There are multiple reasons why Java continues to be the leader in the world of development and why is it still worthy of learning. First of all, it is a very simple language, very much straightforward to use, write, compile, debug and learn compared to many other programming languages. The codes are reusable because it is object-oriented. It is also platform-independent, very much secure, and there are a lot of other benefits as well which you may be knowing already, because if not, you may not be reading this article. So, let’s directly dive into the learning path of how to become a Java full-stack developer.
There are many people who just work at the front end or just the back end of an application. Unlike them, a full-stack Java developer works end to end on the application stack. That is, right from the front end where we get to see the UI to the back end and the databases. Now, that’s some expert work, isn’t it? Let’s see how you can become a Java full-stack developer.
Learn The Basics Of Java
First and foremost, in anything that we learn, it is important to know about the basics. The same applies here. You should get first thorough with the basics of Java. This usually includes learning about the proper structuring of the Java language, its syntax, variables, creating objects, class, exception handling, data structure, listing, etc.
You should also learn about the front end, back end, and the whole architecture of an application. In short, you learn about handling and manipulating data in the basics of Java. There are a lot of platforms that will get you started with the Java language. Be it LinkedIn learning, Udemy, or just any youtube tutorial by any Java expert will do.
Go through this Udemy course from the link below to learn core java.
Udemy offers good courses for Java EE Enterprise Edition.
This course will enable you to build an understanding of various topics like Jakarta EE, JPA, CDI, JAX-RS, REST, JSON-P, JSON-B, and much more. And also fundamentals of Java EE, its specifications, and implementations. You’ll also be able to build complex applications using Java EE.
Move To Advanced Java
Now, that you are quite familiar with Java and its basics, let’s move on to some advanced concepts. Here, we will be talking in-depth about the front-end and back-end modules that play a major role in an application. As I said earlier, a full-stack developer is both a front-end and back-end developer. So you need to know both. And most importantly, how to connect both. Let’s start with the front end.
Front End Development
The front-end is the User Interface (UI), i.e., what an end-user sees. So, it mainly includes how a certain data looks and how it takes in the data to the back end, etc. For front-end development, first of all, you should know some fundamental technologies such as HTML, basic CSS, and JavaScript.
Apart from these, companies also prefer JS frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, etc., to write their front-end module. These frameworks help in giving structure to the front-end module, breaking up pages into components that could be reused further, dynamic loading, and so on. This speeds up the development process by dodging the need to write boilerplate code. Frameworks also help to maintain code efficiently and have a standard look and feel on the UI.
It is not always necessary to use a framework every time you write a front-end module of your application. It largely depends on the use cases. There are many other frameworks apart from the ones I have mentioned above. Besides, every year new UI frameworks and libraries are out in the market that augments the number of JavaScript frameworks and libraries you have.
Hence, first, master the fundamental technologies and move to a UI framework.
Below are some courses that you can check out, to begin with, the fundamental technologies:-
If you wish to learn the JavaScript frameworks, check out these Udemy courses:
Back-End Development
To develop the back-end application, you should have the knowledge of core Java that includes servlets, REST, JSON API, Asynchronous, Server-Sent events, JPA, etc. These are some fundamental things that you should know.
Spring framework is that one Java framework that is used widely in the industry for enterprise application development as it offers a lot of features. Spring was originated as an MVC framework but now it is an entire ecosystem. From writing monoliths, microservices to serverless applications, reactive, event-driven, cloud-native applications, or any other, spring framework covers everything.
Udemy also has master classes on Spring Framework. Check this link:-
This course will help you to learn the fundamentals of the Spring Framework. It will teach you how real-world industry projects use this framework and what are its best practices. You will learn the concepts like Spring Core, Spring MVC, and other technologies.
Spring Boot and Hibernate are two other important Java frameworks that will help you become a master of Java web development. If you want a detailed explanation of how Java is used at the back-end, you can check out this article.
We have talked about both the front end and back end and their integration through the Spring framework. But where will you store your data? What is the use of the data if not stored? Whatever value we give will only act as a dummy then. Hence, the database is an essential part of any application.
Database Skills
There are a variety of databases that support different data models. Some of them are Document Oriented Database, Graph Database, Relational Database, Wide Column Database, Key-Value Database, Time Series Database, etc. As per our application, different database fits different use cases to implement different features.
Knowing SQL, the language that is used to query the databases is easy but very important. The two most widely used databases in the application development industry are Mongo DB & MySQL. Mongo DB is a document-oriented NoSQL database whereas MySQL is a relational database.
Besides this, another important skill when it comes to implementing the storage component is Data Modelling. It is the process of designing the data model for the application. When you are developing an application, you will be designing a data model first and then move with connecting backend application code, wiring Java classes with database tables, and so on.
You should also have the knowledge of application architecture to become a top-notch full-stack Java application developer. While designing a full-stack application, you need to know the fundamentals of web architecture very well. At the same time, you should be aware of which database to pick up that may be the best fit for your use case.
Here are the links for –
- The Complete SQL Bootcamp 2021: Go from Zero to Hero
- MongoDB – The Complete Developer’s Guide
- The Ultimate MySQL Bootcamp: Go from SQL Beginner to Expert
Final Thoughts
So, you have now seen what all it takes to be a Java full-stack developer. You should know everything about Java, i.e., both basic and advanced. You should know about the application architecture, integration of front-end and back-end, and last but not the least, databases. The subject is vast. I have provided some links to courses where you can learn everything. But, don’t overwhelm yourself by binging all courses at once. Take time, plan, and make the move.
Acquiring the full-stack skill will bring in rewards in a long run. You can either do a job at a company or freelance your service. You will be like a one-man army. You will not need another person’s help to write an application end to end.
You can check out this article if you are interested in learning how to make money using your Java skills.
Now, just go, learn and create wonders. I hope this article was helpful to you. Comment down your thoughts or queries.
