Java Roadmap 🚀
1. Fundamentals (Beginner Level)
Setup & Basics
● Install JDK (Java Development Kit).
● Set up a development environment (e.g., IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, Visual Studio
Code).
● Understand Java architecture.
● Learn basic syntax and structure.
Core Concepts
● Variables and data types.
● Operators.
● Control flow statements:
○ if-else
○ switch
● Loops:
○ for, while, do-while.
● Arrays and basic collections.
2. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
Core OOP Concepts
● Classes and objects.
● Constructors.
● Principles:
○ Inheritance
○ Polymorphism
○ Encapsulation
○ Abstraction
● Interfaces and abstract classes.
Advanced OOP
● Method overloading and overriding.
● Composition vs inheritance.
● Access modifiers.
3. Exception Handling
● try-catch blocks.
● Checked vs unchecked exceptions.
● Creating custom exceptions.
● Exception propagation.
● finally block.
● throw and throws keywords.
4. Java Collections Framework
Core Collections
● Lists: ArrayList, LinkedList.
● Sets: HashSet, TreeSet.
● Maps: HashMap, TreeMap.
● Queue and Deque.
Advanced Collections
● Generics.
● Comparable and Comparator interfaces.
● Stream API.
● Lambda expressions and method references.
5. Multithreading and Concurrency
● Thread lifecycle.
● Creating threads:
○ Extending Thread.
○ Implementing Runnable.
● Thread synchronization.
● Executor framework.
● Concurrent collections.
● Thread pools.
● wait, notify, notifyAll mechanisms.
6. File Handling and I/O
● File operations with File.
● BufferedReader and BufferedWriter.
● FileInputStream and FileOutputStream.
● Serialization.
● NIO (New I/O) package.
7. JDBC and Database Connectivity
● Database connection setup.
● Using PreparedStatements.
● Transaction management.
● Connection pooling.
● Basics of ORM (e.g., Hibernate).
8. Networking in Java
Fundamentals
● Client/Server model.
● Socket programming with Socket and ServerSocket.
● TCP/IP and UDP communication.
Advanced Networking
● Multi-threaded server design.
● Non-blocking I/O.
● Networking security.
9. Java Servlets
● Servlet lifecycle (init, service, destroy).
● HttpServlet and request-response handling.
● Session management with HttpSession and cookies.
10. Java Server Pages (JSP)
● JSP directives and Expression Language (EL).
● Using JSTL (Standard Tag Library).
● Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern.
11. Remote Method Invocation (RMI)
● Object serialization and remote object invocation.
● Implementing Stub and Skeleton.
● Distributed computing basics.
12. Java 8+ Features
● Lambda expressions.
● Stream API.
● Optional class.
● Default methods in interfaces.
● Date and Time API.
13. Design Patterns
Creational Patterns
● Singleton.
● Factory.
● Builder.
● Prototype.
Structural Patterns
● Adapter.
● Decorator.
● Proxy.
Behavioral Patterns
● Observer.
● Strategy.
● Command.
14. Advanced Java Concepts
● Reflection.
● Annotations.
● Advanced Generics.
● Memory management.
● JVM internals.
● Performance optimization.
15. Framework Knowledge
● Basics of the Spring Framework.
● Spring Boot.
● Hibernate.
● Building Microservices with Java.
16. Testing
● JUnit.
● Mockito.
● Test-Driven Development (TDD).
17. Build Tools and DevOps
● Maven and Gradle.
● Docker.
● Continuous Integration (CI).
18. Dependency Injection and Important Topics
Dependency Injection (DI)
● Definition: A design pattern used to achieve Inversion of Control (IoC).
● Benefits:
○ Improves modularity and testability.
○ Reduces tight coupling between components.
Types of Dependency Injection
1. Constructor Injection:
○ Dependencies are provided through the class constructor.
2. Setter Injection:
○ Dependencies are provided through setter methods.
3. Interface Injection:
○ Dependencies are provided through interfaces.
DI Frameworks in Java
● Spring Framework:
○ Core container for IoC and DI.
● Google Guice:
○ Lightweight DI framework.
● Dagger:
○ Optimized for Android development.
19. Java Garbage Collection
● Understanding Memory Management in Java
○ Heap Memory Structure (Young Generation, Old Generation,
Metaspace)
○ Object Lifecycle (Creation, Reachability, Finalization, Termination)
● Garbage Collection Basics
○ Mark-and-Sweep Algorithm
○ Generational Hypothesis
○ Stop-the-World Events
● Garbage Collector Types
○ Serial Collector
○ Parallel Collector
○ Concurrent Mark-Sweep (CMS) Collector
○ G1 (Garbage-First) Collector
● Garbage Collection Tuning and Optimization
○ JVM Command-Line Options (-Xms, -Xmx, -XX:+UseG1GC, etc.)
○ Monitoring Garbage Collection with JMX and JConsole
○ Profiling and Analyzing Garbage Collection Behavior
● Common Garbage Collection Issues
○ Memory Leaks
○ High CPU Utilization
○ Pauses and Latency
○ OutOfMemoryError Exceptions
● Best Practices for Efficient Garbage Collection
○ Minimizing Object Creation
○ Proper Object Lifecycle Management
○ Implementing Weak, Soft, and Phantom References
○ Using Finalization and Cleaners Judiciously
● Java 9+ Enhancements
○ Unified GC Logging
○ Ergonomic Improvements
○ Garbage-First Garbage Collector (G1) Enhancements
Important Topics in Dependency Injection
● Bean Configuration: XML vs Annotation-based.
● Autowired Annotation: Automatically injects dependencies.
● Qualifier Annotation: Resolves conflicts when multiple beans are available.
● Scope of Beans: Singleton, Prototype, Request, Session, etc.
● Bean Lifecycle: Initialization and destruction callbacks.
● Circular Dependencies: How DI frameworks handle them.
Hands-on Practice
● Create a Spring-based project using DI.
● Implement DI in an Android application.
● Use Google Guice or Dagger in small projects.
Learning Resources
Online Platforms
● Codecademy
● Udemy
● Coursera
● edX
● PluralSight
Books
● Head First Java.
● Effective Java by Joshua Bloch.
● Clean Code by Robert C. Martin.
Practice Platforms
● LeetCode
● HackerRank
● CodeWars
● Project Euler
Pro Tips
● Code daily.
● Build projects.
● Contribute to open source.
● Join Java communities.
● Stay updated with the latest trends.
Career Paths
● Backend Developer.
● Full Stack Developer.
● Enterprise Application Developer.
● Android Developer.
● Cloud Solutions Architect.
