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Intermediate/Advanced Java (Java 8 based)

This is a fast-paced course suitable for developers with some previous experience in working with Java and Object-Oriented (OO) programming. The course can also be delivered to developers experienced in other OO languages (Python, C++, C#) but with limited Java exposure, as well as used as an advanced Java course for more experienced developers. There are numerous optional parts allowing you to tailor the coverage to your group.

It includes an accelerated, yet thorough hands-on review of Java foundational concepts, with attention given to OO design and implementation principles. It then moves on to comprehensive coverage of more advanced topics in Java and OO development to provide participants with a strong grounding to use Java in a sophisticated and productive manner.

This course covers far more than an introductory course, including important topics such as UML and Design Patterns, and using composition vs. inheritance, which are all key to creating well-structured OO systems. After these important areas, it moves on to advanced Java topics such as inner classes, reflection, writing generic classes, and functional programming with lambdas and streams. It teaches a number of useful techniques that enhance productivity and good system design - which may otherwise take Java developers years to absorb on their own. The course concludes with build tools and logging.

Unit testing is stressed throughout the course, with most labs implemented as JUnit tests.

Although the course is designed to be delivered in its entirety, it can be customized to fit your needs. Be prepared to work hard and learn a great deal!

Course Objectives:

  • Solidify Java foundational knowledge, including the important contracts of class Object
  • Understand the uses and consequences of inheritance and composition, and reinforce the role of interfaces
  • Reinforce fundamental OO principles such as cohesion, coupling, and polymorphism
  • Use the JUnit testing framework and become fluent in writing assertions to verify correct program behavior
  • Familiarity with UML modeling in class diagrams and sequence diagrams
  • Use advanced techniques for object creation, including factories and singletons
  • Use established design patterns for object composition, including Strategy, Decorator, and Facade
  • Write and use generic classes and methods
  • Learn the use cases for inner classes and refactor existing code to use them when appropriate
  • Create and use custom annotations
  • Be familiar with reflection and how to use it
  • Understand the role of functional interfaces introduced in Java 8
  • Understand lambda expressions and method references, and use them to pass behavior (methods)
  • Use the Stream API to perform complex processing of collections and other input sources
  • Learn the new Date/Time API and use it to solve date-oriented business problems
  • Use Javadoc to write professional-grade API comments for your classes
  • Understand build tools such as Ant and Maven, and how to manage application dependencies
  • Write appropriate log statements in your code and configure logging with Log4j

Course Outline: