Ive studied Java and Im kind of roadblocked!

LunarLionheart

Im going to show off some naivety here.

Ive always had an interest in coding, and studied it formally in college, and taken a bunch of online courses to boot.

I really enjoy Java, I have a strong grasp and enjoyed my college projects.

But, my college projects were mostly self contained programs with very little real world application.

Ive delved into Android development, but apart from Android and creating local applications on my desktop, Im a bit overwhelmed and I feel like I dont know where to go next.

There seems to be a bunch of pathways regarding development to go from here, and Im a little stumped.

Would you guys mind trying to guide me in a couple of directions, or to share any similar thoughts?

Thank you in advance guys!

igCorcaigh

How about learning server side Web development using Java? You could build a Web api that you could then consume from an android app. That way, your expanding on both skills together.

You may want a database behind your Web service, so you will need to learn about architecting that. You will also need to test the application, so you can learn about the various types of testing that can be done.

Also, you can put all your projects into a source control system such as GitHub, which you can share as part of your portfolio.

I'm not a Java developer, so I'll leave it up to others to point you in the direction of Java Web frameworks.

LunarLionheart

igCorcaigh wrote: »

How about learning server side Web development using Java? You could build a Web api that you could then consume from an android app. That way, your expanding on both skills together.

You may want a database behind your Web service, so you will need to learn about architecting that. You will also need to test the application, so you can learn about the various types of testing that can be done.

Also, you can put all your projects into a source control system such as GitHub, which you can share as part of your portfolio.

I'm not a Java developer, so I'll leave it up to others to point you in the direction of Java Web frameworks.

That's quite a good idea!
See it's the portfolio that's letting me down, I'm plenty qualified but I just haven't got anything overtly substantial as regards to java development behind me.

srsly78

You are focusing too much on the tech, and not enough on it's purpose - solving practical problems. Pick some problem you find interesting, then think about what software tools/skills will be needed to implement solution.

LunarLionheart

srsly78 wrote: »

You are focusing too much on the tech, and not enough on it's purpose - solving practical problems. Pick some problem you find interesting, then think about what software tools/skills will be needed to implement solution.

Solid advice, thats exactly what Im trying to establish though - I need guidance as regards to the kind of problems I can think about solving, when I try and research I get overwhelmed.

igCorcaigh

Building RESTful services in java

https://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/tutorial/doc/giepu.html

Mr. CooL ICE

Have you ever studied another language? If you haven't, it would do no harm to step out of your comfort zone. Some basic web front end would be an easy place to start. Codeacademy have nice basic HTML, CSS and Javascript introductory courses.

LunarLionheart

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

Have you ever studied another language? If you haven't, it would do no harm to step out of your comfort zone. Some basic web front end would be an easy place to start. Codeacademy have nice basic HTML, CSS and Javascript introductory courses.

I think I didn't phrase my post as transparent as I had hoped, sorry!
I'm actually involved in a few different strains of development, web being one of them.
What I was hoping to find out was the different pathways for Java specifically, it's a bit of a minefield to know what direction to go in!

igCorcaigh

Will you be looking for a job soon?
If so, then it's best to spend your time on something useful.

Have a look at some job vacancies and pay attention to the desired skill sets. Find commonly required technologies and prioritise those for your study plan.

Don't overthink it though. Choose a small app to write that will build on your existing skills. I suggested a java Web api (RESTful) backed with a database. And an android app that interacts with the api. You could then host your server app on Amazon cloud.

That will give you a broad exposure to commonly used technologies yet still focused enough for you to complete and showcase in a reasonable time frame.

Talisman

If you are looking to complete a project with a view to future employment then you should use one of the more commonly used frameworks.

Spring MVC framework is probably the most widely used framework and is always in demand.

JSF (JavaServer Faces) is part of Java EE and backed by Oracle.

Play! Framework allows you to build web applications on a llightweight architecture (Akka).

Hibernate ORM is essential for mapping an object-oriented domain model to a relational database.

If you are looking for some fun you should check out newer and less established frameworks.

Eclipse Vert.x and Spark are lightweight and ideal for building micro-services.