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First steps into java web development

 
Greenhorn
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Hi,

I've just completed an open uni course in Java and also completed the Head First in java programming. I think I've got the core basics down at the moment, and am now looking to move into developing java web apps.

The problem is that after looking around I'm so confused about the different technologies to use/work with! There's so many frameworks, tools, plug-ins etc that I just don't know where to start.

In terms of next steps, what would you guys recommend? Like I said, I want to develop some web applications (just for a hobby at the moment) with Java - I've got basics down for Java "core" (although still very inexperienced) - so it's going on to the next step now really.

Do I need to be choosing some kind of web development framework, like the google tool kit? Do these kits handle all the HTML coding too or do you have to do this separately?

I've been a SQL dev for years, so know SQL like the back of my hand - but this java lark is a whole new beast!

Thanks for any advice - there's just too much choice! :-)

Cheers
 
Rancher
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Welcome to JavaRanch.

No, you don't need any toolkit to get started. But you will need to pick up some HTML, if you haven't already. But there's no way around that if you want to do web development, so that's actually a good thing.

If you liked "Head First java" you could continue with "Head First Servlets & JSP" - that will acquaint you with the Servlets API (used to get Java code to process HTTP requests) and JSP (a page templating language used to create the HTML pages).

If you'd rather start out on your own, download and install Tomcat 7 -the best-known Java servlet container, and also a web server- and study the servlet and JSP examples that come preinstalled with it.

And feel free to come back here with questions, lots of knowledgeable Java web developers hang out here who are happy to help.
 
Mike Dobing
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Thanks Ulf, yes I do know html quite well, so thankfully don't need to learn that from scratch!

I'll check out that book you refer to - is that the next logical step would you say to taking java into the web application world? I have been working through netbeans tutorials on the java web trail too - is that worth while do you think?

Thanks for your assistance.
 
Marshal
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Welcome to the Ranch

If you are into SQL you doubtless know about the three‑tier architecture. Java is commonly used for the middle tier. How about developing a middle tier for one of your databases?
 
Ulf Dittmer
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The advantage of HFSJ (as it's known around here) is that it's independent of any IDE. The IDEs tend to abstract away some things that you really need to learn (but introduce their own complexities), so at first I would advise not to use one. Your first servlet and JSP experiments should be small enough that you don't need a build system. (And if, at some later point, you decide to use an IDE, take a hard look at Eclipse, not NetBeans - while the Oracle folks love their NetBeans -and use it for all the Java tutorials- they're a small minority compared to Eclipse users.)

I'd say the book is the next logical step IF you liked the approach of Head First Java - it's the same methodology. (And in the interest of full disclosure I'll say that I was a tech reviewer for that book, and got a copy for free, but I'm not in any other way associated with it.)
 
Mike Dobing
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Thank you! :-)

Yes I do know know about the three tier architecture. I could do that, but what I would like to do (purely for self learning) is develop a web based gui for a simple database app to use at my workplace - I don't have access to java developers and would like to build something myself. I know what the app is intend to build, it's taking the step beyond the SQL backend, java middle layer then plonking a gui on top :-)
 
Author and all-around good cowpoke
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I also suggest avoiding IDEs - they hide stuff and do things behind your back. Scan the IDE related forums here for sad stories.

Personally I like ANT for builds and a programmer's editor - keep it simple.

Bill
 
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