Top 10 Frameworks Java Programmers can Learn in 2020 - Best of Lot

Hello guys, if you are a Java developer and wondering which web development frameworks you should learn in 2020, then you have come to the right place. In this article, I am going to share the top 5 frameworksJava developers can learn to keep pace with modern-day development. This article includes backend frameworks like Spring and Spring Boot as well as front-end frameworks like Angular 2+ and React JS. You might be wondering why Java developer needs to learn Angular or JavaScript framework, but the truth is that you need those to work in the real world. For example, you work in an application where the backend is written in Java, but the front-end is written using Angular or React JS.

To work in a Software development team, you need to contribute in both backend and frontend, and that's where this knowledge helps. You might have also seen Job description where a company needs developers with Java + Angular or Java + React skill.

Anyway, this is the second part of my article on what Java programmer should learn this year. In the first part, 10 Things Java developer should learn  where I have focused on essential upgrades like Java 8, Java 13, Spring 5.1, Spring Boot 2.1, etc., but in this article, I'll talk about some of the best Java frameworks you should learn to give your career a boost.

Technology changes really fast; in just a couple of years, what was the hottest technology or framework of 2014 is no longer used anymore, and as a programmer and application developer, our biggest challenge is to keep pace with the technology.

An excellent example of this is the Spring framework. Earlier it was just enough to know how to use the Spring framework to get a job in Java web development world. Still, today, you should knowSpring Boot andSpring Cloud, Eclipse Microprofile, Micronaut, and Quarkus to be part of modern-day Java development.

The Spring framework is the most popular Java framework, and almost all of Java development happens using that, except for Android apps. It is continually evolving and for the benefit of the developer itself, but you also need to put effort into keeping pace with it.

Apart from the evolution of the Spring framework, other changes are coming in how you build a Java web application. Things like JSP, GWT, JSF are no longer used to develop frameworks; instead, it'sAngular andReact, which is preferred over these traditional Java view technologies, and that's why all Java developers need to learn these JavaScript front-end libraries and frameworks.

Top 10 Frameworks for Java Programmers

Here is my list of some of thebest Java frameworks of 2020. This includes Java web development frameworks likeSpring Boot, Java Cloud development framework likeSpring Cloud, JavaScript Front-end development frameworks like Angular and React, and Big Data framework likeApache Spark.

It's not necessary to learn all these frameworks; instead, you should choose which is most famous for you depending on your requirement and job profile. For most of the Java developer, I suggestSpring Boot because this is now the standard way to use Spring in many companies.

But, if you are working on a project where you are using React or Angular, then feel free to learn those.

1. Spring Boot

You might have heard about the magical prowess of Spring Boot. It's a game-changing framework, which is probably the best thing that happens to the Java world since the Spring framework.

Much like Spring, which aims to solve problems associated with enterprise Java development, Spring Boot solves the problem related to Spring Application development to make it even easier for Java developers to create Java web applications using Spring.

Even though Spring offers a lot in terms of dependency injection and many templates like JdbcTemplate,RestTemplate it also expects a lot from you in terms of a learning curve, configuration, and dependency management, which creates development friction.

Spring Boot aims to solve that by introducing a host of convenient features likeauto-configuration,starter dependency,Spring Boot CLI, andSpring Actuator.

These are just some of the features of Spring Boot, which we have explored. If you are interested in Spring Boot, then I suggest you join a Spring Boot course like Learn Spring Boot - Rapid Spring Application Development  to learn this excellent framework in detail.

If you love reading books, thenSpring Boot in Action by Craig Walls is also the right place to start with.

Just to tell you more about the auto-configuration feature, it takes away all the pain for standard configuration functionalities, like it can automatically configureJdbcTemplate and an in-memory database if their JAR dependency is present in the classpath. It makes 200+ such decisions which can help to auto-configure spring web, security, and other aspects.

Similarly, starter dependency removes the pain for jotting down all dependency you need and working to find a compatible version that plays well together.

Now you can get most of the common dependency by including just one starter POM, like spring-boot-starter-web can pull Spring MVC, Jackson, and Embedded Tomcat server.

2. Spring Cloud

Developing applications for the cloud has its own challenges, and Spring Cloud aims to solve those. It provides tools for Java developers to quickly build some of the common patterns of cloud-based applications, like configuration management, service discovery, circuit breaks, client-side load balancing, intelligent routing, distributed sessions, etc.

When you develop a cloud-based Java application, you don't need to worry about Hardware, installing the operating system, database, and other software. However, your app still needs those to function.

Cloud providers like Cloud-Found and Heroku provide those services to you, but you need to do a lot of work to access those services, and that's where Spring Cloud helps.

It provides a simple and efficient cloud connector to access those services by abstracting all cloud-specific details, which means you can access those essential services in the cloud just like you do in a non-cloud environment like you can connect to a database by just knowing host and port and login credentials.

If you are thinking about cloud-based Java application, like Microservices and want to learn how Spring Cloud can help you, I suggest you check out Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud , one of the best courses to learn these two great frameworks.

If you prefer to learn from books, then Cloud Native Java  book by Josh Long and company is another excellent resource to start with.

3. Angular

This one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks for developing front-end. It's designed and backed by Google, one of the most innovative companies of the modern-day.

Angular is not a new framework, it's been around for a couple of years. The earlier version of Angular was known as Angular JS, but from Angular 2, the framework was wholly different and re-written.

It offers declarative templates with Data binding and bringsdependency injection andunit testing to test your client-side code, which makes it a popular framework for front-end development.

It also usesTypeScript, a JavaScript wrapper developed by Microsoft, which makes it easy to write Object-oriented code in JavaScript. It's a superset of JavaScript and provides nice Java-like syntax to create a modern GUI application.

The code is then translated to JavaScript by the compiler so that it can be run in the browser. I strongly recommend to learn either Angular or React to Java developer to become a full-stack developer. If you are interested in Angular, thenAngular 6 (Formerly Angular 2) - The Complete Guide  is the perfect course to start with.

But if you want to start with some free resources, then you can also check out this list offree Angular Courses for web developers.

4. React

Along with Angular, React is another popular JavaScript library to create front-end or GUI. Its component-based model has really impressed web developers all around the world.

Many Java projects which hash web GUI are now usingReact instead of using FreeMarker,JSP, Thymeleaf, or other standard Java View technologies.

The main benefit of React is that you can create a component and reuse them, which makes the development easier like if you have a list of elements with just different data, you can reuse your custom list component created using React with different data.

Just like Angular is backed by Google, React is backed by Facebook, which means it's not going to fade in a couple of years, and any investment you made in learning React will go a long way to the server you in your career.

In short, React is a great framework to learn in 2020 for both Java and web developer, and if you want to learn, then React 16 - The Complete Guide  is is the best course to start with.

But, If you need some free resources, then you can also check out my list offree React courses to try.

5. Apache Spark

Apache Spark is the next big framework in Big Data Space. Even thoughHadoop is much more accessible and used in Big Data Space, things are changing quickly because of the improved speed and performance of Apache Spark.

It's touted that its 100 times faster than Hadoop, which makes it ideal for analyzing vast amounts of data today's Global applications are generating.

If you are a Java developer and interested in Big Data space, then learning Apache Spark can give your career a boost. There are a lot of opportunities in the Big Data space and enormous demands for a developer with Hadoop and Apache Spark experience.

If you wanted to learn Apache Spark in 2020, I suggest you take a look at Apache Spark with Javacourse on Udemy. I got in just $10.99 earlier this year, and you can get it too on Udemy's frequently flash sale.

Btw, if you need some gree courses to start with, then you can check out this list offree Apache Spark Courses for Java developers.

6. Eclipse MicroProfile

This is another excellent framework Java Programmers can learn in 2020. The Eclipse MicroProfile is an initiative by Eclipse foundations to optimize Java EE for Microservice development. The goal of this modern Java framework is to define a standard set of APIs for building a Microservice application and deliver a portable application for different MicroProfiel runtimes.

Enterprise Java technologies like Java EE or Jakarta EE have evolved with the industry for nearly two decades to support distributed application architectures based on RMI/IIOP, Web Services, and REST. The MicroProfile is the next step in that evolution.

The current version of Eclipse Microprofiel is Eclipse MicroProfile 3.2,. Like all its previous versions, MicroProfile 3.2 continues to align itself with Java EE 8 as the foundational programming model for the development of Java Microservices.

If you are willing to learn a new Java framework apart from Spring Boot and Spring Cloud, then Eclipse Microprofile could be the right choice.

7. Micronaut

While the industry is moving towards serverless computing, how can Java world be left behind and bridge this gap, Micronaut is leading the serverless application on the Java side. If you don't know, Micronaut is another modern, JVM-based, full-stack framework for building modular, easily testable microservice and serverless applications.

One of the best things about Micronaut is that it's a Polyglot framework, which means you can develop the application using different programming languages. Currently, Micronaut supports Java, Kotlin, and Groovy.

Micronaut not only provides an option in terms of development, but it also offers impressive performance. With minimal memory footprint, Microanut provides blazing fast throughput and monumental leap in startup time.

You can even take the performance of your Java application to the next level by using GraalVM because with Grall VM, Micronaut apps startup in just tens of milliseconds!

This is made possible by avoiding Reflection-based IoC frameworks that loads and caches reflection data for every single field, method, and constructor in your code. In contrast, with Micronaut, your application startup time and memory consumption are not bound to the size of your codebase.

If you want to develop a serverless application and easily testable Microservices in Java, then you should learn the Micronaut framework in 2020.

8. Quarkus

Quarkus is another modern Java framework that uses containers' first philosophy for developing Java applications. It tailors your application for GraalVM and HotSpot and provides amazingly fast boot time, incredibly low RSS memory (not just heap size!), and offers near-instant scale-up and high-density memory utilization in container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes.

This is made possible by using a technique we call compile-time boot. It also allows you to write both the familiar imperative code and the non-blocking reactive style when developing applications without compromising performance.

It is also created by keeping Developer productivity in mind. With unified configuration, zero-config, live to reload in the blink of an eye, streamlined code for the 80% common usages, flexible for the 20% and no-hassle native executable generation it provides a cohesive platform for optimized developer joy.

It means you can just save your code and it's running, Yes, and that's possible in Java because of Quarkus.

Quarkus also provide access to best of breed libraries and standards, all wired on a standard backbone. If you are looking to expand your Java skills, then learning Quarkus can be a good option.

9. Hibernate

There is no doubt that Hibernate is the leading Java persistent framework, and if you don't know Hibernate yet, then you should learn in 2020. You will find Hibernate in almost every Java project, particularly on server-side Java application. It also provides the implementation of JPA or Java Persistence API, a Java standard for persistence.

Along with the Spring framework, Hibernate is also the most sought-after skills on Java developers, and you will find mention of Hibernate in most of the Job descriptions for Java Web Developer role. It's also one of the established frameworks, which means whatever effort you will put in learning Hibernate will go a long way in your career.

If you have already decided to learn Hibernate in 2020 and you just need resources like courses, then you can check out this list of top 5 Hibernate and JPA courses , where I have shared some of the best courses to learn Hibernate and JPA for Java developers.

If you prefer learning from books than courses, then you can also check out this list of best books to learn Hibernate for Java developers. If you ask me, I would instead combine both courses and books with learning Hibernate quickly and in-depth.  Courses provide a good overview of 20% features that are used 80% of the time, while books are suitable for deep dive into a particular topic.

10. Spring Core Framework

There is a good chance that you already know the Spring framework, but if you don't know, then this should be the first Java framework you learn in 2020. Spring framework doesn't need any introduction as it has become the standard Java stack for developing server-side applications, and it's expected from every Java developer to know Spring Framework.

If you are aiming to become a server-side Java developer, then you will need to demonstrate Spring framework skills in almost all the Java interviews. Along with Hibernate, Spring is another mandatory skill for Java programmers.

While Spring is a comprehensive and vast framework and there are several projects under it like Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Spring Data, and others, you are at least expected to know the Spring core and Spring MVC.

If you have already made your mind to learn Spring framework in 2020 and just looking for some excellent resources to start with, I would recommend the Spring Framework 5: Beginner to Guru course, one of the best resources to learn Spring framework in depth.

If you prefer books, you can also check out this list of basic and advanced spring books, and in case if you need more options, this article also has a lot of excellent spring resources.

That's all about some of thebest Java Frameworks you can learn in 2020to give your career a boost. It's essential to keep pace with technology as it changes really fast, and if you are not continually updating yourself, then you will be left behind in your company and career. Technology also opens new opportunities like you can go into Javascript front-end development by learning Angular or React and explore Big Data space by learning Spark.

You might be questioningwhy Java developer should learn JavaScript framework?  But, let me tell you, in most of the company, a Java developer is not only responsible for server-side coding but also client-side coding, creating front-end GUIs.

Even though their primary skill is Java, you also learn all related technology to be useful and provide value. That's why most of the Java developers you will find has good knowledge of front-end technologies likeHTML,CSS,JavaScript,and other everyday skills likeSQL,Linux, andAlgorithms, etc.

Apart from the evolution of how we create a web application, new opportunities are coming onBig Data andMachine learning space, and there are specific Java frameworks like Apache Spark and Hadoop, which you can learn to take advantage of these upcoming opportunities.

TheReact is also everywhere these days. If you are looking to increase your value as a Java web developer, you need this framework under your belt!  With Facebook and its massive power behind it and a growing community of UI developers, React is well supported and always improving. React is also used heavily on tech giants like  Facebook, Netflix, the New York Times, Uber, and many other apps.

If you feel thesetop 5 frameworks are not enough and you already know these and looking for some more awesome tools and libraries to learn in 2020, here are some interesting articles to check out Java frameworks related to automation, testing, web service, and microservices.

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Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like these Java Frameworks, then please share it with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.

P.S. - If you are new to Java world and want to master core Java before learning these advanced frameworks then I suggest you check out these best courses to learn core Java to level up your skill and master fundamentals.