What Devs Should Keep in Mind About Java

To gather insights on the state of the Java ecosystem today, we spoke to nine executives who are familiar with the ecosystem. 

We asked these experienced Java professionals "What do developers need to keep in mind when working with Java?" Here's what they told us:

• The perception is that Java equates to bad code. That’s just not true, you can write beautiful code with Java 8. Frameworks and languages enable developers to write maintainable, robust code. There is no shame in working with Java. It powers the Fortune 500 and the possibilities are endless.
• Keep learning. As long as Java has been around, it’s easy to get complacent. Developers can feel like factory workers on a production line because Java evolves slowly. Don’t fall into the complacency trap. Get out of your comfort zone and explore.
• Constantly evolving. Keep your application stack up to date to avoid obsolescence. Share tips, techniques, findings so the community stays ahead of the curve.
• Follow various developments on DZone and other sites. Follow announcements made at Java One. Watch videos. Use StackOverflow for problem solving. Take advantage of the knowledge in the community.
• You can make a career out of Java. It takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. Give yourself time to learn it properly. It is more well-suited for some purposes than others. Learn where to go in the community for help and guidance.
• Understand Java, the JVM, and learn Kotlin.
• Learn how to develop securely in Java. Lack of fundamental knowledge of how to code defensively. Scan for security vulnerabilities. One third of new applications already have an SQL injection. Don’t consider the functionality of third party code as free. You must stay up to date with libraries.
• Stick with best practices. Learn from everyone you can.
• Find interesting open source projects (mobile, service side, infrastructure, data storage, Android, Hadoop, Cassandra) deconstruct the project and learn how it was done. This will provide greater learning than just writing simple script application. Be more active with open source. Be more open, communicative, and collaborative.

What recommendations do you have for developers with regards to Java and the Java ecosystem?

And in case you're wondering, here's who we talked to:

• Kehinde Ogunde, Developer, Andela
• Eric Shapiro, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, ArcTouch
• Prem Chandrasekaran, V.P. of Software Engineering, Barclaycard
• Rajiv Kadayam, Senior Director of Technology Strategy, eGlobalTech
• Anders Wallgren, CTO, Electric Cloud
• Ray Augé, Senior Software Architect, Liferay
• Wayne Citrin, CTO, JNBridge
• Kunal Anand, CTO, Prevoty
• Tim Jarrett, Director of Product Management, Veracode