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

>> Implementing HAL hypermedia REST API using Spring HATEOAS [opencredo.com]

I've been talking about HATEOAS for such a long time now and consistently see clients get value out of it for not a lot of effort. And so of course this write get the first spot here in the review.

A solid, practical article detailing quite a bit of what you have to know when implementing a Hypermedia API with Spring.

>> How I Caused Confusion about Spring Boot [codecentric.de]

A quick writeup going beyond simple usecase and discussing some good practices of how configuration should be handled with Spring Boot.

>> How Functional Programming will (Finally) do Away With the GoF Patterns [jooq.org]

There's a quote I can't place right now – that goes something like this: Design Patterns are missing language features.

Java 8 gave us a much more powerful language, which of course changed the landscape when it comes to needing patterns. So I fully expect to keep seeing these style of writeup as Java 8 gets adopted and understood more and more.

>> Tabs vs Spaces: How They Write Java at Google, Twitter, Mozilla and Pied Piper [takipi.com]

Yeah, you read that right – tabs vs spaces! Back to trolling basics 🙂 – it made me reconsider my life choices.

Joking aside, it's a fun read.

>> Spring Sweets: Using Groovy Configuration As PropertySource [jdriven.com]

Some interesting Groovy alternative configuration for handling properties in Spring.

>> Java 9 on the Brink of a Delivery Date and Scope Review [infoq.com]

Looks like we're close to getting the real release date for Java 9.

Also worth reading:

Webinars and presentations:

Time to upgrade:

2. Technical

>> Goldilocks Microservices [vanilla-java.github.io]

Sizing your microservices right and keeping the overall architecture flexible can definitely make or break an implementation; this article is about making the pragmatic choices that make sense for your particular scenario.

>> Adding service virtualization to your Continuous Delivery pipeline [ontestautomation.com]

A quick intro to a highly useful technique and trend that's been picking up lots of momentum lately, and for good reason – making heavy use of virtualization within a CD pipeline.

Also worth reading:

3. Musings

>> Security insanity: how we keep failing at the basics [troyhunt.com]

A fantastic deep-dive into broken password security rules.

>> Does Github Enhance the Need for Code Review? [daedtech.com]

An three-decade look at the proprietary vs open source software world from the vantage point of the seminal work The Cathedral and the Bazaar.

>> Surviving The Dreaded Company Framework [daedtech.com]

Internal frameworks are a pain point with so many developers, give that for every one that makes sense, a hundred that don't are built. I cringed when I first read this title.

>> With Commercial Licensing, Invest in Innovation, not Protection [jooq.org]

That's good advice, and also scary if you actually have a product that the advice applies to. It's also worth mentioning that the advice comes out of practical experience and not just out of “thinking about it a bit”.

Also worth reading:

4. Comics

And my favorite Dilberts of the week:

>> I always plan my schedule around your incompetence [dilbert.com]

>> My productivity plunges whenever you learn new jargon [dilbert.com]

>> Yeah, that's how it works [dilbert.com]

5. Pick of the Week

>> Don’t let anyone overpay you [m.signalvnoise.com]