Assuming that you are brand new to the world of programming and development, it can quickly get overwhelming and difficult to map out a career path or a growth module for yourself. Since technologies are evolving at an ever-increasing rate and so are programming languages, it is becoming increasingly complex to keep up and make sense of it all.
No one wants to learn a language that will be obsolete in less than a few years. No one has that kind of time to spend understanding all the foundation languages that lay the groundwork of modern programming. So where should you start? How is a full stack Java developer any different? And why should you consider it at all? We’ll try to answer most of these questions as simply as possible.
Before we get into a more difficult task of becoming a full-stack Java Developer, you’ll need base skillsets to be on your way to the pinnacle of Java Program. Simply put, a full stack java developer has a high level of proficiency and is equally comfortable with front end development as well a back end development.
Think of it as your way to the top of chartered accountancy. Many people set out to pursue careers in accounts but they get funneled into and churned out, throughout their way to the top. This starts from the basic education levels as most students get discouraged and churned out in the first few semesters and only a fraction of them graduate. This places their skillset and availability in an exclusive range. Next comes the experience part which begins with the Articleship where they work on practical assignments and gain valuable experience. This ensures that only top talent makes it out, and of course, top talent is not only hard to find but also expensive.
Sounds tough, right? This picture we painted around accountancy is not to discourage you or scare you from the path of full-stack java development, on the contrary, we mean to encourage you but also be realistic about it.
Where to begin?
For up and coming programmers, the world is very much still your oyster. While the field becomes increasingly competitive, the landscape demands new and fresh talent with innovative approaches.
While you should not learn something that you think is on its way out, you should definitely form a baseline understanding of programming languages.
New developers should start with basic client-side technologies making their way to server-side technologies. Client-side technologies such as HTML, CSS, and Javascript are the core of all web development. This will help build a solid foundation for all your future programming skills and the best part is, learning and practicing them does not affect whether you pursue your specialization in Java Development or Ruby.
HTML
You are reading this article on a webpage that was constructed on HTML. Short for Hypertext Markup Language, HTML had humble beginnings. In the early days of the Internet, HTML was a static file that was served by your browser from a web server. This was perfect when things were simple and pages were not dynamic. Webpages hardly changed back in the day, unlike today when you may end up making changes on a daily basis.
As the demand and consumption of dynamic content increased, HTML evolved as well and is now dynamically generated on demand and as a future Java Developer, you must develop a solid understanding and intimate knowledge of an HTML document.
CSS
CSS – Cascading Style Sheets.
All the formatting and style of your webpages is controlled by CSS, including the fonts, colors, and layout. It is what differentiates how your website is displayed across different devices. The HTML of a webpage loaded on a browser will be the same as a mobile phone, but the CSS will be completely different. So, while HTML is the content, CSS is the packaging the content comes in.
Javascript
Javascript – Not to be confused with Java, Javascript is an entirely different programming language. Javascript is what we would call the backbone of Web 2.0 apps. To oversimplify, Javascript allows you to do things on your webpage. You can also dynamically change the HTML/CSS and involve user actions making your website feel more like an app than a typical website.
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol – is responsible for all communication between the client and the webserver. Whether or not you are working with AJAX, you should at least have a working knowledge of the language and know the difference between HTTP status codes, etc.
Server-Side Technologies
Java
It goes without saying that you need to learn Java itself to become a Java Web Developer. Coupled with your proficiency in Java, you should familiarize yourself with the Java Servlet API. Java servlet API lets you check things under the hood when things go south; and sometimes, they do go south.
JPA
Java Persistence API – As a Java Developer, it is impossible not to be working with databases and when it comes to relational databases, JPA is pretty much the standard for working. Whether you’re getting content from the database to display on the web page, or getting content from the user and storing it in a database, you’ll need working knowledge of JPA.
Java Application Servers
It seems like so long ago, that we were using complex coupling between applications and servers but now the current trend is in the favor of looser couplings. Tomcat is without a doubt the most popular Java Web Development application servers, providing the runtime environment for your web application.
JavaPipe has a good service for versatile Java-based Web Development and Hosting.
Conclusion
Java Web Development can be very rewarding and profitable if you know what you are doing and while it may look complex on the outside, it is actually quite simple. What is required is very much like any specialized profession, consistent learning and evolving with the changing landscape and keep yourself up to date. So if you are in this for the long run, Java Web Development can be one of the most rewarding skillsets you may get under your belt.
