How I learned Java
About me
I have been a UI Developer from past 3-4 years and was coding on SAP UI5 which is framework-cum-library on Javascript, HTML5, CSS.
Why I wanted to learn Java
I wanted to become a full stack developer to expand my domain from just front-end to other stacks of the software. I chose Java because it was the to-go language for micro services in side SAP.
How I approached learning Java
I started by watching some basic tutorials about java data types, structures, etc. Post that wrote the stereotypical "Hello World" program.
Once i gained confidence in writing basic programs. I started referring the existing product code and made my modifications. Soon enough i got confidence myself and started creating my own packages.
The learning was not steep owing to the brief experience i had with java during my school.
Challenges I faced
There were few roadblocks regarding the packaging of the code. We at SAP use maven packaging for the code. Initially i was clueless regarding where the code was coming from. Since our overly smart IDE, nowadays makes it flawless integration of maven dependencies being downloaded in the background for you.
Key takeaways
Learning Maven in the process of learning Java was fun. The most i enjoyed was writing old-school codes for learning.
Tips and advice
Be curious. Be silly. Ask the basic questions again and again if need be without hesitation until you learn.
Final thoughts and next steps
I still feel i can do more in java. Long term goal would be to write a utility framework which could be used by developers in my Line of Business.
