is a method to handle runtime errors such as Remote Exception, Input Output Exception, SQL Exception, etc.

Multithreading

A thread in Java refers to a lightweight process that demands fewer resources to create and share the process resources. Multithreading means a process of executing two or more threads at one time for the utmost utilization of the CPU.

Input Output in Java

Java input-output is a crucial concept while working on Java programming. It includes elements such as input, output, and stream. Input refers to the data we provide to the program, whereas output is the data we receive from the program. Stream represents the data flow sequence.

Advanced Java

To take a giant leap in Java learning, you should be familiar with the following concepts:

Servlets
Java Persistence API
Java Database Connectivity
JARS
Thyme leaf
Design patterns

Core Java

Core Java is used to build computing or desktop applications. It is essentially based on a single-tier architecture.

The Java Developer Roadmap

Let's explore the roadmap for becoming a full-stack Java developer. Full-stack developers can work equally well with front-end and back-end software (also called client-side and server-side, respectively), and this versatility puts them in high demand. Full-stack developers can do it all.

Note that this Java developer roadmap is not the only one available. There are many paths up the mountain, as the saying goes. However, this particular roadmap offers a balanced, comprehensive, and realistic approach.

Front-End Development

These tools and skills are the foundations upon which you will build the rest of your Java developer roadmap. You should master these fundamental web development tools:

You then need to familiarize yourself with Integrated Development Environments (IDE):

Sublime Text 3
Visual Studio Code IDE

And, of course, since you’re focusing on front-end development, you need to know front-end frameworks like:

Angular
React
Vue.js

Finally, you should become familiar with User Interface (UI) libraries like Bootstrap CSS and Material UI.

Back-End Development

For starters, you obviously need to master Core Java, including Java 8 features, also known as Java functional programming.

Speaking of Java, back-end developers also need to learn Java build tools like:

Gradle
Maven

Like front-end technology, back-end development has its IDEs:

Eclipse IDE
IntelliJ IDEA
Spring Tool Suite

Back-end developers need to work with different databases, so they should become familiar with NoSQL and relational databases like:

No SQL databases

Apache Cassandra
MongoDB
Raven DB
Redis

Relational databases

MS-SQL Server
MySQL
Oracle
PostgreSQL
SQL Server

Cloud databases

CosmosDB
DynamoDB

Other necessary back-end technologies include:

Create DAO/Repository Layers

JPA/Hibernate
Spring Data JPA

Build REST APIs in Java

Jersey REST Framework
Rest Easy Framework
Spring Boot

Spring Security is used to secure REST APIs.

Authentication
JWT
Role-based authorization

Mandatory Skills for Java Developers

Linux: As most Java applications are server-side, they typically run on Linux servers. Hence, it is critical to learn some Linux commands and concepts related to various functions.
Data structures and algorithms: Data structures and algorithms are the building blocks of any programming language. Data structures such as a LinkedIn list, a binary tree, a hash table, a queue, etc. are important ones to learn.
Fundamentals of computer science: It is crucial to be aware of the fundamentals before learning any language. It helps in creating robust web or software applications.
SQL: Learning SQL helps troubleshoot backend issues like a pro.
Git and GitHub: As a Java programmer, it is extremely important to be familiar with Git and GitHub concepts. They are popular version control systems.

Build Tools

In order to build Java projects, you should be familiar with various build tools. Following are some of the tools for building your Java project:

Ant
Maven
Gradle

Servers

Deploying should be ready once you have developed your web application. Deploying happens on servers; hence, you should be aware of them. The following are some of the servers that you can use to deploy your web applications:
- Web logic
- Web Sphere
- Jetty
- J BOSS
- Tomcat

Java APIs

Critical software components included with the JDK. They generally include interfaces, user interfaces, and classes. They facilitate developers' integration of numerous websites and applications while offering real-time information. Following are some of the Java APIs to learn about:
- Java IO
- Java concurrency
- Java collection framework

Java Frameworks

Java has a broad ecosystem, which means that there are various frameworks and libraries for anything and everything. A Java developer should be familiar with the following frameworks:
- Hibernate
- Log4j
- JUnit
- Spring boot
- Spring

Testing

Is a critical skill for Java developers, especially integration testing, unit testing, and automation testing. JUnit and Mocking are two of the most famous unit testing and mocking libraries. More advanced libraries, such as Robot Framework and Cucumber, are also helpful in various cases. On the other hand, though mocking is a vast library, other libraries can also be helpful, such as Easy Mock and Power Mock.

Utility Libraries

From sending an HTTP request to parsing JSON, you will have libraries to perform almost anything in Java. Software libraries such as Google Guava and Apache Commons are crucial for any Java developer, as they optimally complement JDK libraries.

ORM

ORM stands for "object relational mapping." It is a middleware application tool that sits between a web application and a database. It converts data between Java objects and database tables. The following are some of the ORM tools:
- Eclipse Link
- Open JPA
- Top Link