10 Tools Java Developers Should Learn in 2024
These are the best Java Development tools every Java programmer should learn in 2024, including tolls for coding in Java, debugging, testing, and building Java applications.
Hello guys, its a common saying that a craftsman is as good as its tools and if Software development is a craft then you are as good a developer as your tools are. if you are a Java programmer and want to learn tools to take your Java development skill to next level then you have come to the right place.
In this article, I am going to share 10 tools which every Java programmer should learn which includes version control tool like Git, build tools like Maven and Gradle, coding tools like IDEA, Eclipse, and NetBeans, debugging tools, testing tools like JUnit and Mockito, deployment tools like Docker and Kubernetes and much more.
I have been writing a series of articles to give you some ideas about the things you can learn and improve to become a better, all-around developer in 2024, like learning new programming languages, frameworks, and libraries and in this article, I am going to share you essential tools for Java development.
These three things are extremely important and help you to become a better Java developer but as some wise person said, “you are only as good as your tools”, you should also look to upgrade your tools, learn new tools and improve your understanding of old tools which are still going well.
To help you with what tools you can learn in 2024, I have come up with a list of 10 essential tools for Java developers, which I am going to share with you guys in this article. In the past, I did share some useful testing tools for Java programmers, and this article is an extension of that as it covers much more than automation testing tools.
It includes essential coding tools like IDEs, Project Management tools like JIRA, Source control essentials like Git, and Build tools like Maven and Gradle.
There is a good chance that you are already familiar with some tools, and in that case, you can simply ignore them or learn it to further improve your understanding of them.
These are essential tools that mean as a Java developer in 2024, many companies expect that you already know these tools. They often screen your resume to find a reference to these tools and mostly ignore your resume if you forget to include your experience and knowledge about these tools.
Btw, this is also my second list of tools for Java developers, last year, I have shared the top 10 tools used by Java programmers in their day-to-day life, which also included some of the more general day-to-day tools Java developers used. If you need more tools, you can also refer to them to get more ideas.
10 Tools Every Java Developers Should Learn in 2024
When I say essential tools means something which you must know, but the list also contains some tools which are more advanced and even if you don’t know you can work well, but knowing them will further enhance your reputation and make you more valuable and possibly can also help you in your career growth, particularly if you are looking to become a DevOps engineer in 2024.
I have tried to include tools from code repository, project planning, build and deployment, testing automation, and infrastructure automation. As a senior Java developer who is responsible for managing the project end to end, these tools will help you to do your job more effectively.
Anyway, without any further Ado, let’s see some of the essential tools for Java programmers.
1. Git
I think Git and Github should be the most essential tool for all Java programmers, including experienced developers, and they should learn and master advanced Git concepts like branching, merging, and reverting changes.
I know many of you already know Git, but those who are still working in SVN and CVS seriously consider learning Git and Github this year.
There is no way you can avoid Git anymore, even if you don’t use it in your current project. It has become a standard source code repository, and most of the new development is using Git.
If you are a beginner, I suggest you check out the GitHub Ultimate course to start with. Even if you know Git, you can still learn things, like the Git command line, to further improve your knowledge. All the time and money you invest in learning Git will serve you for a long time.
2. Docker
Docker is a tool that allows users to quickly assemble apps from components and work collaboratively. If you are working on web development, like developing and deploying applications for the cloud, then Docker is an essential tool to learn.
This is appropriate for managing containers of an app as a single group and clustering an application’s containers to optimize resources and provide high availability.
If you are serious about learning Docker, then I suggest you first go through Docker and Kubernetes Complete Guide before using it in your project.
3. Maven
This is another essential tool for Java programmers, which helps you to build and manage a Java project. It’s been there for quite some time, and a good chance is that you already may have heard about Maven or used it in your project.
It not only help you to build your project, like compile source files but also run your unit test and can deploy your artifacts or deliverables to live environments. It also helps with managing dependencies, like all the third-party JAR files you use in your projects.
Without Maven, this can be really a nightmare. In short, all Java developers should know Maven in 2024, and if you are looking for an excellent course to start with, you can check out the Apache Maven: Beginner to Guru course from Udemy, one of the best courses to learn Maven.
4. Jenkins
Jenkins is another essential tool for Java developers, particularly those who are hoping to become a DevOps professionals. This is a continuous integration tool, which means it can continuously build, test, and deploy your project.
In our case, Jenkins automatically runs the build every time someone check-in their code. IT also has scheduled nightly and hourly builds to automatically build and test our project.
If you are a senior Java developer, like someone with more than 5 years of experience and you don’t know Jenkins, then you should seriously consider learning it. If you decide to learn Jenkins, the Learn DevOps: Jenkins CI/CD with Docker is a fantastic course to start with.
5. Selenium
This is another excellent tool for Java developers, particularly Java web developers. Selenium is a tool for web browser automation, which means you can test your web pages like both JSP and static pages written using HTML and JavaScript using Selenium.
It provides a playback tool for authoring tests without the need to learn a test scripting language. It’s becoming trendy nowadays, and that’s why learning does not only help you to write better code but can make you more valuable.
If you are serious about learning Selenium in 2024, I suggest you start with Automated Web Testing with Selenium on Pluralsight to learn how to write an automated test for a web application.
6. JIRA
After Git, I think JIRA is the second most important tool for any Java developer or say any programmer out there. It has quickly become the #1 Planning and bug tracking tool for many organizations.
If you are working in an Agile team like following Sprint schedules and doing Scrum meetings, then JIRA is even more important. With all its capabilities to support Agile methodologies, it’s a must-know tool for an Agile team.
You can even impress your manager and colleague by knowing JIRA in-depth like you can help your team to create a Sprint dashboard. If you are serious about learning JIRA in 2024, then Learn JIRA with real-world examples is a great course, to begin with.
7. Gradle
This is another crucial build tool for the Java developer. Similar to Maven, it also helps you to build, test, and deploy projects. It also manages dependency like Maven does, but it uses Groovy to write build script as compared to XML, which is used by Maven.
This means you can write more powerful and cleaner build scripts than Maven. It’s an excellent tool for project configuration and builds automation, and if you are thinking of learning Gradle or wants to know more about it, Please check The Gradle Masterclass course from Udemy.
8. Splunk
This is another useful monitoring tool that many companies are introducing in their development life-cycle. This supposes to help you to write better code by indexing your log files and using machine learning to analyze the content.
It turns machine data into answers with the leading platform to tackle the toughest IT, IoT, and security challenges.
Companies are using Splunk to search, monitor, analyze, and visualize machine data. If you want to learn more about Splunk, The Complete Splunk Beginner Course on Udemy is a good starting point.
9. Chef
This is another excellent tool for infrastructure automation, like building a new server and install your application. The chef is a configuration management tool written in Ruby and Erlang.
It uses a pure-Ruby, domain-specific language for writing system configuration “recipes”. With Chef, you can manage servers a large number of serves easily.
Time-consuming activities like manual patching, configuration updates, and service installations for every server can all be automated. In short, a useful tool for both senior Java developers responsible for managing their environments and DevOps engineers.
If you are interested in Chef and using it in your organization, then I also suggest you go through Chef Fundamentals to learn more about it.
10. IntelliJ IDEA [Eclipse, or NetBeans]
Finally, the most crucial tool for a Java developer, an IDE. I am sure you have already used an IDE as I hardly know a Java developer who doesn’t use IDE, but most of the users just learn one IDE like Eclipse or NetBeans and simply ignore others.
The IntelliJ IDEA is one of them, which is ignored by many Java developers who use Eclipse, but it offers a lot more. You can learn it to further improve your productivity if you happen to know Eclipse already.
I generally found many complex projects are better to work in IntelliJ IDEA, their Java 8 support is also much better than Eclipse. Anyway, if you are serious about learning this IDE in 2024, then I suggest you go through IntelliJ IDEA Tricks to Boost Productivity for Java Devs to further increase your productivity.
That’s all about the most essential tools Java developers can learn and master in 2024 to make themselves more valuable and improve their productivity. The list include a lot of tools and there are chances that you are already familiar with most of them but you can also learn them better to make effective use of them.
As the saying goes, you are as good as your tools, it becomes increasingly essential for Java developers to get familiar with modern tools that can improve coding, unit testing, development, deployment, infrastructure automation, and continuous integration, especially if you want to become a DevOps Engineer or full-stack Java developer
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Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like these best Java tools and libraries to learn in 2024 and agree that advanced Java developers will benefit from learning these tools, then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.
P. S. — If you want to start 2024 on an excellent note, then I suggest you join The Complete Java MasterClass, one of the most up-to-date course. It’s updated for Java 17 and beyond recently and will be updated with new Java releases.
