I always dreaded Java. I started my journey with JavaScript and was using it for backend with Node.js. I loved simplicity and versatility of javascript to use it to build anything from frontend, backend, ML, to crypto projects. Yet, despite Java's popularity, running on billions of devices from mobile phones to POS systems, I couldn’t bring myself to like it. Let me share my personal journey to liking Java and why my perception changed over time.

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When eyes meet with Java

Remember the time before Android or iOS became popular? The early touch screen phones used to come with games with Java jar files. I have fond memories of playing so many games and they had size of under 1 MB only!

I started learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript to build website and then later learned Node.js. Why switch when you can build backend with JavaScript.

Occasionally, I tried exploring Java but avoided diving deeper. Writing System.out.println("Hello World") just to print a single line felt unnecessarily verbose. On top of that, there was widespread negativity toward Java from YouTube content creators. People were constantly talking about Rust, Go, Ruby on Rails, and Zig, leaving Java to feel like an outdated relic.

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We Meet Again

During my first job, our backend application is written in Java. So I had no other option but to learn it.

• Debugging Frustrations: Now the first pain point for me was the fact that to make any changes I had to compile the class file and replace it in an .ear file and restart Tomcat server, the whole process would take about 5 mins. It was frustrating. In NodeJS I just had to use nodemon to get the changes reflected.

• Understanding OOP code: Getting used to read OOP (Object Oriented Programming) based code was new to me. It got confusing sometimes, classes extending, implementing and what not.

• The Perception of Obsolescence: My overall perception was that no one is starting new projects in Java in 2024. The most of the resources I find online are pretty outdated, they might be relevant but in JavaScript, you'll always find the most fresh content out there.

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Living with the Pain

The pain of Debugging

• If you aren't familiar above is a sample image of how stack trace in Java looks like. Initially it was really scary to search in the log file of 50K lines and seeing a lot of caused by chains. The above image paints a nice picture of how debugging in Java can be sometimes. but with time I realised that the useful message is in the bottom most caused by chain mostly.

• But sometimes the root cause might be wildly unrelated to the error thrown but this is not something specific to Java, I have faced issues like this javascript as well.
  
  

• I learned patience and to analyse problems deeply before taking any action to avoid the tedious process of compiling class files and replacing them in the ear archives deployed on Tomcat.
  
  

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Java has Evolved but has your organisation?

One major feature of Java is its excellent backward compatibility. While this ensures stability, it also means that organizations tend to avoid updating older systems. For instance:

• Using XML-based configurations for Spring Beans.

• Relying on Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs).

• Employing Ant for complex build processes.

These older practices can make development unnecessarily complex. Modern tools like Spring Boot and Gradle are far more developer-friendly, yet many companies stick to the old ways. 🥲

Discovering Spring Boot & Lombok: Java has evolved a lot and modern Java helped me resolve some of the frustrating developer experience that I had. When using Spring Boot I no longer have to change class files inside a war file but the changes get reflected quickly as it uses an embedded tomcat server. Using Lombok annotations I no longer have define getter, setters, and a lot of things get shorter.

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Final Thoughts

I have just started my journey and learning more about Java, Spring. Please let me know what are your thoughts on Java, whether you haven't started yet, want to or are a veteran.

But regardless, Java you're a pookie don't let anyone tell you, you're boring, old fashioned, tedious. You're reliable, and understanding you takes time but it's worth it 💖