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

>> Reducing boilerplate code with Project Lombok [codecentric.de]

A quick intro to the foundations of Lombock to get rid of some of the more verbose parts of Java.

>> java.util.Optional – Short Tutorial By Example [javaspecialists.eu]

We’ve seen many introductions to Optional since it came out. I’ve covered some in these weekly reviews over that time. This one is as good as any and it has a solid video as well – so if you’re not yet using Optional well, have a look.

>> The Top 100 Java Libraries in 2016 – After Analyzing 47,251 Dependencies [takipi.com]

A very cool breakdown and high level view of what’s going with the libraries in the Java ecosystem.

Also worth reading:

Webinars and presentations:

Time to upgrade:

2. Technical

>> 5 Ways to NOT F**K Up Your Microservices in Production [takipi.com]

More practical and realistic writeups about working in a microservice architecture are getting published than before.

This one is simple and to the point, but it does a good job illustrating a clear fact – microservices do come with a real cost and extra complexity.

Also worth reading:

3. Musings

>> A Manager’s Guide to Legacy Code [daedtech.com]

Working with legacy code is a necessary evil – and this writeup tries to frame what that works entails for the developer tasked to do it.

>> Github and Code Review: A Quiet Revolution [daedtech.com]

Sometimes it’s important to take a step back and have a look at broad strokes of the industry. Especially if you’re heads down in that industry and most of these new workflows are second nature to you.

That’s the direction of this writeup – a step back and a look at what’s been happening.

>> The New 10-Year Vesting Schedule [zachholman.com]

Some realities that are well worth understanding before taking a job at a startup.

Also worth reading:

4. Comics

And my favorite Dilberts of the week:

>> I feel good about next year [dilbert.com]

>> All I could get is fake buy-in [dilbert.com]

>> This stain is fudge [dilbert.com]

5. Pick of the Week