Java Full Stack

In the fast-changing world of web development, where new ideas are always popping up, Full Stack Development has become a crucial skill. It’s like being a master chef who can prepare a whole meal from start to finish. In the web world, that means building everything a website needs, from what you see on the screen to all the hidden stuff that makes it work. And when it comes to Full Stack Development, there’s one tool that really stands out: Java. It’s like a reliable engine that keeps everything running smoothly.

In this beginner-friendly article on Java Full Stack Development, we will delve into the intricacies of this multifaceted skill. Whether you’re just starting your coding journey or seeking to expand your horizons as a Java developer, this guide will unravel the mysteries of Java Full Stack Development, explaining its components, advantages, and the journey of becoming a proficient Full Stack Developer in the world of Java.

What is Java Full Stack?

A “Java full stack” refers to a type of software development technique that involves using the Java programming language for both the front-end and back-end parts of a web application. In easy-to-understand terms, it means that Java is used to create both the parts of a website that you see and interact with (like buttons and forms) and the parts that work behind the scenes to store data, process requests, and make the website function properly. Now, lets see What is a Java Full Stack Developer and What it does?

Who is a Java Full Stack Developer?

A Java Full Stack Developer is a professional who can write code and create applications using Java, a popular programming language. Any application consists of three layers: frontend or the face of the application, backend or the primary processing and logical part of the application and the database layer or the layer where all the data about the users and application is stored and fetched by various layers. As a part of being a professional Java Full Stack developer, the programmer should be able to code all the layers efficiently.

Let’s look into the responsibilities of a Java Full Stack Developer:

• Creating interactive and user-friendly interfaces for the frontend layer.
• Design and implement robust backend architecture.
• Create persistent storage and servers with some backup recovery system installed.
• Ensure application compatibility with different platforms.
• Develop applications that meet the consumer’s requirements.

Salary Expectations

• The average salary of a Java Full Stack Developer in India is 6.0 LPA with salaries ranging from 3.0 LPA to 14.5 LPA.
• The salaries take a leap based on experience, that is, a fresher or a person with experience of a few years has an average salary of ~5 LPA while a Senior Java Full Stack Developer has an average salary of ~9 LPA to ~13 LPA.

A developer should master the following to become a Java Full Stack Developer:

Java Fundamentals

The first step to start with being a full-stack Java developer is to set up the IDE(Intellij or Eclipse) and learn how to import files and projects.

1. Java Core Concepts

Java, a versatile and widely-used programming language, is known for its core concepts that form the foundation of software development. These core concepts are essential for understanding and mastering Java.

1.1. Decision-Making

Decision-making in Java is used to execute a particular code segment based on the boolean result of certain conditions specified. Decision-making can be implemented using if, if-else, nested-if, if-else-if and switch cases.

1.2. Flow Control

Java provides three types of Control flow statements :

• Decision-Making Statements- The ‘if’ and ‘switch’ statements are used to select the code snippet to be followed based on the decision made.
• Loop Statements: The ‘for’, ‘while’ and ‘do-while’ statements are used to iterate over a particular code snippet multiple times.
• Jump Statements: The ‘break’, ‘continue’ and ‘return’ statements are used to jump over code snippets when required.

1.3. Methods

Methods in Java are a group of statements that perform a particular task and can be called whenever required. Using methods ensures code reusability and code optimization. A full-stack Java developer should be thorough with method declaration, return types, parameter lists, exception lists and types of methods(predefined and user-defined).

1.4. Object-Oriented Concepts

Java is an object-oriented language, that is, it uses objects as the basic entity to implement the functionality of the application or code. Getting a clear understanding of object-oriented concepts like class, objects, constructors, destructors, method passing, abstraction, interface, abstract classes, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism etc. is an important step towards a full-stack Java developer.

1.5. Array

Array or Java Array is a group of variables of the same type. These arrays are dynamically allocated and are stored in contagious memory blocks. Initializing, searching, sorting and deleting elements from an array are the basic operations that a full-stack Java developer should be aware of.

1.6. Collection Framework

Collection framework is a framework in Java that is used to store and manage groups of objects. Knowledge of classes in these collections, the interfaces and their methods is necessary to build simple applications in Java. The classes range from simple ArrayList, Stack, Queue, and LinkedList to complex classes like Set, Dequeue, Map etc.

1.7. Generics

Generics ensure type safety and it is one of the major concepts to be covered in Java core concepts. Generic method, bound type parameter, comparable interface and wildcards are also to be covered in this section.

2. Multithreading

Multithreading is an important feature of Java that ensures maximum CPU utilization by allowing concurrent execution of two or more threads or parts of a program. A full-stack Java developer should be sound with various methods of thread creation(extending thread class and implementing a runnable interface), synchronization(synchronized method, synchronized block, synchronized block on object, static synchronization), usage of volatile keyword, wait and notify, interrupt, join, thread pools, CountDownLatch, blocking queue, reentrant lock and deadlock.

3. Lambda-expression

Lambda expressions are used to execute the programs making them shorter. Earlier classes were used to implement functions defined in interfaces, using lambda expressions we can directly write function declarations. Go through how to create threads using lambda, lambda expressions with variables and iterations and predicates for a complete understanding of lambda expressions.

4. File Handling

Java provides a powerful File class to deal with files. File handling is an integral part as it enables us to read our input from files and save our results onto a file. Fundamental concepts include data stream, creating files on disk, creating a directory, writing in files, reading files with bufferReader and scanner, file deletion and serialization of objects.

5. Debugging

Debugging is the process of finding potential or existing errors in your Java code. It is an important step to improve code quality and reusability. As a developer, you need to know how to use conditional and exceptional breakpoints to debug code efficiently and how the value of the variables changes at runtime.

GIT and Version Control

Learn about Git basics and set up Github/Gitlab. Initialize repositories and commit regularly. You can also contribute to others’ projects by collaborating with them or practising open-source contributions. Make sure to keep your commits small and focused with clear commit messages and rebasing branches.

JSP and Servlets

Servlets are Java programs that run on the server side used to handle complex requests obtained from the web server. JSP(Java Server Pages) is a server-side technology used to create dynamic web content. JSPs are extended versions of Servlets and are easier to use and maintain. Learn about the servlet lifecycle, JSP elements(expression, scriptlets, declaration, comment and directive), deployment descriptors and annotations and JSP configuration in it, reading URL parameters, JSP pages and MVC.

1. Forms under JSP and Servlets

Inputs from the user on an HTML page can be taken by using the HTML Form on the server side using servlet. The data used to fill the form elements is sent over to the server side using get/post methods.

2. Java Beans

Java beans are Java classes used for encapsulation purposes. Go through bean scope types- session, page and application, request scope and beans with web forms.

3. Session Management

A session is a state between client and server during a conversation and can consist of multiple requests. Under this learn about cookies and their read-and-write operations, logout(using cookies and session attribute), redirects and forward links, servlet filters and HttpsSessions.

4. JSTL Tags

JSTL or JSP Standard Tag Library is for the ease of developers by combining all the tags in one single library. Their usage simplifies JSP and ensures code reusability.

• JSTL Core Tags: JSTL set and remove tag, JSTL choose and when tag, JSTL for loop, JSTL forEach loop, JSTL forTokens loop, JSTL import and param tag, JSTL URL and redirect tag, JSTL catch tag etc.
• JSTL Function Tags: JSTL length function, JSTL trim and escapeXml function, JSTL split and join function etc.
• JSTL XML Tags: JSTL XML parse and out tag, JSTL XML ForEach and if tag, JSTL XML Choose When otherwise etc.
• JSTL Formatting Tags: JSTL formatting date and number, JSTL timeZone and set timeZone etc.
• JSTL Custom Tags: Learn how to create custom tags using the tags mentioned above.

5. Integrating Web Template

In order to integrate web templates into our page, a developer should have knowledge of how to extract the header and footer from our template and integrate it into your required project using JSTL tags.

6. Database Under JSP and Servlets

Servlet initialization and interaction with the database is a crucial part of the learning curve for Java Developers. Workbench, JNDI, listing data on the webpage, adding records to the database, updating records in the database, deleting records from the database and adding JSTL support to the webpage are areas to be looked upon.

Hibernate

Hibernate is a query service used in Java applications. It maps Java classes to databases and provides efficient querying and retrieval services. Knowledge of MySQL is a prerequisite. In order to use Hibernate to its full potential, a developer must be thorough with setting up hibernate config files, session factory and sessions, adding entity class, hibernate in action, CRUD operations in the database and HQL basics(where clause, update records, delete records). After learning the concepts of Hibernate, the next step is to integrate Hibernate with JSP and Servlets.

Spring Framework

Spring is a Java framework used to create enterprise-level applications. The roadmaps for Spring include learning about

• Basics: dependency injection and its functionality, auto-wire scenarios, qualifier annotations, spring bean, constructor injection.
• SpringMVC: SpringMVC setup, basic form, request param and Model, ModelandView and foreach on data and error handling
• Forms: Starting with form elements like radio, checkbox, text area, drop-down list and radio buttons, form validation using HTML, Hibernate validator, ModelMap and validation rules
• JDBC: Maven setup, SQL and workbench, mapping and its methods, data access objects, beans(XML configurations), annotations, adding user links, adding user and validation.

RESTful Web Services

JAX-RS is a way to implement RESTful API in Java. Yoy need to learn about Rest response, status codes and JAX-RS basics such as subresource, ManytoOne mapping, filter, pagination, HeaderParam, CookieParam, ContextParam, URI builder, exception handling and mapper. Database connectivity using Hibernate is an important part of the concept of RESTful web services which includes integrating Hibernate, adding a DAO layer and learning about XML and JSON response.

Springboot

Springboot is a Spring framework in Java used to create microservices. It does not require XML configuration making it easier and beginner-friendly. As a full-stack Java developer, building restful web microservices with Springboot, ensuring data connectivity using CRUD operations, creating Eureka server, Eureka client and load balancing are important concepts to be mastered.

JUnit

JUnit is a unit testing framework for Java programs. In order to efficiently and quickly perform unit testing for your application make sure to be well-versed with JUnit test methods, assertions and testing exceptions.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed all the necessary technologies and frameworks for mastering Java Full Stack. Good knowledge and practice for each concept is important to ace any interview and create concise and crisp applications that prove to be an asset to the organisation. By mastering these core concepts, aspiring Java developers gain the skills needed to create robust, maintainable, and scalable applications. Java’s enduring popularity in the world of programming attests to the strength and utility of these foundational principles, making it a valuable language for both beginners and experienced developers alike.