At the very beginning of last year, I decided to track my reading habits and share the best stuff here, on Baeldung. Haven't missed a review since.
Here we go…
1. Spring and Java
>> Core container refinements in Spring Framework 4.3 [spring.io]
It's always nice when a framework matures and gets easier to work with – and Spring is doing just that with the upcoming 4.3.
>> Enjoying Java and Being More Productive with IntelliJ IDEA [jetbrains.com]
A nice guide to what makes IntelliJ a good choice as your default IDE. Obviously promotional in nature, but a solid writeup nevertheless.
>> JUnit 5 Alpha Simplifies Unit Testing [infoq.com]
Short the to the point look at what's happening with the new JUnit alpha.
>> Java A’s new Local-Variable Type Inference [jooq.org]
If this gets implemented in Java 10, it will be a beautiful thing.
It also shows a degree of openness to community feedback that is rare for a language as mature and as well established as Java is 20 years in.
>> Using the TestNG ITestContext to create smarter REST Assured tests [ontestautomation.com]
Quick and highly practical writeup on using rest-assured to test an API and how to orchestrate the interaction with the Authorization Server in OAuth2.
Also worth reading:
>> Book Review: All About Java 8 Lambdas [infoq.com]
>> Spring Batch Tutorial: Creating a Custom ItemReader [petrikainulainen.net]
>> JUnit Testing using Mockito and PowerMock [codecentric.de]
>> Microservices trouble? Lagom is here to help. Try it! [eisele.net]
Webinars and presentations:
>> Building Microservices with Event Sourcing and CQRS [infoq.com]
>> Eclipse: The Evolution and Future of IDEs [infoq.com]
>> A Spring Developer's Guide to Social Integration [infoq.com]
>> Developing Real-time Data Pipelines with Apache Kafka [infoq.com]
>> Reactive Web Applications [infoq.com]
>> Contracts in Clojure: Settling Types vs Tests [infoq.com]
>> Building a next-generation cloud e-commerce platform with Spring [spring.io]
>> Webinar: Spring Boot and Ratpack Web Framework [spring.io]
>> Webinar: Stream Processing in the Cloud with Data Microservices [spring.io]
Time to upgrade:
>> REST Assured 2.9.0 [github.com]
>> Lombok v1.16.8 [github.com]
2. Technical
>> Alternative Services [mnot.net]
The web never stops moving forward, and the standardization of these building blocks is really critical for this forward movement.
If you're keeping an eye on this part of the ecosystem, definitely have a quick read.
Also worth reading:
>> Eclipse Foundation Releases Next-Generation IDE, Eclipse Che 4.0 [infoq.com]
>> On the Madness of Optimizing Compilers [prog21.dadgum.com]
>> Developing With Docker – Debugging Containerized Micro-services [alexecollins.com]
3. Musings
>> We Hire the Best, Just Like Everyone Else [codinghorror.com]
Some against the grain advice on actually keeping an open mind when hiring someone and doing a good job at this notoriously difficult thing.
>> Chasing Developer Productivity Metrics [daedtech.com]
Putting a hard number of developer productivity is the white whale of our industry, and so a piece that manages to stay away from rehashing the well known and the obvious is a good read.
But the reason this one was perhaps more interesting to me is that more and more, I'm starting to build out a team around Baeldung, so the question of “productivity” isn't just theory any more.
>> It's Not Just Standing Up: Patterns for Daily Standup Meetings [martinfowler.com]
I don't usually include Agile writeups here because they're usually fluff. This one though may be worth the read (although I didn't get through all of it).
>> A brief overview of hack.summit() 2016 (part 1) [advancedweb.hu]
Some really interesting talks here.
I'm still going through some and they're a little bit meta, but there are some cool takeaways locked in these talks.
Also worth reading:
>> CEO [jacquesmattheij.com]
>> Ph.D. or Professional Programmer? [henrikwarne.com]
>> UI Developers! Choose Sensible Default Ordering! [jooq.org]
>> I’m a Business, Man [daedtech.com]
>> Where to place your toggle [martinfowler.com]
4. Comics
And my favorite Dilberts of the week: