DEV Community: Karsten Silz

Java Tech Popularity Index Q4/2023

Karsten Silz — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:22:59 +0000

TL;DR

Developer job ads dipped 30% in 2023.
Monthly Stack Overflow questions dropped 42% since ChatGPT, with JavaScript at -56% and Python at -59%.
Since June 22, Udemy's first-time Python course purchases have outpaced Java's 7.1 million to 2 million.
Job ads for Quarkus and Micronaut continue to rebound.

README

Welcome to the Q4/2023 issue of my newsletter “Java Tech Popularity Index”! If you like it, then subscribe to it for free on Substack! Or read it on dev.to or Medium. Even better: Share it with people who are interested!

What's This?

Picking a popular technology makes our developer life easier. My free, quarterly newsletter measures Java technology popularity by following the money: job ads in 59 countries and online course purchases by 60+ million developers. I also analyze developer interest with Google searches and developer engagement with questions at Stack Overflow.

The Java technologies are: IDEs, build tools, JVM languages, databases, back-end frameworks, web frameworks, and mobile app frameworks. I also recommend options in each of these seven areas. My recommendations are based on that popularity, industry analysis, and my 24 years of Java experience.

Why popularity? Because popular technologies are easier to learn, build, debug & deploy, easier to find jobs/hire, and easier to convince teammates & bosses. Popularity can make a difference in two situations: When multiple technologies score similarly, we could go for the most popular one. And when a technology is very unpopular, we may not use it.

Update for Q4/2023

Data Updates

Developer job ads dipped 30% in 2023.
Monthly Stack Overflow questions dropped 42% since ChatGPT, with JavaScript at -56% and Python at -59%.
Since June 22, Udemy's first-time Python course purchases have outpaced Java's 7.1 million to 2 million.
Job ads for Quarkus and Micronaut continue to rebound.

Feature Updates

The charts with the number of monthly questions at Stack Overflow now show the ChatGPT release on November 30, 2022.
The charts for job ads and Udemy students show "100%" only once.
The vertical axis in the charts for Google Searches and Stack Overflow questions now has dimmed numbers.

Side Quests

I published one InfoQ news item since September: JAX London 2023: Team Dynamics, Developer Platforms, and the Adoption of AI. It's not a coincidence that I wrote about JAX London – I presented there on October 4, 2023.

IDEs

Here is the scorecard of VS Code (left) and Eclipse (right) vs. IntelliJ (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. IntelliJ.

VS Code pulls away from IntelliJ in all categories but Udemy courses, where IntelliJ catches up ever so slightly. Eclipse loses ground to IntelliJ in all categories.

Here are my recommendations:

If you don't want to spend money, then use Eclipse.
If you may spend money, evaluate IntelliJ.
Evaluate VS Code for non-Java work, like web development (I use it for all my websites).
If you're using NetBeans, consider moving off of it.

READ IDE DETAILS

Build Tools

Here is the scorecard of Maven (left) and Ant (right) vs. Gradle (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Gradle.

Maven loses to Gradle except for jobs where it rises slightly. Ant has disappeared from searches and Stack Overflow and trends downwards in jobs.

Here are my recommendations:

If you use Scala, then use sbt.
Otherwise, if you absolutely cannot stand XML files and/or need to customize your build heavily, then use Gradle.
Otherwise, use Maven.

READ BUILD TOOL DETAILS

JVM Languages

Here is the scorecard of Java (left) and Scala (right) vs. Kotlin (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Kotlin.

Please take the Kotlin numbers with a huge grain of salt: Most Kotlin development is on Android, not in JVM projects. Java loses to Kotlin in all categories except for jobs. Scala declines against Kotlin in all categories (see the job ad section for why job numbers for Scala are missing).

Now, let's look at JVM competitors. Here is Python (left) and Java (right) vs. JavaScript (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. JavaScript.

Python slightly declines in jobs against JavaScript but holds steady or increases a bit in all other categories. Java holds steady against JavaScript or declines slightly.

Here are my recommendations:

If you need to switch languages or are on a new project:
- Use Scala if you need functional programming.
- Use Kotlin if you really need a "more modern Java".
- Otherwise, use the latest Java LTS version you, your team, and your application can take.

READ JVM LANGUAGE DETAILS

Databases

Here is the scorecard of MySql (left) and MongoDB (right) vs. Postgres (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Postgres.

MySQL gains jobs on Postgres but loses slightly (courses, searches) or heavily (Stack Overflow questions). MongoDB hold steady in job jobs but loses slightly everywhere else.

These are my recommendations:

On your current project, keep your existing database unless that database is absolutely, irrevocably, really not working out for you.
If you need to switch databases or are on a new project:
- If you know that you'll need the NoSQL features and/or scalability, and you can't get this with MySQL, then use MongoDB.
- Otherwise, use MySQL.

READ DATABASE DETAILS

Back-End Frameworks

Here is the scorecard of Spring Boot (left) and Quarkus (right) vs. Jakarta EE (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Jakarta EE.

Spring Boot pulls away from Jakarta EE everywhere except for job ad mentions. Quarkus gains on Jakarta EE everywhere.

Here are my recommendations:

On your current project, keep your existing back-end framework unless that framework is absolutely, really not working out for you.
If you need to switch back-end frameworks or are on a new project:
- Use Quarkus if you need the smallest possible, fastest-starting Java application now.
- Otherwise, use Spring Boot.

READ BACK-END FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Web Frameworks

Here is the scorecard of React (left) and Vue (right) vs. Angular (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Angular.

React pulls away from Angular except for jobs where Angular edged closer in the last year. Vue holds steady or gains slightly against Angular, except for slight losses at Stack Overflow.

Here are my recommendations:

If you already use React, Angular, or Vue in your project, keep using them. Otherwise, evaluate a migration. In many (most?) cases, such migration doesn't make business sense.
If you start a new project or migrate, start with React first, Angular otherwise, and finally, Vue.

READ WEB FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Mobile App Frameworks

Here is the scorecard React Native (left) and Xamarin (right) vs. Flutter (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Flutter.

React Native and Xamarin lose to Flutter in all categories.

Here are my recommendations:

Don't build two separate applications with Apple's and Google's first-party frameworks. Use a cross-platform framework instead.
If you already use Flutter or React Native in your project, then keep using them. Otherwise, evaluate a migration. In many (most?) cases, such migration doesn't make business sense.
If you start a new project or migrate and have used React before, then start with React Native first and use Flutter otherwise.
If you start a new project or migrate and have not used React, then begin with Flutter first and use React Native otherwise.

READ MOBILE APP FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Next Issue

The next issue will arrive in February 2024.

Subscribe to this Index on Substack for free to receive the next issue automatically!

About

Karsten Silz is the author of this newsletter. He is a full-stack Java developer (Spring Boot, Angular, Flutter) with 24 years of Java experience. Karsten has worked in Europe and the US and is also an author and speaker. He got a Master’s degree in Computer Science at the Dresden University of Technology (Germany) in 1996.

Karsten co-founded a software start-up in the US in 2004. He led product development for 13 years and left after the company was sold successfully. Karsten then co-founded the UK SaaS start-up "Your Home in Good Hands" as CTO in 2020. Since 2003, he has also worked as a contractor.

Karsten has this newsletter, a developer website, and a contractor site. He's on LinkedIn, Twitter, Xing, and GitHub. Karsten is also a Java editor at InfoQ.

Java Tech Popularity Index Q3/2023 (How to Build Java Applications Today #75)

Karsten Silz — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 06:30:24 +0000

TL;DR

Developer ads down by ~25% in 2023. Spring Boot back to 500% of Jakarta EE job ads, while Quarkus & Micronaut rose again. Monthly number of Stack Overflow questions down 42% since ChatGPT appeared.

README

Welcome to the Q3/2023 issue of my newsletter “Java Tech Popularity Index”! If you like it, then subscribe to it for free on Substack! Or read it on dev.to or Medium. Even better: Share it with people who are interested!

What's This?

Update for Q3/2023

Data Updates

The number of developer ads is generally down in 2023 by about 25%.
JavaScript, Java, C#, TypeScript, and Rust gained against Python in job ads since September 2022.
Spring Boot is back to 500% of Jakarta EE job ads, but still down 15% from the 588% of June 2022.
After a four-month decline in job ads, Quarkus and Micronaut rose again by about 15% in June.
The monthly number of Stack Overflow questions is down 42% since ChatGPT appeared (November 2022 vs. August 2023). Here are example losses: Angular 34%, React Native 40%, Flutter & React 42%, JavaScript 45%, Python 49%, and Vue 50%.
Maven snatched the #1 position in Stack Overflow questions back from Gradle by a hair (340 questions vs. 337).

Feature Updates

The charts for Google searches and questions at Stack Overflow show how much each technology is off its peak value. That shows as a dimmed number in parenthesis behind the current value.
I show Google search trends. Until now, those were browser screenshots (like this one). Now, they are proper charts using the CSV files from Google Trends (like this one). They are easier for me to do next time – and look nicer!

Side Quests

I published three InfoQ news items. All three have interviews with the driving forces behind these projects or the lead developer advocate.

Spring Boot and Azul JDK Support Java Startup Time Reducer CRaC
GraalVM Gets Large Performance Boost, New Release Cadence and New License (my bosses' boss at InfoQ said this is so long, it should have been an article)
Spring Modulith 1.0 Gains Production-Readiness, IDE Support and Improved Testability

I also gave a lightning talk at the Aspiring Speakers (of London): "Why Is Java in the Cloud So Expensive – And How Can I Make It Cheaper?". I spent quite some time on this, as it's a modified 10-minute English version of a 45-minute German talk I gave in May. And I'll boost it into a 45-minute version for JAX London, where I'll present on October 4, 2023.

Late Again 😔

I'm late again. This time by seven weeks! Why?

First, I traveled a lot in June and July and had an unplanned family visit. I wrote some news items for InfoQ again. Then I had a vacation. I also added new features – see next section.

That's why I'll say that the next issue will arrive in November – and I hope for the best!

IDEs

Here is the scorecard of VS Code (left) and Eclipse (right) vs. IntelliJ (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. IntelliJ.

VS Code pulls away from IntelliJ in all categories but Udemy courses, where IntelliJ catches up ever so slightly. Eclipse pulls away somewhat from IntelliJ in jobs but loses ground in all other categories.

Here are my recommendations:

If you don't want to spend money, then use Eclipse.
If you may spend money, evaluate IntelliJ.
Evaluate VS Code for non-Java work, like web development (I use it for all my websites).
If you're using NetBeans, consider moving off of it.

READ IDE DETAILS

Build Tools

Here is the scorecard of Maven (left) and Ant (right) vs. Gradle (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Gradle.

Maven holds steady against Gradle except for Stack Overflow. Ant has disappeared from searches and Stack Overflow and trends downwards in jobs.

Here are my recommendations:

If you use Scala, then use sbt.
Otherwise, if you absolutely cannot stand XML files and/or need to customize your build heavily, then use Gradle.
Otherwise, use Maven.

READ BUILD TOOL DETAILS

JVM Languages

This is Java (left) and Scala (right) vs. Kotlin (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Kotlin.

Please take the Kotlin numbers with a huge grain of salt: Most Kotlin development is on Android, not in JVM projects. Kotlin gains on Java in all categories except for jobs. Scala declines against Kotlin in all categories (see the job ad section for why job numbers for Scala are missing).

Now, let's look at JVM competitors. Here is Python (left) and Java (right) vs. JavaScript (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. JavaScript.

Python slightly declines in jobs against JavaScript but holds steady or increases a bit in all other categories. Java gains barely in jobs against JavaScript and declines slightly everywhere else.

Here are my recommendations:

If you need to switch languages or are on a new project:
- Use Scala if you need functional programming.
- Use Kotlin if you really need a "more modern Java".
- Otherwise, use the latest Java LTS version you, your team, and your application can take.

READ JVM LANGUAGE DETAILS

Databases

Here is the scorecard of MySql (left) and MongoDB (right) vs. Postgres (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Postgres.

MySQL gains jobs on Postgres but loses slightly (courses, searches) or heavily (Stack Overflow questions). MongoDB gains in jobs on Postgres, holds steady in searches, but loses slightly in courses and questions.

These are my recommendations:

On your current project, keep your existing database unless that database is absolutely, irrevocably, really not working out for you.
If you need to switch databases or are on a new project:
- If you know that you'll need the NoSQL features and/or scalability, and you can't get this with MySQL, then use MongoDB.
- Otherwise, use MySQL.

READ DATABASE DETAILS

Back-End Frameworks

Here is the scorecard of Spring Boot (left) and Quarkus (right) vs. Jakarta EE (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Jakarta EE.

Spring Boot pulls away from Jakarta EE everywhere except for jobs, where it dropped from 588% in June 2022. Quarkus gains on Jakarta EE everywhere.

Here are my recommendations:

On your current project, keep your existing back-end framework unless that framework is absolutely, really not working out for you.
If you need to switch back-end frameworks or are on a new project:
- Use Quarkus if you need the smallest possible, fastest-starting Java application now.
- Otherwise, use Spring Boot.

READ BACK-END FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Web Frameworks

Here is the scorecard of React (left) and Vue (right) vs. Angular (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Angular.

React pulls away from Angular except for jobs where Angular holds steady. Vue holds steady or gains slightly against Angular.

Here are my recommendations:

If you already use React, Angular, or Vue in your project, keep using them. Otherwise, evaluate a migration. In many (most?) cases, such migration doesn't make business sense.
If you start a new project or migrate, start with React first, Angular otherwise, and finally, Vue.

READ WEB FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Mobile App Frameworks

Here is the scorecard of React Native (left) and Xamarin (right) vs. Flutter (100%), not on the card. The arrows show the trend vs. Flutter.

React Native and Xamarin lose to Flutter in all categories except installed apps.

Here are my recommendations:

Don't build two separate applications with Apple's and Google's first-party frameworks. Use a cross-platform framework instead.
If you already use Flutter or React Native in your project, then keep using them. Otherwise, evaluate a migration. In many (most?) cases, such migration doesn't make business sense.
If you start a new project or migrate and have used React before, then start with React Native first and use Flutter otherwise.
If you start a new project or migrate and have not used React, then begin with Flutter first and use React Native otherwise.

READ MOBILE APP FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Next Issue

The next issue will arrive in November 2023.

Subscribe to this Index on Substack for free to receive the next issue automatically!

About

Karsten has this newsletter, a developer website, and a contractor site. He's on LinkedIn, Twitter, Xing, and GitHub. Karsten is also a Java editor at InfoQ.

How to Build Java Applications Today #74 (Java Tech Popularity Index Q2/2023)

Karsten Silz — Tue, 02 May 2023 19:28:20 +0000

TL;DR

All back-end frameworks lost job ad share to Jakarta EE. VS Code was #2 in IDE job ads. React still only had a slim job ads lead over Angular. Python beat Java by 3x for Udemy course buyers.

README

Welcome to the Q2/2023 issue of my newsletter “How To Build Java Applications Today”! If you like it, then subscribe to it for free on Substack! Or read it on dev.to or Medium. Even better: Share it with people who are interested!

What's This?

My quarterly "Java Tech Popularity Index" measures the popularity of IDEs, build tools, JVM languages, databases, back-end frameworks, web frameworks, and mobile app frameworks with data from millions of developers: job ads from 59 countries, online training students, Stack Overflow questions, and Google searches.

I also recommend options in each of these seven areas. My recommendations are based on that popularity, industry analysis, and my 24 years of Java experience.

Why popularity? Because picking a popular technology makes our developer life easier: easier to learn, build, debug & deploy, easier to find jobs/hire, and easier to convince teammates & bosses. Now popularity can make a difference in two situations: When multiple technologies score similarly, we could go for the most popular one. And when a technology is very unpopular, we may not use it.

Update for Q2/2023

Late by two weeks, this issue has two new features: scorecards for each area and the actual number of questions at Stack Overflow.

Scorecards show the current standings & trends of the top three technologies. The runner-up is at 100%, but not on the card. The leader (left) and number 3 (right) are. The red arrows show the trend vs. the runner-up.
Until now, I used Stack Overflow Trends to show the number of questions. That had two problems: Not all technologies were available there (the Micronaut back-end framework, for instance, is not). And the numbers were a relative percentage of all questions, which made it harder to understand the actual number of questions. Now I use the StackExchange Data Explorer, which gives me the number of questions for all technologies.

On to what's new & noteworthy in Q2/2023:

The number of developer ads is down in Q1/2023.
All back-end frameworks lost share against Jakarta EE over the last two months (Quarkus & Micronaut) and nine months (Spring Boot).
Python now has three times as many course buyers on Udemy as Java (39.8 million vs. 13.3 million). The gap is widening: It was four times as many buyers in the last nine months (4.3 million vs. 1.1 million).
VS Code claims the #2 spot in IDE job ad mentions for the first time, beating IntelliJ by 11%.
At 13-14%, React has had the slimmest job ads lead over Angular for the last 1.5 years. But in Udemy course purchases, React now has the largest lead over Angular at 1.5:1.
At 1.7:1, React Native has had the slimmest job ads lead over Flutter.
Postgres narrowly overtook MySQL in questions at Stack Overflow for the first time (1,509 questions vs. 1,485).
Gradle also surpassed Maven at Stack Overflow for the first time but with a more comfortable lead (440 questions vs. 390).

IDEs

This is IntelliJ (100%), not on the card, vs. Eclipse (left) and VS Code (right). The arrows show the trend vs. IntelliJ.

VS Code pulls away from IntelliJ in all categories but Udemy courses. Eclipse pulls away slightly from IntelliJ in jobs but loses ground in all other categories.

Here are my recommendations:

If you don't want to spend money, then use Eclipse.
If you may spend money, evaluate IntelliJ.
Evaluate VS Code for non-Java work, like web development (I use it for all my websites).
If you're using NetBeans, consider moving off of it.

READ IDE DETAILS

Build Tools

Here is Gradle (100%), not on the card, vs. Maven (left) and Ant (right). The arrows show the trend vs. Gradle.

Maven holds steady against Gradle except for Stack Overflow. Ant holds up surprisingly well in jobs for its age but has disappeared from searches and Stack Overflow.

Here are my recommendations:

If you use Scala, then use sbt.
Otherwise, if you absolutely cannot stand XML files and/or need to customize your build heavily, then use Gradle.
Otherwise, use Maven.

READ BUILD TOOL DETAILS

JVM Languages

This is Kotlin (100%), not on the card, vs. Java (left) and Scala (right). The arrows show the trend vs. Kotlin.

Please take the Kotlin numbers with a huge grain of salt: Most Kotlin development is on Android, not in JVM projects. Kotlin gains on Java in all categories except for jobs. Scala declines against Kotlin in all categories (see the job ad section for why job numbers for Scala are missing).

Now let's look at JVM competitors. Here is JavaScript (100%) vs. Python (left) and Java (right). The arrows show the trend vs. JavaScript.

Python slightly declines in jobs against JavaScript but holds steady or slightly increases in all other categories. Java holds steady in searches but declines slightly everywhere else.

Here are my recommendations:

If you need to switch languages or are on a new project:
- Use Scala if you need functional programming.
- Use Kotlin if you really need a "more modern Java".
- Otherwise, use the latest Java LTS version you, your team, and your application can take.

READ JVM LANGUAGE DETAILS

Databases

This is Postgres (100%), not on the card, vs. MySql (left) and MongoDB (right). The arrows show the trend vs. Postgres.

Postgres gains slightly on MySQL except for jobs where it loses slightly. MongoDB holds steady against Postgres except for questions where it also loses somewhat.

These are my recommendations:

On your current project, keep your existing database unless that database is absolutely, irrevocably, really not working out for you.
If you need to switch databases or are on a new project:
- If you know that you'll need the NoSQL features and/or scalability, and you can't get this with MySQL, then use MongoDB.
- Otherwise, use MySQL.

READ DATABASE DETAILS

Back-End Frameworks

Here is Jakarta EE (100%), not on the card, vs. Spring Boot (left) and Quarkus (right). The arrows show the trend vs. Jakarta EE.

Spring Boot pulls away from Jakarta EE everywhere except for jobs, where it dropped from 588% in June 2022. Quarkus gains on Jakarta EE everywhere and pulls away in Stack Overflow questions.

Here are my recommendations:

On your current project, keep your existing back-end framework unless that framework is absolutely, really not working out for you.
If you need to switch back-end frameworks or are on a new project:
- Use Quarkus if you need the smallest possible, fastest-starting Java application now.
- Otherwise, use Spring Boot.

READ BACK-END FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Web Frameworks

This is Angular (100%), not on the card, vs. React (left) and Vue (right). The arrows show the trend vs. Angular.

React pulls away from Angular except for jobs where Angular holds steady. Vue holds steady or gains slightly against Angular.

Here are my recommendations:

If you already use React, Angular, or Vue in your project, keep using them. Otherwise, evaluate a migration. In many (most?) cases, such migration doesn't make business sense.
If you start a new project or migrate, start with React first, Angular otherwise, and finally, Vue.

READ WEB FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Mobile App Frameworks

Here is Flutter (100%), not on the card, against React Native (left) and Xamarin (right). The arrows show the trend vs. Flutter.

Flutter gains on its competitors in all categories but installed apps.

Here are my recommendations:

Don't build two separate applications with Apple's and Google's first-party frameworks. Use a cross-platform framework instead.
If you already use Flutter or React Native in your project, then keep using them. Otherwise, evaluate a migration. In many (most?) cases, such migration doesn't make business sense.
If you start a new project or migrate and have used React before, then start with React Native first and use Flutter otherwise.
If you start a new project or migrate and have not used React, then begin with Flutter first and use React Native otherwise.

READ MOBILE APP FRAMEWORK DETAILS

Next Issue

The next issue will arrive on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. That's the plan, at least. 😁

Subscribe to this Index on Substack for free to receive the next issue automatically!

About

Karsten has this newsletter, a developer website, and a contractor site. He's on LinkedIn, Twitter, Xing, and GitHub. Karsten is also a Java editor at InfoQ.

How to Build Java Applications Today #73

Karsten Silz — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 11:58:20 +0000

TL;DR

There’s no issue this month, as I switched my newsletter from monthly to quarterly. Why? Because I can’t spend as much time on this newsletter anymore.

What's This?

There's no issue this month, as I decided to switch my newsletter from monthly to quarterly and remove the stand-up, news, and release sections. Why? Because since January, I've been juggling a full-time contract gig with my start-up. So I can't spend as much time on this newsletter anymore.

Now the heart of my newsletter is the Java Technology Popularity Index. And I keep it! It tells you which Java technologies companies hires for in 59 countries with Indeed.com. And for developers, it tells what online courses they buy at Udemy, what technologies they search for at Google, and how many questions they ask at Stack Overflow. And all of that for IDEs, build tools, programming languages, databases, back-end frameworks, front-end web frameworks, and mobile cross-platform frameworks – all the technologies you need to build Java applications today.

I publish updates to this index once a quarter already. But my newsletter also had three sections that also changed monthly:

Stand-Up: My look back at the last month and look forward to the coming month.
Release Radar: Essential tool & technology releases for Java developers.
New & Noteworthy: Last month’s most important news for Java developers.

So these sections are gone now. Sorry! Are you're still interested in Java news & releases? Then I recommend reading the weekly "Java News Roundup" on InfoQ. It has – wait for it - Java news & release galore! It usually appears on Monday or Tuesday. Bookmark the Java topic on InfoQ, and you won't miss the "Java News Roundup" and other news & articles!

I’m also changing the release date, so I can stretch out the work of assembling the index over more days. Next month is Easter, where I travel, so I’ll try the third Monday of April for now - April 17.

Next Issue

The next issue will arrive on Monday, April 17, 2023. Subscribe to this newsletter on Substack for free to receive the next issue automatically!

About

Karsten has this newsletter, a developer website, and a contractor site. He's on LinkedIn, Twitter, Xing, and GitHub. Karsten is also a Java editor at InfoQ.

How to Build Java Applications Today #72

Karsten Silz — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 06:41:44 +0000

TL;DR

Java had patch releases, we can now write command-line interfaces with Java, and this book will save IntelliJ users tons of time.

README

Welcome to the February 2023 issue of my newsletter “How To Build Java Applications Today”! If you like it, then subscribe to it for free on Substack! Or read it on dev.to or Medium. Even better: Share it with people who are interested!

What's This?

In my monthly "Java Full-Stack Report", I recommend IDEs, build tools, JVM languages, databases, back-end frameworks, web frameworks, and mobile app frameworks. I also cover essential releases and news.

This report is different because it measures popularity by observing what all Java developers do: job ads from 59 countries, online training students, Stack Overflow questions, and Google searches. My recommendations are based on that popularity, industry analysis, and my 24 years of Java experience.

Why popularity? Because picking a popular technology makes our developer life easier: easier to learn, easier to build, debug & deploy, easier to find jobs/hire, and easier to convince teammates & bosses. Now popularity can make a difference in two situations: When multiple technologies score similarly, we could go for the most popular one. And when a technology is very unpopular, we may not use it.

Stand-Up

I told you that I started a new Java contract on January 3. Two sprints in, I can share that I'm working with some technologies I haven't touched before. Namely Spring Boot 3, Kubernetes, MongoDB, and React. After many years, I also work with Maven again — and realize I still like Gradle a lot better.

My first conference talk of the year is at Germany's biggest Java conference, JavaLand. It's about when native Java with GraalVM is worth it. As it seems to have become a tradition, I first give my conference talk to the London Java Community (LJC). I was already booked for a regular online talk in early March when suddenly, a slot opened up at LJC Live on February 16. That's a monthly on-site event with two speakers. And I'm now one of them! This cuts my preparation time a bit short. But who says that deadline pressure is wrong?! 😅 So if you're in London on February 16, I'd love to see you at LJC Live!

Last year, I talked about Google's Flutter at QCon London and then at QCon Plus. The QCon Plus talk was prerecorded. I edited it myself, so it's quite polished, if I may say so. 😏 And that talk is now public on InfoQ — as a video and text transcript. So if you want to know about Flutter, view or read for yourself!

Technology Index (Last Update: January 2023)

IDEs

Popularity trend: Eclipse is the most popular Java IDE and leads IntelliJ in job ads 2.5:1, though it has declined over many years in other categories. IntelliJ holds up well for a commercial product: It's only slightly behind Eclipse in Google searches and slightly ahead in questions at Stack Overflow. NetBeans is the least popular IDE. VS Code isn't a fully-fledged Java IDE, but apart from jobs, it's 3-4 times as popular as Eclipse & IntelliJ.
If you don't want to spend money, then use Eclipse.
If you may spend money, evaluate IntelliJ.
Evaluate VS Code for non-Java work, like web development (I use it for all my websites).
If you're using NetBeans, consider moving off of it.

Category	Name & Download	Version	Date	What's New	Docs
Version Control	Git	2.39.1	Jan 17, 2023	What's New, Release Notes	Link
Build Tool	Maven	3.8.7	Dec 24, 2022	Release Notes	Link
Build Tool	Gradle	7.6	Nov 25, 2022	Release Notes	Link
IDE	IntelliJ	2022.3.2	Jan 26, 2023	What's New	Link
IDE	Eclipse	2022-12	Dec 7, 2022	Video	Link
IDE	NetBeans	16	Nov 30, 2022	Release Notes	Link
IDE	VS Code	1.74.3	Jan 17, 2023	1.74.3	Link
Java	Eclipse Temurin	19.0.2	Jan 26, 2023	Release Notes	Link
Java	Eclipse Temurin	17.0.6	Jan 24, 2023	Release Notes	Link
Java	Eclipse Temurin	11.0.18	Jan 26, 2023	Release Notes	Link
Java	Eclipse Temurin	8u362	Jan 26, 2023	Release Notes	Link
Java	GraalVM	22.3.1	Jan 24, 2023	Release Notes	Link
Framework	Spring Boot	3.0.2	Jan 20, 2023	Release Notes	Link
Framework	Spring Boot	2.7.8	Jan 19, 2023	Release Notes	Link
Framework	Spring Boot	2.6.14	Nov 24, 2022	Release Notes	Link
Framework	Quarkus	2.16	Jan 25, 2023	What's new	Link
Framework	Quarkus	2.15.2	Jan 4, 2023	Release notes	Link
Framework	Micronaut	3.8.3	Jan 28, 2023	3.8.3, 3.8.2, 3.8.1	Link
Framework	Micronaut	3.7.5	Dec 20, 2022	Release Notes	Link
Framework	DropWizard	2.1.4	Oct 20, 2022	Release Notes	Link
Framework	DropWizard	2.0.34	Oct 18, 2022	Release Notes	Link
Framework	Helidon	3.1.0	Dec 21, 2022	Release Notes	Link
Framework	Helidon	2.5.6	Jan 20, 2023	2.5.6, 2.5.5	Link

DEV Community: Karsten Silz

Java Tech Popularity Index Q4/2023

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Update for Q4/2023

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Java Tech Popularity Index Q3/2023 (How to Build Java Applications Today #75)

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Update for Q3/2023

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Late Again 😔

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How to Build Java Applications Today #74 (Java Tech Popularity Index Q2/2023)

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Update for Q2/2023

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How to Build Java Applications Today #73

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How to Build Java Applications Today #72

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Technology Index (Last Update: January 2023)

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We Can Now Write Command-Line Interfaces with Java

This Book Will Save IntelliJ Users Tons of Time

Better Debugging with Kotlin 1.8

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How to Build Java Applications Today #71

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