In this post, a summary of some of the most interesting posts that have appeared on this blog related to Java. There’s a bit for everyone, there’s some Maven and Android, as some good documentation resources. And something about Java applets, because, for some odd reason, I still like them.
Over the last few days, Streamhead has seen a major influx of new readers. I hereby welcome you all. There is something for every one here. Because many of you are new, I thought it might be nice to show you some of, what I consider, to be my best and most valuable posts. So you can get an idea of what you’ve missed and catch up. I’m going to do this at most once every month or two and I’ll be trying to make these posts thematic. This time, it’s all Java.
Automation
Most recently, I’ve been obsessed with automation. Especially automated dependency management is a pet-peeve of mine. Most Java programs are constructed from many external libraries and those libraries in many cases also need libraries. It quickly becomes a hassle to manage this by hand.
In this regard, Maven is sort of a one-stop-shop for most Java programs. It’s most known feature is dependency management, but it can do so much more. A well configure Maven project can be fully automatically build, tested and deployed.
Two posts are of special interest here:
- Using Maven to create a project with Spring, Vaadin and Google AppEngine. Not as easy as it might sound.
- A Maven way to configure Seam and Facelets. Where I also mention the ugly side of Maven (hint: xml, xml and some more xml)
Something new
I’ve done a bunch of posts on the latest and greats. Still for now there is one language in particular that keeps holding my interest (I really, really should program something with it): Clojure. It’s Lisp for the Java Virtual Machine.
Next to new programming language, Java has also recently moved to mobile devices. For a second time. First there was the Java Mobile Edition, which was plagued by half-assed implementations, a scattered hardware platform and many proprietary APIs. Now there’s is Android. A Google backed, entirely free mobile development platform.
Although I think we still need to see some really good tools before Android will boom.
Something old
For some reason, I’ve always liked Java applets. In principle they allow you to use Java in the browser, just as you would ActionScript. That’s the principle, sadly applets have been plagued by many problems, not the least the slow startup time.
However, I believe Java applets are long overdue for a comeback. They can be used for web 2.0 business application development, but just as well for hardware 3D. Applets have had it for a long time, while Flash has only recently caught up. Check out this short tutorial on how to get started.
Documentation
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s one other incredible thing about Java: Java and the many libraries are extremely well documented. And it’s all free. Just check out the DZone Refcardz for quick reference cards that are great to keep right on your desk.
If you want to get into game development after you’ve seen the 3D, head on over to this list of prime documentation and tutorial resources. Not all Java, but it should get you started.
Enjoy! If you have suggestions for things to write on, just leave a comment or send me a message. If you like to keep up-to-date with this blog, there are a few subscription options to your right.
