JDBC best practices for Java developers

Java Database Connectivity or JDBC is an API (application program interface) specification that connects Java programs to the data present in the popular databases. The JDBC interface helps in developing access request statements in the SQL. These are then further forwarded to the program responsible for managing the database. It also returns the result through a similar interface. While coding this request access there is certain best practices that the Java programmers should be following. This API is also used for interacting with and connecting to the Database Management system. These best practices are perhaps the most important coding processes in Java as it can affect the performance of the Java apps to a large extent.

Why would Customers Prefer Java to Build Their CMS?

As an important part of web ecosystem, content management systems (CMS) are used widely by enterprises to manage the content of their websites. Each CMS is designed with two primary elements, i.e., content management application (CMA) and the content delivery application (CDA). The CMA is used by content managers to create, modify and remove content from the website.

What is the Future of Java Web Development?

As a concurrent and powerful programming language, Java enables developers to run their code on multiple platforms without recompilation. Java is currently reported to be used by over nine million developers to client-server web application development. While releasing Java 8 officially, Oracle called it as “the Most Significant Upgrade to the Java Programming Model Ever.” Oracle even delayed the release of the most anticipated version of the programming language to make it meet the ongoing and upcoming trends in web application development. The new features will definitely contribute towards increasing the increasing the popularity and market share of Java in the future.

Key Java 8 Features Web Developers were Looking for

Lambdas

Lambdas or closures are the most prominent feature of Java 8. The programmers can use lambdas to treat functionality as a method argument, treat code as data, and accomplish certain task by using concepts they are familiar with. Oracle has further designed lambdas after detailed discussion with the community of developers. Lambdas can be simply represented as a list of parameter separated using commas. However, developers have emerged the concept of functional interface by making existing functionality of the programming language lambda-friendly.

Extended Interface Declarations
The updates version of Java further uses default and static methods to extend the interface declarations. Despite making interfaces similar to traits, default method helps developers in accomplishing a different goal. They can use the method to add new methods to an existing interface without affecting the code’s binary compatibility with over versions of the interface. On the other hand, the abstract method can be user to accomplish these tasks without being implemented. As the default implementation needs to be provided by each interface, the implementers can inherit it by default.

StampedLocks
Often developers find it daunting to write multi-threaded code. They also have to use complex idioms to the core Java libraries to access the required resources by reducing the thread wait. Java 8 comes with StampedLock, a new and improved ReadWriteLock that works more quickly. However, the new ReadWriteLock is complex, and the programmers have to put some efforts to implement the concept properly.

Process Termination
When a web application has to launch an external process, its performance will be affected hugely when the process hangs, crashes or consumes 100% CPU. The developers have to debug the web application again to make it run smoothly. But Java 8 comes with the Process class that allows developers to manage these unruly processes smoothly by using the isAlive() and destroyForcibly() methods. The isAlive() method can be used to check if the external process is still alive, whereas the destroyForcibly() method will kill the timed-out process forcibly.

Controlling OS Processes
The JNI calls make it easier for developers to launch OS process from within the code. But there are always chances that the OS process may fetch unexpected results or affect the functionality of the internet application. Once a process is launched within the Java code, it tends to dangle. Java 8 enables developers to control the OS processes launched within the code efficiently by using three new methods. Along with checking if the process is alive and killing a process forcibly, the programmers can further use the method to specific amount of time they want the web application to wait for the process to be completed.

Repeating Annotations
Java 8 allows programmers to use annotation in any context. Now they have option to use annotations for almost everything in their code including generic types, local variables, super classes, interface implementation, parameter declaration, and declaration of method’s exceptions. The extended usage of annotation makes Java 8 friendlier for instrumentation tools and static analysis. However, the programmers have to decide when to use annotations according to the nature and needs of the code.

There are also a number of features that make Java 8 a powerful programming language for web application development. Some of these Java 8 features will further make it easier for developers to build large and complex internet applications within a stipulated time frame.

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2013 Java Trends The Cloud Floats Into Java Application Development

Before we get into the technicalities of 2013 Java trends and its significance in cloud computing, let us at first know what cloud computing is all about. It can be defined as a particular phrase that is used to describe a wide range of computing concepts involving a chain of multiple computers that is connected through a real time or live communication network like Internet. Technically speaking, cloud computing can be defined as a synonym for distributed system of computing over a particular network. It also denotes the ability of running any program or application on multiple computers or work stations simultaneously.

This particular phrase is quite often used to refer to various network-based services, which are provided by the real server hardware and simulated by software systems running on single or multiple real time machines. There is no real life physical existence of these virtual servers. Hence they can be 'moved' from one place to another, scaled up or down on-the-fly without interfering into the activities of the end user. The phenomenon has somewhat similarity with a cloud that can grow larger or get smaller without really being a physical object.

As per the results of a recent survey that was conducted, cloud platforms have a propensity of reducing overall development time by 11.6% on average. This is mainly due to the ability of cloud platform to streamline the process of development and get the development assets online quickly. Besides, cloud platforms also come up with the capacity of collaborating on various developmental efforts, which is also an added advantage.

However, experts are of the opinion that platforms of cloud-based development in PaaS or LaaS clouds like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services are still in their initial, (if not nascent) stage but are already showing a lot of promise through significant cost savings along with an array of superior efficiencies. At present, there are two extremely vital cases that make the concept of cloud computing so much popular – app dev test and big data. In case you do not have any program in place for exploring the value of this technology, you should at least have a clear idea about the advantages that you can enjoy:

• It has the ability to develop self-provision along with an environment that is suitable enough for testing, so that you can opt for structuring the application without the need to wait for any software or hardware to appear in the data center.
• It can get applications pretty fast into production. Besides, it can also scale the applications whenever needed.
• It can collaborate with other architects, developers as well as designers during development and structuring of the application.

Though the values are apparent, the technology behind it is sound and that is what makes the difference. At present, the developers can use eXo Cloud IDE for building, debugging, and deploying apps of App Engine without actually installing and configuring App Engine SDK or any of the so-called traditional desktop IDEs. Whatever happens takes place within the browser.

To debug and run an app on the development server, one needs to press Debug that can be found in Run Menu. Once that is done, the Debug window will come up at the lower end of the screen. Once that happens, it will be possible to open up the Java file and set the breakpoints in the margin at the left hand side.

Now, one can run the app by using the URL in the “Output' tab. Once that is done, the execution will automatically stop at the breakpoints that have been set. Then there are the options of inspecting the variables, modifying their values during run time, adding conditions for creating conditional break points etc. With the eXo Cloud IDE deployment, debugging as well as running the App Engine apps are possible without installing and configuring App Engine SDK or Eclipse Plugin. As everything that is related to development activities actually takes place on Cloud IDE servers, it is possible to drastically reduce the initial setup time. Within just two-three minutes, one can comfortably get back to putting emphasis on issues that are more important – coding and refining the app.

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A Guide to Efficient and Faster Java debugging

Debugging is one skill that every java developer must possess. The reason behind such a crucial need is simple; the skill helps you to discover delicate bugs, which otherwise becomes invisible during the time of reviewing the code. The debugging skill becomes even more essential if your work tends to revolve around electronic trading system or high frequency project where the fixing time of a bug tends to be very low. Moreover, the bug tends to appear on production environment and be invisible in a machine featuring windows XP.

In some cases, it also helps understanding the flow of the java program. Now, when it comes to debugging, tools like Netbeans and Eclipse IDE come of great help. These tools are known to offer several breakpoints through the process and provide a great support to Java debugging. To start the complete process of debugging, all you need to do is configure the project in a modern IDE like Netbeans or Eclipse. Usually, Eclipse tends to offer better debugging opportunities as it allows an effortless integration with remote debugging.

Top Java Debugging Tips

Here is a quick look at some of the top and essential debugging tips using Eclipse that is sure to help you in java web development:

1. Make use of conditional breakpoint: Eclipse enables you to establish a conditional breakpoint, which allows you to debug a particular java program. The particular idea refers to a call for a breakpoint under condition wherein your thread will only discontinue at a particular line, provided the condition tends to match, as against stopping anywhere on that particular line due to line breakpoint. To establish the feature of conditional breakpoint, all you need to do is click twice on the particular line of breakpoint followed by a right click to properties and insertion of the condition. The program will only discontinue temporarily at the breakpoint without any hitch.

2. Make use of exception breakpoint: It is likely for you to experience bouts of frustration with the NullPointerException clueless about the source of origin. Exception breakpoint is precisely established to fight the odds of such situations. The setup can be easily done from the breakpoint window stopping your program. The Exception breakpoint can be established on exceptions of Java like ArrayIndexOutOfBoundException and NullPointerException.

3. Step Into, Step Over: These are referred to as wonderful options of debugging that are easily available in any kind of Java IDE. This particular approach comes useful in cases you need to debug multi-threaded application and direct a systematic navigation.

4. Incorporating watch point: This particular facility stops a program execution enabling a debug of the same, especially after a selected attribute has been modified or accessed. All you need to do is choose a variable in the Outline view and direct to the toggle Watchpoint from the context menu. This particular approach helps creating a watch point for the particular attribute listing it in Breakpoints view.

5. Make use of inspect and watch: These two options in the menu allow noting the expression value during the debugging process of the Java program. The process involves choosing the statement followed by a right click and navigating towards the inspect option to get the statement value during the time of debugging. You can also consider adding a watch to the process so as to make the value appear at the watch window.

6. Suspend and continue thread: You can suspend any thread and continue with the same again during the debugging process of a java program from the debug window. To make it work, you need to right click on any particular thread and select the choice of resume or suspend. This helps in cases like initiating a debug of multi-threaded program.

7. Make use of logical structure: The option of logical structure comes quite useful for monitoring contents within Java collection classes during the debug process. This help exhibiting the contents in key and hashmap value as against exhibiting complete hashmap details. This can be enabled from the variables window.

8. Incorporate Step filtering: The control of the program tends to transport from one class to the other class and finally end in classes of JDK like String or Sytem, especially when the Step Into is incorporated during the debugging process. Step filtering comes extremely helpful in cases when one needs to stay in an application without navigating into the classes of JDK system. This helps filtering out the class of JDK from Step into. This can be established from the preferences àJavaàDebugàStep filtering followed by easy disabling and enabling from the debug window.

9. Use Copy Stack option: If you wish to copy a particular stack of thread that had hit the breakpoint and has been suspended, the Copy Stack option comes of great help. The process involves right clicking on the particular thread on the window of debug and selecting the option of ‘copy stack’.

Some Important Shortcuts to Java Debugging

• F5 – The key to Step Into, which allows a move to next step.
• F6 – The key to Step Over, which allows a move of the control to the next line.
• F7 – The key to Step Return, which when executed from within a method allows a move of the control to the calling line from the place of origin of the current method.
• F8 – The key to move towards the next breakpoint.

Debugging a java program has become easier and efficient with the introduction of wonderful tools like Netbeans and Eclipse and is definitely worth a try.

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