The ever-evolving technology landscape and increasing demand for high-quality software solutions make it crucial for developers to stay current and improve their skills. 

That’s why in this blog, we’ll be sharing 10 tips to help you become a better Java developer in 2023. From mastering core Java concepts to staying up-to-date with the latest tools and technologies, these tips will guide you on your journey to becoming a top-notch Java developer.

What is Java Programming?

Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language that was developed by Sun Microsystems in the mid-1990s. It is designed to be portable and run on any platform, which is achieved by compiling the code into an intermediate format called Java bytecode. 

This bytecode can be executed on any machine that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed. Java is used to develop a wide range of applications, from desktop software to mobile apps and enterprise-level systems. 

It is known for its simplicity, security, and scalability, making it a popular choice for developers across the world.

Why has Java become one of the most popular programming languages for developers?

Java’s combination of portability, ease of use, robustness, and security has made it a popular choice for developers and organizations worldwide. 

The following are the top-most reasons contributing to Java’s immense popularity:

• Platform independence: Java code can run on any device that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed, making it platform-independent.
• Object-Oriented Programming: Java is based on the principles of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), which allows developers to create reusable and modular code.
• Easy to learn and use: Java has a simple, clean syntax that is easy to learn, especially for developers who have prior experience with OOP.
• Robust and Secure: Java has a strong type-checking mechanism and an automatic memory management system, making it less prone to errors and security vulnerabilities.
• Large Community and Support: Java has a large and active community of developers who constantly contribute to the language’s development and provide support to one another.
• Wide Range of Applications: Java is used for developing a variety of applications, including desktop software, mobile apps, and enterprise-level systems, which has further fueled its popularity.

10 Tips To Become a Better Java Developer in 2023

As a Java developer, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest tools and technologies and continually improve your skills.

Master the fundamentals of Java

Before diving into more advanced topics, make sure you have a solid understanding of core Java concepts. 

The basics of Java programming include:

• Syntax: The syntax of Java is based on the syntax of C and C++, with some additional features. It’s important to be familiar with Java’s syntax and understand how to write valid Java code.
• Data Types: Java supports various data types such as int, float, double, and char, among others. It’s important to understand the difference between these data types and how to use them effectively in your code.
• Variables: Variables are used to store data in Java. It’s important to understand how to declare variables, assign values to them, and use them in your code.
• Control Structures: Java has several control structures such as if-else statements, loops (for, while, and do-while), and switch statements. It’s important to understand how to use these control structures to control the flow of your code.
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Java is an object-oriented language, which means that you write code using objects and classes. It’s important to understand the concepts of inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation, among others.

To master these basics, you can follow these steps:

• Write code: Writing code is the best way to reinforce your understanding of the basics. Start with simple programs and gradually move on to more complex projects.
• Study real-world Java applications: Learn from real-world Java applications by examining their source code and understanding how they use Java features and libraries.
• Seek feedback: Share your code with others and solicit feedback to identify areas for improvement and learn new techniques.
• Invest in learning resources: Consider purchasing a Java course or textbook to enhance your understanding of the language.
• Use debugging tools: Utilize Java’s debugging tools to identify and fix errors in your code, and to gain a deeper understanding of how the language works.

Stay up-to-date with Java versions

Java is continuously evolving, and it’s important to keep pace by staying current with the latest versions and their new features.

Here are some tips for keeping up-to-date with Java:

• Follow Java-related blogs and websites: Stay informed about the latest Java releases and changes by following Java-related blogs and websites, such as Talent500. 
• Subscribe to Java newsletters: Sign up for newsletters and email updates on Java-related platforms to receive regular updates on the latest Java releases and changes.
• Attend conferences and meetups: Attending conferences and meetups is a great way to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the Java world and network with other Java developers.
• Follow Java-related profiles, accounts and pages on social media: Follow Java-related channels on social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to stay informed about the latest Java news and updates.
• Read Java books and tutorials: Keep up-to-date with Java by reading the latest Java books and tutorials, and by taking online courses.
• Get involved in the Java community: Join online forums, attend meetups, and participate in coding competitions to stay connected with other Java developers and learn from their experiences.

Practice writing code 

The more you practice, the better you’ll sharpen your development skills. Set aside time each day to work on coding exercises and personal projects.

Here’s how you can start:

• Start with simple programs: Start with simple programs and gradually move on to more complex projects as you gain confidence and experience.
• Work on personal projects: Work on personal projects that interest you, and that challenge you to use your Java skills in new and creative ways.
• Participate in coding challenges and contests: Participate in coding challenges and contests to put your skills to the test and learn from other programmers.
• Collaborate with others: Work with other programmers on a project, or pair programs with someone to learn from their skills and techniques.
• Use version control: Use version control tools such as Git to keep track of your code and collaborate with others.
• Study other people’s code: Study the code of other Java developers to learn new techniques and best practices.

Read Java documentation 

Java has extensive documentation that can help you better understand its features and capabilities. Make a habit of reading through it regularly.

But what exactly is Java Documentation? 

• Java documentation is a comprehensive set of materials that provide information about the Java programming language and its libraries, classes, methods, and functions. 
• The Java documentation includes reference information, tutorials, examples, and guides for using Java to develop applications. 
• Java documentation is an essential resource for Java developers and is used to learn about the various features and capabilities of the Java programming language, as well as to find solutions to specific programming problems. 
• The Java documentation is available online through the Java SE Documentation website and can also be downloaded for offline use.

Use code versioning tools

Code versioning tools, also known as version control systems, are software tools that help manage and track changes to source code. They allow developers to keep track of different versions of their code, revert to previous versions if necessary, and collaborate with other developers on a project.

Some popular code versioning tools include:

• Git: A widely used, distributed version control system that supports collaboration and provides a powerful set of features for tracking changes to code.
• Subversion (SVN): A centralized version control system that provides basic versioning features, including the ability to revert to previous versions of code.
• Mercurial: A distributed version control system that is similar to Git, and provides a simple, fast, and scalable way to manage code.
• Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS): A centralized version control system that provides a range of versioning and collaboration features for Microsoft-based development teams.

Learn a Java framework 

Familiarize yourself with popular Java frameworks such as Spring, Hibernate, or JavaServer Faces to build more complex applications.

But what exactly are Java frameworks?

Java frameworks are pre-written, reusable code libraries that provide a foundation for building applications. They provide a set of tools and patterns for solving common development problems and help developers write code more quickly and efficiently. Some popular Java frameworks include:

• Spring: A popular, full-featured framework for building Java-based applications, offering a range of features for web development, data access, security, and more.
• Hibernate: A framework for mapping Java objects to relational databases, providing a convenient and efficient way to manage database transactions.
• Struts: A framework for building web applications, providing a set of tools for handling user requests, processing user input, and rendering responses.
• JavaServer Faces (JSF): A framework for building component-based user interfaces for Java web applications, providing a convenient and efficient way to create rich, interactive user interfaces.
• Apache Wicket: A component-based framework for building web applications, offering a simple and flexible way to create dynamic, interactive web pages.

By using a framework, developers can focus on writing unique, application-specific code, rather than reinventing the wheel each time they start a new project.

Focus on clean coding

Write code that is easy to read, maintain, and debug, as this will make your life easier in the long run.

Here are some tips and tools for writing clean code in Java:

Use meaningful and descriptive names: Choose meaningful and descriptive names for variables, methods, and classes, to make your code more readable and understandable.

• Follow naming conventions: Follow standard naming conventions, such as CamelCase or snake_case, to make your code consistent and easier to read.
• Write short and simple methods: Write short, simple methods that perform a single, well-defined task. Avoid writing long, complex methods that are difficult to understand and maintain.
• Write comments: Write clear, concise comments to explain the purpose and behaviour of your code, and to make it easier for others to understand.
• Use design patterns: Use design patterns, such as Model-View-Controller (MVC) or Factory, to structure your code in a consistent and organized way.
• Use a linter: Use a linter, such as Checkstyle or PMD, to check your code for common programming errors, such as unused variables or uninitialized variables.
• Use a code formatter: Use a code formatter, such as Google Java Format, to automatically format your code, and to enforce consistent coding styles.

Invest in automation

Automation tools can help you reduce repetitive tasks and increase your productivity. As a Java developer, there are several automation tools that can help you write, test, and deploy code more efficiently and effectively. Here are some popular automation tools for Java programming:

• Build Tools: Apache Maven and Gradle are popular build tools for Java that can help automate the process of building, testing, and deploying Java applications.
• Continuous Integration Tools: Jenkins, Travis CI, and CircleCI are popular continuous integration (CI) tools that can help automate the build and deployment process, and catch and fix bugs early in the development cycle.
• Unit Testing Frameworks: JUnit and TestNG are popular unit testing frameworks for Java that can help automate the process of testing individual components of your code.
• Code Coverage Tools: JaCoCo and Cobertura are popular code coverage tools for Java that can help measure how much of your code is being tested, and identify untested areas that need more attention.
• Debugging Tools: Java Debugger (jdb) and Eclipse Debugger are popular debugging tools for Java that can help identify and fix bugs in your code.
• Profiling Tools: VisualVM and JProfiler are popular profiling tools for Java that help identify performance bottlenecks in your code, and improve the overall performance of your applications.

Focus on futuristic technical aspects

Learn JVM language Kotlin

Kotlin is a cross-platform, statically-typed, JVM (Java Virtual Machine) language that is concise, expressive, and interoperable with Java. It was developed by JetBrains and is now officially supported by Google for Android app development.

Kotlin has several features that make it appealing to developers, such as null safety, extension functions, type inference, and more. It is considered a more modern alternative to Java, with a smaller and more concise syntax.

Learn and Acquire Java DevOps Tools Kubernetes and Docker

Docker and Kubernetes are popular DevOps tools that are often used in Java development environments.

Docker is a containerization platform that allows developers to package their applications and dependencies into containers. This makes it easy to deploy and run applications on any environment, without worrying about compatibility issues. Docker containers are lightweight, fast, and isolated, making them a great solution for microservices and cloud-based applications.

Kubernetes is an open-source platform for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It allows you to manage a large number of containers as a single unit, making it easier to deploy and manage applications at scale. Kubernetes provides features such as automatic rollouts, rollbacks, and self-healing, making it a powerful tool for deploying and managing applications in production.

Together, Docker and Kubernetes provide a complete solution for the containerization and deployment of Java applications.

Understand Design Patterns

 Design patterns in Java are pre-defined solutions to common software design problems. They provide a reusable and flexible approach to solving common programming challenges, such as object creation, managing object relationships, and managing system complexity.

Examples of some common design patterns in Java include:

• Factory pattern – a creational pattern that provides an interface for creating objects in a superclass, but allows subclasses to alter the type of objects that will be created.
• Singleton pattern – a creational pattern that ensures a class has only one instance and provides a global point of access to it.
• Observer pattern – a behavioural pattern that allows objects to be notified when an event occurs in another object.
• Decorator pattern – a structural pattern that allows behaviour to be added to an individual object, either statically or dynamically, without affecting the behaviour of other objects from the same class.

Wrapping Up

Becoming a better Java developer requires a combination of technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and a passion for learning and growing. 

By following the tips discussed in this blog, you can improve your Java programming skills, stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field, and write high-quality, maintainable code.

Remember, becoming a better Java developer is an ongoing process, and requires a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

The post How To Become A Better Java Developer in 2023? appeared first on Talent500 blog.

The overall skills you need to land a job will depend on the job’s responsibilities, but here are the essential skills to become an ace Java developer.

1.Core Java skills

You must master the core Java concepts to be an ace Java developer. While there are dozens of concepts, you must know these four aspects of the Java programming language.

• Object-Oriented Programming: OOPs, commonly called, is a programming model that organizes software around data and objects instead of logic. It is an essential concept in Java that allows developers to combine objects, improving the code’s stability and security.
• Abstract classes: While OOP brings more security to your Java code, writing code is complex. Abstraction is a concept that makes OOP coding simple. It allows developers to use a Java interface for coding.
• Design patterns: In software programming, some problems occur frequently. Design patterns are the programs that provide easy solutions to the most frequently occurring problems. Java developers must know the basic design patterns.
• Serialization: In Java, serialization is a critical concept to convert an object into a sequence of bytes. The mechanism is carried out by the Java process that serializes Java objects to transport them between Java Virtual Machines.

2.SOLID principles

These are the principles that improve the quality as well as maintainability of any object-oriented code. Any Java developer must be familiar with the SOLID principles to write scalable and easy-to-maintain Java code. These include:

• Single responsibility: A single class must be responsible for one item to avoid any interconnected problems with a program. Too many items within a single class complicate the code structure and make it prone to errors and bugs.
• Open-closed: In your Java code, functions, classes, and modules must be open for extensions to make your code robust, but not for modifications for security reasons.
• Liskov substitution: The principle advocates that developments should replace related superclasses with subclasses.
• Interface segregation: Interfaces must be explicitly created for a single client to keep program design simple and avoid irrelevant interfaces.
• Dependency inversion: This principle asks Java developers to create dependency objects as abstractions, not as specific items. Simply put, dependency inversion states that high-level modules must not depend on low-level modules.

3.Apache Kafka

It is a distributed data streaming platform that Java developers can use to publish, subscribe, store, and process record streams in real-time.

Apache Kafka is an essential tool for Java developers to create a unified, high-throughput, and low-latency platform to handle real-time data feeds that can solve the data-related problems of modern systems that produce huge volumes of data. Apache Kafka is a technology that is becoming massively popular, with Apace claiming that 80% of the Fortune 100 companies use Kafka. Therefore, it is a skill that can open up exciting Java career opportunities for you.

4.Knowledge of essential Java frameworks and libraries

Spring framework is essential whether you apply for a junior or senior Java developer position. To fully utilize the capabilities of Spring, you must also know Spring-Beans, because the objects in the Spring framework are handled in the Beans. Also, you have to learn the concepts of aspect-oriented programming or AOP. This programming paradigm allows developers to break the code into modules where an aspect is the key unit of modularity.

Jenkins is a project management framework that Java developers usually use for continuous development. Experienced Java developers must know Jenkins and Jira to manage large software stacks.

Knowledge of Java libraries is no longer considered an additional skill but a mandatory requirement. Some essential libraries that a Java developer must be familiar with include Apache Commons, Google-JSON, Java Standard Libraries, Maven, JUnit, Google Guava, and HTML libraries.

Conclusion

A skilled Java developer has technical programming skills with the ability to deploy predefined design patterns and use coding principles for effective solutions. Technologies associated with Java are regularly updated which is why developers must keep a tab on these changing technologies.

As a Java developer, you will be expected to be aware of the latest development in Java. Also, you must be a good team player and a problem solver. Soft skills are equally important for a Java developer. Here are some resources on soft skill development:

How soft skills transitioned to become the new power skills
7 Most valuable soft skills of exceptional software engineers
Essential skills to be a software engineer
In-demand skills for a backend developer

Talent500 is a recruitment platform that connects talented Java developers with global recruiters. Be part of our elite talent pool and get discovered by fast-growing startups and Fortune 500 companies. Sign up here.

The post Discover Essential Skills for Java Development in 2023 and Build a Successful Career appeared first on Talent500 blog.

Here we have put together a list of practical JavaScript debugging techniques you should keep in mind.

Use debugger

For many JavaScript developers, the debugger is their favorite debugging tool. When writing extensive code with complex logic, experienced programmers place a debugger in the code line that they anticipate will produce an error. When such code is run in Chrome, the Developer Tool will automatically stop when it encounters a debugger keyword.

You can also wrap the debugger in conditions to run them in a particular event like this:

if (thisThing) {
debugger;}
Learn more about debugger keywords here.

Learn to use the console.trace

JavaScript has many frameworks such as Node.js, Vue.js, and React. These frameworks make it easy to produce code quickly. In a project, you will have many views, triggers, and too many events. When working with a framework, most of these events will be hidden in an abstract layer, so it will be challenging to identify what caused a particular function call.

JavaScript is not very structured, and it is hard to get a clear overview of what happened and when. This is why JavaScript developers should use the console.trace method.

Let’s assume in the following code, you want to see the entire stack trace for the function call funcZ:

var car;
var func1 = function() {
func2();
}

var func2 = function() {
func4();
}
var func3 = function() {
}

var func4 = function() {
car = new Car();
car.funcX();
}
var Car = function() {
this.brand = ‘volvo’;
this.color = ‘red’;
this.funcX = function() {
this.funcY();
}

   this.funcY = function() {
           this.funcZ();
   }

   this.funcZ = function() {
           console.trace(‘trace car’)
   }

}
func1();
var car;
var func1 = function() {
func2();
}
var func2 = function() {
func4();
}
var func3 = function() {
}
var func4 = function() {
car = new Car();
car.funcX();
}
var Car = function() {
this.brand = ‘volvo’;
this.color = ‘red’;
this.funcX = function() {
this.funcY();
}
this.funcY = function() {
this.funcZ();
}
this.funcZ = function() {
console.trace(‘trace car’)
}
}
func1();

This will be the output at Line 33:

As you can see that the trace clearly indicates func1 called func2, which is further called func4. Then the func4 created an instance of variable Car calling the function car.funcX, and so on. This is a simple script, so it is easier to follow through the flow, but when the code block is a big console.trace method proves to be handy. You can easily trace all related functions to pinpoint the bug.

Use console.time() and console.timeEnd() to benchmark loops 

Not just JavaScript, but loops are trouble makers in every programming language. To create efficient and fast code, developers need to know how long any code segment takes to execute. Slow loops can degrade the performance of the entire JavaScript code. 

But you can benchmark loops to evaluate their performance. Here is a way to set up multiple timers using console.time() and console.timeEnd() methods.

console.time(‘Timer1’);

var items = [];

for(var i = 0; i < 100000; i++){

items.push({index: i});
}

console.timeEnd(‘Timer1’);

The output will be:

As evident, benchmarking loops in JavaScript can help you save time trying to troubleshoot performance issues.

Chrome Developer Tool for responsive test 

As most web applications are accessed through multiple devices, you have to make sure your JavaScript code works on all screen sizes. In an ideal world, developers would have every single device check the compatibility of their code. Unfortunately, in the real world, it is not feasible.

Chrome Developer Tool has the option to resize the viewport to check your code’s performance on any screen size. To use this feature, open the inspector in Chrome and click on the toggle device mode button as highlighted in the image:

Using this tool, you can instantly check the media queries, forms, and dynamic code for various screen sizes.

Black box scripts for faster debugging 

Modern web applications use libraries and frameworks that are tested for bugs. But when you run any debugger tool, it will still check and try to debug all files, even those that have no relevance. It substantially increases the cost of debugging and takes longer too.

The solution lies in black-boxing the scripts you don’t need to debug. Fortunately, both Chrome and Firefox provide the option to blacklist scripts that you don’t want to debug.

In Chrome, open the inspector and right-click the JavaScript file you want to blacklist, and choose ‘black box script.’ You can learn more about Chrome Script Black Box here.

In Firefox, go to the debugger tab in the element inspector. Mark the scripts you want to blacklist, then click on the eye at the bottom-left corner. Learn more here.

Conclusion

Debugging is an active responsibility of developers. Its unstructured design makes it challenging to identify and resolve errors with JavaScript. The techniques shared above will help you create JavaScript debugging more efficiently.

Talent500 is one of the best platforms for developers to find remote work opportunities. Join us today to be discovered by the best companies.

The post 5 effective JavaScript debugging techniques appeared first on Talent500 blog.

Any JavaScript interview can go from a preliminary evaluation of your fundamental skills to a comprehensive, in-depth benchmark of your programming skills.

This article includes the ultimate cheat sheet for JavaScript interviews and some commonly required quick, tested, and ready-to-use code snippets.

1. Explore the “this” keyword 

In JavaScript, the “this” is a reserved keyword we cannot use as an identifier. This keyword changes its behavior according to the use case. While the strict mode is set “this” as undefined, you can change its context by using call, apply, and bind functions.

With the call, apply, and bind functions, you can change the behavior of “this” to create a more generic function. Here is an example:

const name = “Hey”function foo() {

   ‘use strict’

  console.log(this.name)

}const context = {

   name: “Hello World!”

}foo.call(context) // Hello World!

foo.apply(context) // Hello World!

foo() // Cannot read properties of undefined (reading ‘name’)

Closely look at the call and apply. While they might seem similar, the former accepts the parameters as individual arguments while the latter expects them as an array. The bind changes the context of “this” and returns a new function.

2. Prototypes

A JavaScript prototype is an object associated with every function and object by default. However, a function’s prototype property is accessible and adaptable in the code, but the object’s prototype property is not visible.

An essential use of the prototype object is to create an ienumerable object to which additional properties can be attached, and it can be shared across all the instances of its constructor function.

Here’s an example code:

// constructor function

function Person () {

   this.name = ‘John’,

   this.age = 23

}

// creating objects

const person1 = new Person();

const person2 = new Person();

// adding property to constructor function

Person.prototype.gender = ‘male’;

// prototype value of Person

console.log(Person.prototype);

// inheriting the property from prototype

console.log(person1.gender);

console.log(person2.gender);

Output:

{ gender: “male” }

male

male

3. Function currying and callbacks

Currying and callbacks are essential processes in JavaScript. We use currying to transform a function with multiple arguments into a sequence of nesting function calls. The outcome of currying is a new function that expects the following statement inline.

A callback is a function that is passed into another function as an argument. Callbacks are first-class action features invoked inside the outer function to complete a particular task.

Code example:

function simpleFunction(param1, param2, param3, …..) => function curriedFunction(param1)(param2)(param3)(….)function calculateVolume(length) {

   return function (breadth) {

     return function (height) {

       return length * breadth * height;

     }

   }

}

console.log(calculateVolume(4)(5)(6)); // 120

4. Higher-order function

JavaScript allows you to pass a series of functions as an argument to another function and return a function. It is achieved through higher-order functions. They are usually used in complex applications where the returned function can consist of multiple properties or constants for further computations.

The higher-order function can be of multiple types, such as:

//Assign a function to a variable originalFunc

const originalFunc = (num) => { return num + 2 };

//Return the function’s body as a string

newFunc.toString(); //'(num) => { return num + 2 }’

//Add our own isMathFunction property to the function

newFunc.isMathFunction = true;

//Re-assign the function to a new variable newFunc

const newFunc = originalFunc;

//access the function’s name property

newFunc.name; //’originalFunc’

//Pass the function as an argument

const functionNameLength = (func) => { return func.name.length };

functionNameLength(originalFunc); //12

//Return the function

const returnFunc = () => { return newFunc };

returnFunc(); //[Function: originalFunc]

5. Patterns

For any JavaScript developer, it is essential to master patterns to optimize their code. JavaScript offers many kinds of patterns, but the most important ones are:

Mixin: this script pattern is used to extend the functionality of an object using list methods.

Factory: a class type that can create one or many different objects. It is dominantly used in unit testing to generate mock data.

Facade: it is used for the abstraction of a complex logic by wrapping it in the class. An example of a facade is the service that stays between the component and API layer.

Singleton: it is a class that can call the method directly without creating any object.

MVC, MVVM: JavaScript also allows the two most commonly used architectural patterns, Model View Controller and Model View ViewModel.

Conclusion 

Given the versatility and scope of JavaScript, it is beneficial to have access to cheat sheets that can help you quickly familiarize yourself with some crucial programming language features. This JavaScript cheat sheet for interviews is just the beginning; many more JavaScript resources exist to explore.

Talent 500 is the platform for JavaScript developers to explore career redefining opportunities with fast-growing start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. Sign up here to know more.

The post Cheat sheet for JavaScript interviews appeared first on Talent500 blog.

Furthermore, hundreds of advanced JavaScript frameworks, libraries, and development tools can benefit the developers. JavaScript is an essential language for web developers. While it is relatively simple, JavaScript developers must be aware of some language pitfalls. This article will detail the top 6 mistakes made by JavaScript developers.

1. Incorrect references to ‘this’ keyword

One of the most common JavaScript mistakes is the keyword ‘this.’ Many developers wonder if the ‘this’ JavaScript keyword has the same literal meaning or is something else entirely. As JavaScript has grown sophisticated over the years, several self-referencing scopes within callbacks and closures are introduced into the language. The confusion around this/that keywords is better understood from this example:

Game.prototype.restart = function () {

this.clearLocalStorage();

  this.timer = setTimeout(function() {

this.clearBoard(); // what is “this”?

  }, 0);

};

Running the above code will result in ‘Uncaught TypeError: undefined is not a function error.

In the above code example, the ‘this’ keyword is used to invoke setTimeout(), but it is invoking window.setTimeout(). This is causing the anonymous function using the setTimeout() to be associated with the window object without any clearBoard() method.

A conventional solution experienced JavaScript programmers use to avoid this mistake is to use the ‘this’ keyword regarding a variable; the closure can inherit that. Here’s how:

Game.prototype.restart = function () {

this.clearLocalStorage();

  var self = this; // save reference to ‘this’, while it’s still this!

  this.timer = setTimeout(function(){

  self.clearBoard(); // oh OK, I do know who ‘self’ is!

  }, 0);

};

2. Using magic values

Not only in JavaScript but using magic values is a common malpractice in many programming languages. 

A magic value is a constant value that abruptly appears within the JavaScript code, only the developer who wrote the code knows why it is there. 

This makes JavaScript code unmaintainable as no one can understand what that random value represents; even sometimes, the coder who added the value cannot recall the reason. 

For instance, check out this code excerpt:

const specialFn = (r) =>{

  const fnValue= 2*3.1416*r // no idea why this value is used

  return fnValue

}

console.log(specialFn(4))

How the code should be: 

const PI = 3.1416

const specialFn = (r) =>{

  const fnValue = 2*PI*r // Calculation for circumference 

  return fnValue

}

console.log(specialFn(4))

This practice must be followed with all methods, functions, variables, and values. 

3. Not “static typing” JavaScript code 

A JavaScript developer should write Static Typed code. A type is a syntax format to write JavaScript code with predefined syntax, hierarchy, and structure. 

Typescript is one of JavaScript’s most popular static typing styles to help programmers write maintainable and quality code. Typescript is a superset of JavaScript, implying it is JavaScript but with some added syntax features. 

When you write static-type JavaScript code, you can easily avoid some of the most common typos and syntax errors.

4. Assuming JavaScript has block-level scope

A beginner JavaScript developer can think that the language creates a new scope for each block of code, but it is simply not true. While many other programming languages like Python and Java have this functionality, JavaScript does not offer block-level scope. 

For instance, in this code block: 

for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {

  /* … */

}

console.log(i);  

What do you assume will be the output here? 

The code will not throw an error or undefined output but will return 10. 

Why? 

In most other languages, this code block will throw an error because the scope of variable ‘i’ would be only within the for loop block. But in JavaScript, there is no such restriction and the variable ‘i’ remains in scope outside the for loop. 

5. Anomalous behavior of Boolean Functions 

One of the advantages of JavaScript is that it automatically coerces any value referenced in a Boolean context into a Boolean value. But this convenience comes at a cost for JavaScript developers. Let’s see how. 

// All these statements are True

console.log(false == ‘0’);

console.log(null == undefined);

console.log(” \t\r\n” == 0);

console.log(” == 0);

// And these do too

if ({}) // …

if ([]) // …

But the last two statements are empty, which any developer will intuitively think to return false, but as both {} and [] are coerced to a Boolean value in JavaScript, they will return True.

6. Not using “strict mode”

The “strict mode” in JavaScript is voluntary to ensure better quality code by enforcing stricter parsing and error handling. It also makes the code more secure. While not using strict mode is not a “mistake” per se, it is a practice that makes you a better JavaScript developer. 

The strict mode JavaScript code prevents accidental globals, makes debugging more manageable, and makes eval() safer. 

Conclusion 

Being a proficient JavaScript developer is not only about learning the language’s concepts but also about being familiar with the common mistakes and best practices. It helps write concise and quality JavaScript code.

Talent500 is a platform for JavaScript developers to get career redefining opportunities with some of the best companies. Join us here.

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If you are just getting started with JavaScript, you must have written functions, used simple algorithms, or worked with classes. However, as you progress in your career, you will realize that modern JavaScript frameworks like Node.js can extend the application of JavaScript to the backend. Learning advanced JavaScript concepts will help optimize the speed and performance of applications. You can move ahead from using jQuery for each functionality in the web application that makes it load slower.

Here are the must-learn JavaScript concepts that every front-end developer must know:

In its early days, JavaScript only supported var keywords for declaring variables. However, it limited the scope of the language as it only allowed variables to be global or functional. Also, variables declared with var can be re-declared and even updated. This makes it unsafe to use for security features and applications. 

JavaScript offers two new keywords to overcome these challenges – Let and Const. 

Variables with these keywords have block scopes. Moreover, let variables cannot be re-declared. But they can be updated. While the variable declared with const can neither be re-declared nor be updated. 

New JavaScript developers must learn the concept of let and const keyword variable declaration to write more optimized code. 

A closure is a function created inside another function but has access to the outer function variables. While the definition might seem straightforward, the closure is an excellent feature for making JavaScript code more cohesive. As the closures can access the variable defined within its scope, in the range of their parent functions, and the global variables, you can extend the behavior of an external function to the inner function. 

Being an essential object-oriented programming (OOP) concept, it makes JavaScript a highly scalable and high-performance language for front-end development. 

Here’s an example:

function init() {
var name = 'Mozilla'; // name is a local variable created by init
function displayName() { // displayName() is the inner function, a closure
alert(name); // use variable declared in the parent function
}
displayName();
}
init();

Code with Closure: 

function makeFunc() {
var name = 'Mozilla';
function displayName() {
alert(name);
}
return displayName;
}
var myFunc = makeFunc();
myFunc();

Both the codes will have the same output, but in the second code, the displayName() inner function is returned from the outer function before being executed.

In any programming language, strings are the most widely used data types. But, in JavaScript, strings are excessively used because front-end features like forms and logins have many string values. However, working with strings can be complicated when you have many inputs. For example, consider this code block:

let firstname = "Sarah";
let secondname = "Connor";

let age = 22;

let location = "Boston";

return firstname + " " + secondname + " is " + age + " years old and he lives in " + city;

While there is no problem with the output string, and it will work just fine, the use of so many unique characters makes it somewhat complex.

String interpolation makes it a lot easier to handle such strings. The same output can be returned without any concatenation operators using string interpolation, as follows:

return `${firstname} ${secondname} is ${age} years old and he lives in ${city}`;

This concept makes it easier to work with strings. Furthermore, it is one of the most asked JavaScript interview questions.

In JavaScript, Callbacks are functions that are passed to other functions as parameters. They are invoked or executed inside other functions in serial formation, where one function waits for another to complete. As JavaScript is used to create asynchronous operations, Callbacks help to provide the synchronous capability to these operations.

Example: 

function myDisplayer(some) {
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = some;
}

function myCalculator(num1, num2, myCallback) {
let sum = num1 + num2;
myCallback(sum);
}

myCalculator(5, 5, myDisplayer);

This example myDisplayer is a function passed to myCalculator() as an argument.

The arrow function is another important concept for JavaScript developers to master. It is a simple concept that enables developers to write functions succinctly. Let’s understand with an example.

function demo(a, b) {
return a + b;
}

The demo function is created using the traditional “function” keyword here. Now we make the same JavaScript function using the arrow function.

const demo = (a,b) => a + b;

The output will be the same. When a function has a single statement, we can omit the “return” keyword with arrow function.

Another reason to learn arrow function is that they are essential for functional programming in JavaScript. To know the advanced use of these functions, you can take the Udemy Advanced JavaScript Concepts course.

The JavaScript features listed above are easy to understand and can make your code much more functional. Due to its asynchronous structure, JavaScript code can get complex to write and debug as the size of the application grows. These concepts will help you write clean, concise, and maintainable JavaScript code at scale.

Talent500 is the platform for JavaScript developers to find the best career opportunities. Global startups and Fortune 500 companies trust us to hire, build, and manage their remote teams. Sign up today!

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It proved accurate as JavaScript is one of the major programming languages for building web apps. If you are beginning your journey as a developer, you should focus on learning JavaScript for web development. Even if you are an experienced programmer who never worked with web applications, learning this programming language will broaden your horizons. Once considered a strictly client-side language, Node.js now allows JavaScript to run both the front-end and back-end applications. Fortunately, there are several resources for beginners to learn JavaScript.

Here, we have compiled a list of the five best websites to learn JavaScript coding:

1. Udemy Free JavaScript Tutorials 

Udemy is one of the best online resources for developers to learn and upskill. The website hosts free and premium online courses and tutorials in all technologies, including JavaScript, Java, Python, Spring, REST, Selenium, etc.

We recommend you use these tutorials for learning JavaScript as they are comprehensively structured for beginners to follow.

The Complete JavaScript Course 2022: From Zero to Expert!

The Complete JavaScript Course 2022: Build Real Projects

The Web Developer Bootcamp

While these courses are not free, their quality makes them a worthwhile investment. But, beginners can start with this free course first:

JavaScript Essentials

It teaches you the basic concepts of the languages and gives an overview of API design through a simple web project.

2. Pluralsight.com

Another great website to learn IT technologies. On Pluralsight, you will find many courses to learn programming languages like JavaScript. But it takes things a step further by allowing beginners to practice while they learn.

The site acquired CodeSchool, a live code editor that developers can use to write code through a browser to see how they worked. The best course on the site to learn JavaScript is the JavaScript Fundamentals by Liam Mclennan. While several free courses are available on Pluralsight, you should take its premium membership for the best courses. A membership gives you access to over 5000+ online courses, interactive quizzes, exercises, and certification material. 

3. Coursera JavaScript Foundation Courses

Like Udemy, Coursera is an excellent online learning platform that offers quality JavaScript tutorials and courses. Founded by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, the platform grew fast and became one of the leading online degree platforms for IT professionals.

Learning JavaScript on Coursera will be a different experience. For instance, the course’s progress in a curriculum is similar to universities and you get a certification on completion. The website offers courses enabled by renowned universities like Stanford, University of London, Imperial College of London, University of Michigan, and Colorado.

Some of the best courses to learn JavaScript on Coursera are:

Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS

Interactivity with JavaScript

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers

Beginners can get a good grasp of JavaScript with these courses. Furthermore, on completing courses, Coursera offers you a certification that you can showcase on your LinkedIn profile.

4. Freecodecamp.org

This website is a community-driven learning platform for beginners to learn how to code for free, build real-world projects, and land a job as a developer.

Freecodecamp has a massive repository of interactive tutorials and practice courses for learning JavaScript and other web development concepts. Many coders find this website a lot more interactive as it provides them with tools to learn through doing. You will also be able to connect with fellow learners and experienced programmers who mentor beginners. You will find over 2000 JavaScript courses on this website that are entirely free. Apart from that, Freecodecamp has a robust Facebook Group and Medium blog where they share articles and resources on trending topics and technologies.

5. Codecademy

Many first-time coders learn JavaScript from Codecademy as it offers a learning curriculum different from other websites listed here. The website has designed a crisp and easy-to-follow JavaScript course that helps beginners learn the essential concepts of the programming language at an accelerated pace.

The Introduction of JavaScript Course teaches developers both the programming language’s front-end and back-end aspects. The course is self-paced, so beginners can pause in between or revisit a concept later. This is why this JavaScript course for beginners has over 5 million enrolled students.

In this free course, developers get introduced to the most common concepts of JavaScript, such as functions, scopes, conditionals, arrays, and iterations. Then the course moves on to intermediate-level skills such as APIs and frameworks. Finally, you put your learnings to the test by building games and interactive websites.

Conclusion

JavaScript is the language of the web. If you want to get into web development, you must learn the concepts of the language well. Also, companies expect both front-end and back-end developers to know at least one JavaScript framework. The websites we listed here are the best resources to get started with JavaScript.
Talent500 is the platform for competent developers to discover career redefining opportunities with fast-growing global startups and Fortune 500 companies. Join us today!

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JavaScript is essential for web development, but it would be very time-consuming if developers used it to create features and UI from scratch. To accelerate client-side development, professionals use JavaScript frameworks and libraries.

Frameworks or libraries are code blocks containing components that can be directly integrated into a project to build an application. JavaScript libraries also have widgets that can be combined with any environment.

This article looks at a list of the top JavaScript UI frameworks and libraries developers can use. Our experts picked these frameworks based on their popularity, editing features, presence of documentation, and regularity of updates.

Webix UI Library

If you spend most of your time with JavaScript frameworks like Angular and Vue, you will be surprised to use the Webix UI library. While the former are full-fledged JavaScript frameworks that are not just limited to UI, Webix is primarily focused on front-end design. The library is rich with over 1000 widgets. There are 13 complete single-page applications for web developers to create one-page UIs easily.

Suppose you want to create highly interactive web interfaces. In that case, you can use the Webix JavaScript library to create turnkey web functionalities straightaway or more customized projects per your requirement. This JavaScript UI library is fully compatible with Angular and Reach environments. Some popular Webix widgets are Gantt, File Manager, Pivot, and Kanban. You can use the Webix Jet microframework to combine two or more widgets.

Ember.js

It is interesting how few developers are aware of the robustness of the Ember.js JavaScript library even when its features are comparable to any JavaScript UI library. Ember.js was first launched in 2011 and since then, it has grown to be a reliable solution for user interface design of web projects based on JavaScript.

One of the reasons why developers prefer Ember.js is its lightweight rendering. The UI built with Ember.js is HTML driven, so you work with HTML templates for the most part. When building apps in Ember.js, you can use the built-in development environment that supports auto-reload and test running. There is also a built-in Ember router that supports nested URLs.

DevExtreme

DevExtreme is a JavaScript library that offers a complete collection of powerful components that you often find with Angular, React and Vue. If you are looking for an alternative to these JavaScript frameworks, try DevExtreme and you won’t be disappointed. It has essential data components like TreeList, Charts, DataGrid, Maps, PivotGrid, and Forms. There are over 50 tools included in this JavaScript framework to help you build applications fast. You get a built-in Theme Builder to create custom themes and support for touch screen devices. There are enough demos and examples available to help developers get started. If your project is developed in React, Angular or Vue and you need to extend its functionality, you can explore the components of DevExtreme.

DHTMLX

If you are working on a complex web or mobile application, you need JavaScript frameworks with essential components for the usual tasks. DHTMLX is a JavaScript library that includes most HTML5 Material Design components for UI development. From Gantt charts to Canvas Grids, there is a component for any UI design. Like other JavaScript libraries on the list, this one is also compatible with Angular, Vue and React. A distinguishing feature of DHTMLX is its support for TypeScript, which is rare. Excellent technical support and outstanding performance are additional features to consider.

Backbone.js

What makes Backbone.js stand out from other JavaScript frameworks is its short learning curve. The ease of learning makes it easier for developers to use its features in their projects to incorporate complex functionalities with less code. It is an open-source JavaScript library, so a community of experienced JavaScript developers supports it. It also follows the Model and View approach, similar to JavaScript frameworks.

We recommend Backbone.js for applications that have robust APIs. The framework has a rich API of enumerable functions that you can connect with existing application APIs using the standard RESTful JSON interface.

Conclusion 

JavaScript libraries and frameworks are essential for accelerating web or mobile app development. As a web developer, you must know the best JavaScript libraries to help create interactive and intuitive UI. The JavaScript libraries we have listed above serve the goal of being practical UI-building components.

Talent500 is the platform for front-end developers to find career redefining opportunities with global companies. Join our elite pool of talent today.

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Design patterns are reusable solutions that are made and tested by a large number of developers to solve some of the most common problems that occur during software development. Due to the combined experience of many developers, design patterns help write optimized code.

In this article, we will list some widely used JavaScript design patterns

Singleton Pattern

One of the most well-known JavaScript design patterns, the Singleton pattern is used to define a class that is restricted only to one instance and can be accessed globally. It is a super helpful JavaScript design when you need a feature to handle specific tasks from anywhere in the application.

That being said, you must be careful with Singleton patterns as they can make it challenging to test the code.

Sample code:

const utils = (function () {

  let instance;

   function initialize() {

   return {

    sum: function (a, b) {

     return a + b;

    }

   };

  }  

return {

   getInstance: function () {

    if (!instance) {

     instance = initialize();

    }   

return instance;

   }

  };

 })();

let sum = utils.getInstance().sum(3, 5); // 8

Constructor Pattern

In JavaScript, constructors are essential concepts. They are the functions that initialize objects with specific methods and properties. A constructor pattern is used to write clean JavaScript code when using multiple instances of the same object in the code.

Look at the following JavaScript design where the constructor pattern is used for the ‘let person’ object.

// Creating empty object using {}:

 let person = {};

// Using Object() to create empty objects:

 let person = new Object();

// Using function constructor:

 function Person(name, age) {

  this.name = name;

  this.age = age;

  this.showName = () => console.log(this.name);

 }

let person = new Person(‘Amy’, 28);

 person.showName();

Command Pattern

You can encapsulate actions or operations as objects in JavaScript using a command pattern.

Let us understand it with an example. Suppose you are working on an eCommerce project and building its payment feature in JavaScript. You can do it in multiple ways. If there is a specific payment method, you can use:

if (selectedPayment == ‘credit card’) {

  // handle payment by creditcard

 }

However, ideally any eCommerce project will have multiple payment options. In the code above, you are using a tight coupling, i.e. coding classes and objects to depend on one another.

The command pattern can be used here as an easy way to provide loose coupling, reducing the interdependencies between components of the code. Learn more about tight and loose coupling here.

The system need not know about the information of each payment method processing, so an optimal solution is to break the overall process into two parts using a command pattern – the code that requests an operation and the code that executes the payment method.

Here is an example of a command pattern:

function Command(operation) {

  this.operation = operation;

 }Command.prototype.execute = function () {

  this.operation.execute();

 }function ProcessCreditCardPayment() {

  return {

  execute: function() {

   console.log(‘Credit Card’)

   }

  };

 }function ProcessPayPalPayment() {

  return {

   execute: function() {

   console.log(‘PayPal’)

   }

  };

 }function ProcessStripePayment() {

  return {

   execute: function() {

   console.log(‘Stripe’)

   }

  };}function CreditCardCommand() {

  return new Command(new ProcessCreditCardPayment());

 }function PayPalCommand() {

  return new Command(new ProcessPayPalPayment());

 }function StripeCommand() {

  return new Command(new ProcessStripePayment());

 }function PaymentSystem() {

  let paymentCommand;

    return {

   setPaymentCommand: function(command) {

    paymentCommand = command;

   },

   executeCommand: function() {

   paymentCommand.execute();

   }

  };

 }function run() {

  let paymentSystem = new PaymentSystem();

  paymentSystem.setPaymentCommand(new CreditCardCommand());

  paymentSystem.executeCommand();

  paymentSystem.setPaymentCommand(new PayPalCommand());

  paymentSystem.executeCommand();

  paymentSystem.setPaymentCommand(new StripeCommand());

  paymentSystem.executeCommand();

 }run();

Module Pattern

The module pattern is another JavaScript design concept usually used in web development for implementing software modules. If you look at the code inside a JavaScript library, you will find module patterns are used as singleton objects. Using module pattern, you can make variables, functions, and properties inside a module public or private to create the most robust web applications.

Example:

const bookModule = (function() {

  // private

  let title = ‘JavaScript’;

  let price = 15; // public

  return {

   printTitle: function () {

    console.log(title);

   }

  }

 })();

bookModule.printTitle(); // JavaScript

Mediator Pattern

When designing decoupled systems, a mediator pattern is used when you need different parts of the system to communicate with each other in a coordinated manner.

In simple terms, the Mediator pattern provides central authority over a group of objects or functions by encapsulating how these objects interact.

Here is an example of a chatroom with four participants, where the Chatroom is the Mediator and each participant is identified by the Participant object.

var Participant = function (name) {

   this.name = name;

   this.chatroom = null;

};

 Participant.prototype = {

   send: function (message, to) {

  this.chatroom.send(message, this, to);

   },

   receive: function (message, from) {

    console.log(from.name + ” to ” + this.name + “: ” + message);

   }

};

 var Chatroom = function () {

  var participants = {};

  return {

 register: function (participant) {

 participants[participant.name] = participant;

  participant.chatroom = this;

     },

 send: function (message, from, to) {

       if (to) { // single message

  to.receive(message, from);

       } else { // broadcast message

         for (key in participants) {

           if (participants[key] !== from) {

 participants[key].receive(message, from);

           }

         }

       }

     }

   };

};

 function run() {

  var yoko = new Participant(“Yoko”);

   var john = new Participant(“John”);

   var paul = new Participant(“Paul”);

  var ringo = new Participant(“Ringo”);

 var chatroom = new Chatroom();

 chatroom.register(yoko);

 chatroom.register(john);

 chatroom.register(paul);

 chatroom.register(ringo);

 Yoko.send(“All you need is love.”);

  Yoko.send(“I love you John.”);

  john.send(“Hey, no need to broadcast”, yoko);

  paul.send(“Ha, I heard that!”);

  Ringo.send(“Paul, what do you think?”, paul);

}

Conclusion

In the beginning, you might struggle to apply design patterns to your projects, but with practice, you can master them.

Why put in the effort, you ask? Because once you fully understand JavaScript design patterns, you will know what pattern to use in your project. It will take your code to the most robust level.

Talent500 is the platform for JavaScript developers to find career redefining opportunities with global companies. Join our elite pool of talent here.

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However, achieving good testing is easier said than done because it requires clean code, and every developer’s definition of ‘clean’ varies. Thankfully, the universal rule for developing clean test code is to prioritise readability, and this is relatively simple to produce. Additionally, other important properties of a good unit test are:

• Simplicity
• Reliability
• Speed
• True to the purpose

It can be quite complex to develop test code that meets all these properties simultaneously, especially while focusing on the production code, which is why it is recommended that readability take centre stage. Tests that are easy to read allow for improved understanding of the code in question and point directly to the problem at hand. Unfortunately, readable test code is just one part of the equation, but is still a good first step for all developers. To offer insight on a few other reliable ways to write clean tests in Java, take a look at the following pointers.

Use the best framework for the job

It is common knowledge that the two best frameworks for unit testing in Java are JUnit and TestNG. There are several reasons for these being a standard in the industry but there are some developers who may want to try other options such as EasyMock. Do note that while it can work, tools like EasyMock are mainly intended to complement frameworks like JUnit and TestNG. These are fully-fledged frameworks by themselves and offer developers a range of features, such as:

• Simple setup
• Easy execution
• Enables grouping of tests and simultaneous execution or allows developers to ignore tests.
• Allows integration with Ant, Gradle and other build tools, while enabling automatic test execution
• Supports the practice of parameterized testing, which is when a test is run using unique values at run time
• Works with annotations

Ideally, these are all the features to look for in a framework, which is why it pays to seek training in either option.

Develop test code early using the TDD approach

Writing tests in the early stages of development is important for several reasons. Firstly, unit testing covers basic functionality and ensuring the application runs smoothly, and as intended, right from the early stages is key. Secondly, incorporating the practice of writing test code helps deal with the problem of non-testable code. Without frequent test code in the early stages of development, a project may reach the end stages with code that is nearly impossible to test simply because of the complexity.

To put this into place and build a lasting habit, consider learning a practice known as test driven development or TDD. This is when tests are written first, based on the requirements, and any production code that follows must pass the test. If it doesn’t, it is refactored until it is completely optimized.

With this approach, code is easier to maintain as defects are easily identifiable. Moreover, it is known to speed up development too. However, TDD doesn’t always work. In cases when the application is intended to interact with legacy systems or is based on a complex design, the basic test cases may not provide enough scope to cover the entire project. Knowing when to use the TDD approach comes down to practice and experience, but it can greatly help the process when used wisely.

Test for both positive and negative scenarios

When testing an application, it may come naturally to only write test cases to ensure the application works as it should. This means that the tests cases are based on expected inputs and basic application functionality. However, this leaves out a whole section of vulnerabilities. This is where negative scenarios come into play. This is when a system is tested based on its ability to handle invalid data.

For instance, if a function is designed to read numeric characters up to a length of 7, the test cases should include:

• Instances when a user enters a numeric value
• Instances when a user enters a special character
• Instances when a user enters a more than 7 characters
• Instances when a user enters a blank value

This way, the test cases cover both ends of a spectrum. In fact, you can also take it one step further by writing borderline test cases. This tests if the system can handle extreme values. Considering the same example, this would test for functionality if the user entered the value 1 or if they entered the value 9999999.

Name the test appropriately

Naming the test is an essential part of the process and each test name should generally contain the following information:

• The contents of the test
• Conditions of the test
• Expected results

Naturally, there will be cases where following this guide will result in overly long test names. In such cases, you can simply use abbreviations and link to the meaning of the abbreviation in the test Javadoc. This is a simple and elegant way of handling naming. Going one step further, test classes should also be categorised with proper naming.

Typically, a test class can fall into either of the 2 following groups:

• Tests designed to test the method of a given class, usually units or integration tests
• Tests designed to ensure complete functionality of a single feature

Based on the group a test falls in, here are few rules to adhere to:

• Based on the group a test falls in, here are few rules to adhere to:
  • <Name of the tested class> Test
• If a test falls into group 2, then it should be named as per the following formula:
  • <Name of the feature> Test

This simple practice works wonders when pinpointing broken code as it directly points toward a broken class or feature, thus allowing easy rectification.

When it comes down to it, there are experts who believe that clean unit tests are just as, if not more, important than the production code. This makes sense from the developer’s viewpoint because unit tests play a key role in sustaining development. Based on the efficacy of the testing schema employed, Java developers enjoy the freedom to make changes without fear of breaking the application altogether. To add to that, unit tests enable flexibility and improve how easily code can be maintained, even by other developers.

Having the right habits when developing with Java adds to your value as a developer, and makes you a sought-after employee. In fact, by signing up for the Talent500 platform, you can ensure that your skills are aligned with the top enterprises in the world. Our algorithms put your profile among top recruiters and give you the opportunity to supercharge your career growth. To know more, contact us online.

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But, even as Java developer skills in 2020 embrace new horizons, the on-ground reality is that as a programmer, it is a challenge to keep yourself up to date. Perhaps the last time you returned to the drawing board was to master Java version 8 or maybe 9! While this may seem like yesterday, the latest launch of Java 15 this year brings some interesting new features. 

Keeping this mind, updating yourself and learning advanced Java skills is essential to your career growth. With multiple paths to honing your Java skills available today, starting now may be more important than where. To set you on the right track, here are 10+ ways to upskill and remain relevant in 2021.

1. Deep-dive into basic software engineering concepts like data structures

Even intelligent people make silly mistakes in conversation, such as saying ‘first come, first serve’, instead of ‘first come, first served’. In such cases, it is generally a question of going back to theory, to the basic elements of the language, and understanding the nuances one is missing out on. The same idea applies to coding languages. Just like the rules pertaining to verbs, for instance, pertain to other spoken languages, so too, in computer language, there are core concepts that apply to pretty much every script, old and new.

Here are 10 concepts you can delve deeper into and build a stronger foundation:

• Multithreading
• Data structures
• Algorithms
• Code locking
• Data types and data abstraction
• Control flow and control abstraction
• Variables
• Conditional statements
• Functions
• Looping and iteration

2. Keep pace with Java version 9, 10, 11… 15

Java is, at times, called a vintage language, but is still very much in use with new releases launching often. If Java development is your core skill then what you’ll want to do is stay abreast of the features being added, improved, and deprecated. For instance, JDK 15 is just days away from general availability (launching on 15 September, 2020) and some of the JEPs targeted were:

• 339: Edwards-Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (EdDSA)
• 360: Sealed Classes (Preview)
• 371: Hidden Classes

You can find all this information on the Open JDK project page and, in fact, you can even get a sneak-peek into JDK 16 there.

3. Get a grasp of Java EE & the Spring framework

The Java Enterprise Edition provides companies with the libraries, APIs, services, and tools to build large-scale distributed systems. However, companies can also adopt the immensely popular Spring framework, which being open source reduces licensing costs. That said, as an adept Java developer you should try to master both arts and not side with just one camp. Doing so is feasible owing to the commonality of the APIs and moreover, gives you an idea of which stack will be better for a given application.

4. Supercharge your skills with the combo of Docker & Kubernetes

The combination of Docker and Kubernetes has been termed as ‘lethal’ and if you have some years left in your career there’s more than a fat chance you’ll cross paths with them. A Gartner study projects that over 70% of global organisations will run more than 2 containerised applications in production. This is a jump from less than 20% in 2019. To get started with both, you can turn to online materials or read books such as The Docker Book by James Turnbull and Kubernetes: Up and Running: Dive into the Future of Infrastructure by Brendan Burns, Joe Beda, and Kelsey Hightower.

5. Add a frontend framework such as Angular or React to your toolkit

Over time, you may find yourself developing apps with only a particular client-side framework such as jQuery, but it is helpful to, time and again, find out what’s popular or even the status quo worldwide. React, Angular and Vue are popular and powerful; however, the State of JS 2019 report adds Svelte, Preact, and Ember to the top-ranked front-end frameworks as well. The online tutorials, courses, forums, and communities are plenty and so, you are sure to find yourself with adequate resources.

6. Step into the world of Blockchain technology

Deloitte’s 2020 Global Blockchain Survey on ~1,500 senior executives reveals that 88% agree that blockchain is broadly scalable and will achieve mainstream adoption. As a Java developer, blockchain can seem to be a world of its own. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to get a handle on it:

• Study Bitcoin and Ethereum
• Explore Java-based blockchain projects like BitcoinJ, Corda, and FundRequest
• Master Solidity and Hyperledger

7. Find your way around the microservices architecture with Spring Boot 2

The microservice architecture lets you build large systems with small, independent, collaborating components. This system makes for efficient deployment and scalability. Netflix, in fact, used this system to speed up global development and achieve a quick time-to-market. In the world of Java, Spring Boot is a leading, if not the leading, microservice framework. It is currently in edition 2.3.3 and, once again, there are plenty of online resources including those by spring.io to get you started quickly.

8. Explore open source big data tools such as Apache Spark and Hadoop

An IBM study forecasted a 28% spike (5-year growth) in Data Scientist and Advanced Analyst roles by 2020. Java can be a great starting point for becoming a big data developer and the future of Java with big data looks bright. There are a handful of open source tools that you can use by Apache to begin processing huge datasets: 

• Hadoop
• Spark
• Mahout
• Storm

There are other tools like MongoDB, RapidMiner, and Cassandra that you can use as well, however, you can’t really go wrong with learning Hadoop.

9. Prepare for cloud environments by learning platforms like AWS

According to 451 Research in 2018, about 90% of organisations will be on the cloud soon. As a developer, this means the ability to develop cloud-based applications is a key skill and, here, it’s worth noting that the bulk of the enterprises, even 88% as per one statistic, use Amazon Web Services (AWS) as their platform of choice. However, you can also learn Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Microsoft Azure, and what you learn in one will help you navigate the other.

10. Implement Machine learning algorithms using Java

Google’s AlphaGo is a potent example of self-teaching algorithms and machine learning has many real-world applications: from self-driving cars to product recommendations and fraud detection. To prepare for the world of tomorrow, you can try your hand at some ML algorithms using Java. Top ML libraries and tools you can use are:

• MLib (Apache Spark)
• Deeplearning4j
• Java-ML
• Mahout
• Weka

So, there you have it! These 10 avenues can see you grow leaps and bounds as a Java developer. However, here are a few additional things you can do to hone your skills:

• Experiment with writing mobile apps for Android 
• Master more than a handful of basic Git commands
• Discover the worth of message brokers like ActiveMQ and Kafka
• Play around with automation tools such as Gradle and Maven

As you gain additional skills, you’ll simultaneously make forays into DevOps, even as more organisations adopt the methodology. That’s something of great importance in the job market, which can be easily tailored to your new-found abilities with Talent500’s dynamic skill assessment and machine learning algorithms. These pair your software development skills to the needs of Fortune 500 companies in search of the top 10% of talent! 

As the fourth quarter of 2020 dawns, pick one of these 10+ skills to make headway as a Java developer and sign up with Talent500 to get access to premium jobs with Fortune 500 companies.

The post 10 Ways Java Developers Can Upskill To Prepare For 2021 appeared first on Talent500 blog.

To understand the promise of this technology, let’s decode how it brings about digital transformation. Blockchain stores data in ‘blocks’, linked together chronologically to form a ‘chain of blocks’. Its promise and genius lies in its ability to decentralise data, ensure its trustworthiness, and let users interact without intermediaries. Moreover, blockchain can be used to record and track anything of value, right from cross-currency payments and insurance claims to citizen and medical records. 

It is no wonder then that blockchain-related start-ups joined the fray right after its popularisation and, today, a career as a blockchain engineer or developer is one that is considered one of the most in demand. Not only is blockchain considered highly scalable, as per a survey by Deloitte Insights, but is also one of the fastest growing skills, as per a survey by Upwork. From start-ups to tech giants and industry leaders, from e-commerce companies to financial and global banking firms, everyone is hiring those with blockchain-related skills. 

The good news is that blockchain uses programming languages like Java, C++, Go and Python, which opens up the field to proficient developers. Well-known blockchain architect, Eugene Kyselev, for instance, is a Java-turned-blockchain developer who points out that blockchain lends itself across industries, be it cloud storage, logistics, and banking & investment, among others. 

To make the most of the opportunities in this sphere, you too can make the shift from Java to blockchain. However, since you cannot transfer your technical skills across the wall, so to speak, use Java as a springboard to find an entry point into the world of blockchain. To help you get started, here are 4 things that you as a Java developer, can do right now to level up in blockchain. 

Get a handle on blockchain by studying Bitcoin & Ethereum

While some wonder whether Bitcoin would detract from the true significance of blockchain, seeing blockchain in action and decoding your way through the Bitcoin platform can be an engaging way to start learning blockchain basics. Bitcoin’s public ledger uses blockchain as a foundation and unravelling the technology can give you a grasp on essential blockchain concepts such as proof of work and timestamps. Good starting points are the Bitcoin whitepaper and developer guides.

Closely behind Bitcoin is Ethereum. Studying this cryptocurrency is important to imbibing blockchain fundamentals as this technology isn’t exhausted by or limited to Bitcoin alone. To get a solid theoretical foundation, you can read the Ethereum whitepaper, head to the Ethereum developer resources, and simultaneously study videos of Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder. You can also look up some leading books such as Mastering Bitcoin, Mastering Ethereum, Blockchain Revolution, and the Blockchain Developer to gain more perspective.

Explore Java-based blockchain projects like BitcoinJ & FundRequest

You may not find Java as popular in developer communities, but the NEM cryptocurrency was implemented with Java and with over 7 million Java developers (at least) in the world, you’ll definitely be able to find some common ground soon. Moreover, there already are more than a handful of Java-based blockchain projects such as:

• BitcoinJ
• FundRequest
• Corda
• Pantheon

Not sure where to start? Try Corda. It is open-source and the community has a blog illustrating how you can get started with your first blockchain application if all you know is Java. Once you get a taste for blockchain, you can deep-dive into the technology using Corda as the entryway and get certified as a blockchain professional through a Corda blockchain training programme. This can be of career importance to you as according to r3, Corda’s creators, “only Corda allows businesses to build interoperable blockchain networks that transact directly, and privately.”

Master emerging blockchain technologies like Solidity & Hyperledger

One thing you’ll realise as you grapple with blockchain is that it is a dynamic field with emerging technologies. A prime example of this is Solidity, a high-level language that is used to implement smart contracts, which is an important Ethereum feature. If you know your way around JavaScript, you can use that knowledge to learn Solidity and smart contracts and try implementing applications for voting or crowdfunding, for instance.

Another emerging technology to leverage as a Java developer is Hyperledger Fabric, in which contracts are referred to as Chaincode. Hyperledger supports the use of Java for chaincode implementation (not prior to v.1.3), and you can head over to GitHub to gain insights on developing Java smart contracts. The idea in all of this is that you can use Java as a pivot or starting point, but eventually you want to become conversant in several languages and technologies.

Take courses like IBM Bitcoin 101: Quick-start guide for developers

Eugene Kyselev in his interview with JAXenter mentions the worth of the course ‘IBM Bitcoin 101: Quick-start guide for developers’ and this could be a quick guide you can turn to. Udemy, Coursera, and EdX are also replete with online courses, and through these platforms you can even get certification from the likes of Princeton University and Berkeley University of California. You can check these out and sign up for one to get up to speed quickly.

After perusing through this roundup of the ways in which a Java developer can embrace the blockchain revolution, a question you may have is whether you should, in fact, invest your time, effort, and money in learning blockchain. Some believe that being a Java developer offers equal compensation. Nevertheless, learning blockchain has its incentive owing to the growth and potential of the technology, and also because it will help you step out of being just a Java developer to being a software developer. 

When it comes to matching your advanced multi-faceted skill sets to the needs of the industry, you can rely on Talent500’s dynamic skill assessment and machine learning algorithms. These seamlessly pair your skills to the needs of Fortune 500 companies in search of the top 10% of talent. So, get started now and level up your skills!

The post How To Advance In Blockchain As A Java Developer appeared first on Talent500 blog.