My name is Oleksandr and I am a Java developer. I am currently working at CLOVERTECH, where we use lots of programming languages. But for now, I’d like to tell you why have I chosen Java, where it is used, how do you start with it, and how to grow as a professional with the language.
Java is an object-oriented, strongly-typed general-purpose programming language.
Thanks to Java code compiling into bytecode, any application is written using the language can be loaded on every platform where the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is installed.
Nowadays, almost 9 million people work using Java, and the language-based applications are run on 7 billion devices.
Is Java worth developing in?
What is the practical aim of learning Java? Surfing the job searching websites, you may notice that the position of Java developer is quite sought-after, thus, developing in Java, one can always find and pick an interesting project.
According to the TIOBE index, Java is the third most popular programming language, taking over PHP, C#, C++, and Typescript.
The language is popular, and its community is large. Answers to any questions can be always found on different resources, for instance, Stack Overflow. Besides, developing in Java, you can easily switch to Kotlin, Scala, and other languages that use JVM.
What is written using Java?
Java is widely used in many spheres:
- FinTech programs;
- working with Big Data;
- web, mobile, Android/iOS applications, and so on.
Is it easy to learn Java?
I can say that Java is not challenging even for Juniors. It is important to focus on basic knowledge and principles comprehending starting from the first day of learning. That’s the way it will be easier to learn Java and other languages.
Why should Juniors learn Java? What are the necessary specifics and the directions of development of this language?
Since Java is used not for all application types development only, but for distributed systems’ server logic too, choosing Java one obtains a great variety of possible projects to work on. It is easy to switch development types, not changing the programming language used.
Meanwhile, Java is a convenient platform if we talk about its components and resolutions base. The above-mentioned large community makes the learning and entering process much faster and simpler. Moreover, the demand for Java developers grows day by day. This provides a stable environment with confidence about the future for a developer.
As I have mentioned, Java is a universal language. It does not ‘bind’ one to a narrow direction, e.g. front-end, back-end, or android development, since they all are written with Java.
There is a great variety of directions of Java development in the language’s ecosystem:
- Enterprise world with Java EE (Jakarta EE for now);
- Spring and everything built up around it during the years;
- mobile development for Android;
- web-development with numerous complete platforms available;
- reaction direction and so on.
Each of the directions is deep, and it will take much time and effort to seize it.
It is also interesting to know that there are alternative JVM-based languages: Kotlin and Groovy. Since they are based on Java, it does not take much to switch to them. They are more adapted to the modern development world, but they are not as popular as Java is.
Where do you start?
Algorithms and data structures are a great place to start. It is easy to learn any language knowing the base. For self-development and trending, I would recommend getting a handle on several languages.
Java is a platform but not a language first. Namely, Java is more than just a language, because its platform includes many other languages. Thus, I’d recommend comprehending what makes Java-based programs work.
Conclusion
Java is worth learning for several reasons:
- the language is easy to learn;
- it includes a great variety of development directions;
- large community;
- there are lots of projects to choose from.
These are Oleksandr Chekalenko’s tips that will help junior developers keen their potential in the right direction and build up a career they dream of. Don’t hesitate to start, and, by all means, share us on your social media!
