Learning Java - What pieces do I need to learn ? What are most companies looking

[bab61]

Hello,

I want to learn Java J2EE, and have no idea where to start. I have heard there are several components and IDE's available to make JAVA very useful, but I have no idea where to stats and in what order to learn everything in. My goal is to get an entry level job programming in Java. I have working in IT for over 25 years, but feel its time to learn object programming.

Guidance in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[DarrylBurke]

Moved from New to Java

db

[gimbal2]

You'll have to check your local job market to see what is asked for, its not the same globally.

Where to start? Well - do you know Java SE? If not that's where you start, at the beginning. A good book should be your first stopping point; the amazon.com user reviews will help you to pick a proper one. Please don't buy a "java for dummies" or "java in XX hours/days/whatever" books, they're terrible. If you like to learn Java through puzzles and games you can hardly go wrong with Head First Java 2nd edition - its a bit older (for Java 5) but its still very relevant.

If you do know core Java, your first steps into JavaEE should be from a web perspective to get your feet wet. I suggest you study into servlets and deploying them on Apache Tomcat 7, which is truly the basics of the basics. You can also learn JSPs, but that isn't really a technology used anymore today, people go for the plethora of web frameworks available for Java. Still doing a bit of JSPs with JSTL can teach you a lot, for example about the separation of business logic from view logic and the usage of the Expression Language.

The Java Enterprise Edition itself exposes Javaserver Faces as its web framework, but beware that it has a bit of a steep learning curve. Again: a book is what you need, in the case of JSF that is the Javaserver Faces 2 reference guide. You're not stuck to it though, let your local job market dictate what you should invest into. JSF is quite popular in the Netherlands, but Spring framework is equally often asked for. Perhaps in your area Spring is used more, who knows.