There is a saying in the programming world: a programmer is only as good as his tools. The longer you write code, the more you will feel this.
If you don't understand the necessary tools, then you will work harder and take longer to deliver than others, whereas if you understand the tools well, you can more easily complete daily tasks such as coding, testing, debugging, deploy. If you want to become a better programmer, one of the most important tips is to learn the tools of your industry.
There are many tools in the Java world, from famous IDEs such as Eclipse, NetBeans, and IntelliJIDEA to JVM analysis and monitoring tools such as JConsole, VisualVM, and Eclipse Memory Analyzer. Java developers should know these tools.
In this article, I mainly share some basic and advanced tools that Java programmers should learn in 2023. Of course, if you know some great tools that Java programmers should learn, please share them with us in the comment section.
1. Docker
Docker is an open source tool for automating the deployment of applications in the cloud or on physical servers. It allows developers and system administrators to build, publish and run distributed applications, whether on laptops, data center virtual machines or the cloud.
Docker works with cloud, Linux and Windows vendors, and with many companies focused on IT automation, Docker is well-positioned to take advantage of this.
2. Kubernetes
Besides Docker, Kubernetes or K8 is one of the most sought-after skills for companies of all sizes. So if you're looking to acquire new skills and tools that will last throughout your career, learning Kubernetes is a great option. Kubernetes dramatically changes the code deployment process, making it possible to roll out new versions seamlessly without downtime.
Kubernetes is also an important tool for adopting hybrid cloud environments, meaning the same code can run on a developer computer as well as on different cloud environments such as AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure. If your company is pushing cloud computing, learning Kubernetes will really help you.
In short, whether you are a junior Java developer or a senior developer with many years of experience, if you have realized the importance of Kubernetes and want to learn some Kubernetes knowledge, this will be helpful for you.
3. Git
Git is one of the essential tools for Java programmers. It is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle small to large projects quickly and efficiently.
Git is easy to learn, has a small footprint, and is lightning fast, but unfortunately, I don't use Git extensively.
I have used Git to download open source projects and samples from Github using Eclipse, but I have not mastered the Git command line yet, which is why I made it a learning goal for 2023.
4. Maven
If you are an experienced Java developer then you should already know Maven, but if you are a newbie or a Java developer with 1 to 2 years of experience then it is a great tool to learn in 2023. Apache Maven is a build and project management tool.
Based on the concept of the Project Object Model (POM), Maven can be used to manage the project's builds, reporting and documentation from central information. Another useful feature of Maven is dependency management.
Since we use a lot of third-party libraries in our Java projects, manually managing each JAR and its dependencies can be very cumbersome. Maven solves this problem by automatically downloading the correct JAR for you.
5.Jenkins
Jenkins is an open source automation server written in Java. It helps automate the non-human parts of the software development process, such as compiling projects, running unit tests, integration tests, generating documentation, and uploading artifacts on local and remote repositories. It is one of the most popular tools for continuous integration and implementation of continuous delivery in projects.
6. Selenium
Selenium is one of the best software testing frameworks for web applications. It provides a playback tool for writing tests without having to learn a test scripting language. Java developers can use Selenium to test their HTML and JSP files.
It also provides various tools and libraries for web browser automation. If you are in the field of automation and testing, Selenium is a must-have for you.
7. Groovy
If there is one language that Java developers should learn in 2023, it should be Groovy; why? Because it is complementary to Java. You can do more with your Java projects using Groovy than just sticking to plain Java.
You can use it to write build scripts, test scripts, and even use popular frameworks like Gradle and Spock.
By the way, for those who don't know, Apache Groovy is an object-oriented programming language for the Java platform.
It is a dynamic language that has similar functionality to Python, Ruby, Perl, and Smalltalk and extends Java by providing a concise and compelling syntax.
8.Spock
Spock is a testing and specification framework for Java and Groovy applications. What makes it stand out is its beautiful and expressive specification language.
Thanks to its JUnit runner, Spock is compatible with most IDEs, build tools, and continuous integration servers.
This is a great tool to learn in 2023, especially if you want to improve your unit testing skills, which is a crucial step in becoming a good developer.
9. Gradle
Gradle is another open source build automation system that takes the best ideas from Apache Ant and Apache Maven and takes them to the next level. It is also the default build tool for Android.
It introduces a Groovy-based domain-specific language (DSL) instead of the XML used by Apache Maven to declare project configuration, which makes it easier to configure project dependencies and customize them to your needs.
Why choose Gradle over Ant or Maven? Well, because it combines the best features of other build tools, such as the flexibility and control of Ant, the dependency management of Ivy, the convention over configuration and plugins of Maven, and most importantly it uses the Groovy DSL on top of Ant. This makes it the best build tool for Java projects.
10.Atlassian
Atlassian's JIRA is one of the most important tools in the current agile development world. It is used for bug tracking, issue tracking, and project management.
If you follow agile development methodologies such as Sprint and Scrum, then you must know JIRA. It allows you to create Spring cycles and track the progress of software development.
It’s true that your tools are only as good as your abilities. Good programmers always know more tools, and they know their tools better than average programmers. There is a strong correlation between the two.
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