This is the second part of 12 must-reads advanced Java programming books for intermediate and experienced Java programmers. In the first part, I have shared books to learn and master concurrency, performance, design patterns, and Java collection framework, which is essential for every Java developer irrespective of experience. On the other hand, In this article, I will talk about more advanced concepts, like security, Java 8, best practices, etc., which are more important for senior Java developers. As an experienced Java developer, a lot is expected of you. Junior developers look at you for guidance, and project managers look at you to solve problems and bail them out at critical junctures.
If you don't have a solid knowledge of the various aspect of software development, testing, deployment, and documentation, you won't be able to do your job correctly and rise in your career.
Since there is no other option than constant learning to be relevant in this competitive world, books play an essential part in being relevant and enhancing your experience. Even though I have read so many Java books,
I still search for the good ones that I haven't read. I try to read some books, again and again, like Effective Java, which I have found interesting in first reading or scanning to learn more, and this is true with many experienced Java developers.
I started this series to help and guide experienced Java programmers, I mean, programmers who have been involved in Java development, be it core Java or java web development, for more than 3 years. First two years you are treated as beginners but after that people start expecting from you. Btw, if you want to revise or fill gaps in your Java learning, The Complete Java Masterclass course on Udemy is also a good resource.
Here is my list of some of the advanced books for experienced Java programmers who want to learn Security, best practices, and new features introduced in Java8 for writing better, more robust code.
You will not only learn about common security vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, Cross-site scripting (XSS), Cross-site request forgery (CSRF), Denial of Service (DOS) attacks but also learn about patterns and anti-patterns of secure Java applications.
I also recommend an online course called Java Multithreading, Concurrency, and Performance Optimization along with this book for senior Java developers. This course will teach you how to become an expert in Multithreading, Concurrency, and Parallel Programming in Java, with a strong emphasis on high performance.
The book also teaches you about libraries you can use to address shared security concerns, e.g., you can use PreparedStatement to deal with SQL injection. The book also has a chapter on logging because stack trace is one of the most common ways of knowing application detail, like, which version of Apache your application is running, which database it is using, etc. Logging without considering the security aspect presents great security concerns, and many penetration testers check that bit first.
If you are new to web application development, then this book will give you the vocabulary to talk about security, and even if you think you know about Security in Java web application, I am sure you will learn something new here. It's not only an excellent book for experienced Java developers but also for penetration and security tester.
This book covers all essential topic which any experienced Java programmer should know, like networking, security, database connectivity, MVC frameworks, etc. You won't become an expert by reading just this book, but you will learn enough to work on projects which use these technologies.
You will learn where you can find more information if you need it. In short, a book that will not make you master one but the jack of all for sure. If you want, you can also join the Spring 5: Beginner to Guru course on Udemy to explore Spring MVC, one of the best MVC frameworks for Java web developers.
The book is a first-hand account of several API decisions he has made while writing those key classes. As the name suggests, it teaches you how to use Java effectively. It not only gives you information but also teaches you how to use that information.
I learned many useful idioms from this book and have read it almost 5 to 6 times since I first discovered it. In short, a must-read book for any experienced Java programmer. Along with that, I also recommend you check out the Design Pattern in Java course by Dmitri Nestruk on Udemy to learn about the modern implementation of classic OOP design patterns. It will help you to write better code in the long term.
As an experienced developer, it's expected from you to know all about Java 8, like lambda expression, stream API, new Date, and Time API, and motivation behind new language changes made in Java, like default methods, static methods on the interface, and other language enhancements made in Java 8 and later version.
The Modern Java in Action singlehandedly provides all this knowledge to you. It's a new version of Java 8 in Action, which was updated to cover new features introduced in JDK 9 and 10.
Though, I have told you before that it's challenging to learn everything about Java 8, Java 9, Java 10, Java 11, Java 12, and Java 12 by just reading one book and suggests a couple of books here, sometimes it's not practical to read too many books.
Hence, if you decide to read just one book on Java 8 and other newer Java versions, you should learn "Modern Java in Action." If you need courses alongside this book to learn new features of recent Java releases then I also suggest you check the What's New in Java series on Pluralsight. It's a byte-sized course to learn new and important features.
That's all in the second part of advanced Java programming books for Experienced developers. In the first part, we have seen books on Java performance, concurrency, design patterns, and Collection framework, and in this part, I have shared books on Java Security, Java 8, Java coding practice, and a book to get a good overview of crucial Java features.
If you guys like this series, I will continue to post the 3rd part of this series in which I will discuss remaining topics, like networking, object-oriented analysis and design, testing, UML, and popular Java frameworks like Spring, Hibernate, iBatis, etc.
Other Recommended books for Java Developers
Thanks for reading these advanced Java books, if you like this one, then please share it with your friends and colleagues. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or want to share some good books you have read on Java, then please drop a comment.
P. S. - If you are looking for some free online courses to learn some advanced tools for Java developers, you can also check out 10 Free Courses to learn Maven, Jenkins, and Docker, three of the most important tools for experienced Java developers.
If you don't have a solid knowledge of the various aspect of software development, testing, deployment, and documentation, you won't be able to do your job correctly and rise in your career.
Since there is no other option than constant learning to be relevant in this competitive world, books play an essential part in being relevant and enhancing your experience. Even though I have read so many Java books,
I still search for the good ones that I haven't read. I try to read some books, again and again, like Effective Java, which I have found interesting in first reading or scanning to learn more, and this is true with many experienced Java developers.
I started this series to help and guide experienced Java programmers, I mean, programmers who have been involved in Java development, be it core Java or java web development, for more than 3 years. First two years you are treated as beginners but after that people start expecting from you. Btw, if you want to revise or fill gaps in your Java learning, The Complete Java Masterclass course on Udemy is also a good resource.
Advanced Java programming books for Experienced developers
A programmer is not just isolated to Java but also has to learn and know other vital technologies like SQL, UNIX, XML, Testing, Git, Agile, Project Management, I am thinking to expand the series beyond Java books, but only if you guys found it useful. So, let's start with 4 more books for experienced Java developersHere is my list of some of the advanced books for experienced Java programmers who want to learn Security, best practices, and new features introduced in Java8 for writing better, more robust code.
1. Iron Clad Java
Good knowledge of Security is one of the strengths of an experienced Java developer, mainly a Java web developer. The title, "Iron-Clad Java: Building Secure Web Applications," speaks for itself, like this book will teach you how to write a secure web application using Java technologies, like JSP, Servlet, and Java EE.You will not only learn about common security vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, Cross-site scripting (XSS), Cross-site request forgery (CSRF), Denial of Service (DOS) attacks but also learn about patterns and anti-patterns of secure Java applications.
I also recommend an online course called Java Multithreading, Concurrency, and Performance Optimization along with this book for senior Java developers. This course will teach you how to become an expert in Multithreading, Concurrency, and Parallel Programming in Java, with a strong emphasis on high performance.
The book also teaches you about libraries you can use to address shared security concerns, e.g., you can use PreparedStatement to deal with SQL injection. The book also has a chapter on logging because stack trace is one of the most common ways of knowing application detail, like, which version of Apache your application is running, which database it is using, etc. Logging without considering the security aspect presents great security concerns, and many penetration testers check that bit first.
If you are new to web application development, then this book will give you the vocabulary to talk about security, and even if you think you know about Security in Java web application, I am sure you will learn something new here. It's not only an excellent book for experienced Java developers but also for penetration and security tester.
2. Key Java: Advanced tips and techniques
The "Key Java" is one of those books which you would love to read, small size, lots of content that you can use in a real-world application, and broad coverage. If you want to get yourself familiar with key Java concepts without going into extreme detail, this is the book you should read.This book covers all essential topic which any experienced Java programmer should know, like networking, security, database connectivity, MVC frameworks, etc. You won't become an expert by reading just this book, but you will learn enough to work on projects which use these technologies.
You will learn where you can find more information if you need it. In short, a book that will not make you master one but the jack of all for sure. If you want, you can also join the Spring 5: Beginner to Guru course on Udemy to explore Spring MVC, one of the best MVC frameworks for Java web developers.
3. Effective Java
This is, in all probability, the most recommended book to Java programmers. It is the book, which will change how you write and read Java. The book is written by Joshua Bloch, one of the most famous people in the Java world and author of several critical classes in JDK, including the Java collection framework.The book is a first-hand account of several API decisions he has made while writing those key classes. As the name suggests, it teaches you how to use Java effectively. It not only gives you information but also teaches you how to use that information.
I learned many useful idioms from this book and have read it almost 5 to 6 times since I first discovered it. In short, a must-read book for any experienced Java programmer. Along with that, I also recommend you check out the Design Pattern in Java course by Dmitri Nestruk on Udemy to learn about the modern implementation of classic OOP design patterns. It will help you to write better code in the long term.
4. Modern Java in Action
In today's Java world, you cannot be an experienced Java programmer if you are not familiar with Java 8. In the last couple of years, Java 8 has established its credibility and usefulness, and many companies have already switched to Java 8 for development.As an experienced developer, it's expected from you to know all about Java 8, like lambda expression, stream API, new Date, and Time API, and motivation behind new language changes made in Java, like default methods, static methods on the interface, and other language enhancements made in Java 8 and later version.
The Modern Java in Action singlehandedly provides all this knowledge to you. It's a new version of Java 8 in Action, which was updated to cover new features introduced in JDK 9 and 10.
Though, I have told you before that it's challenging to learn everything about Java 8, Java 9, Java 10, Java 11, Java 12, and Java 12 by just reading one book and suggests a couple of books here, sometimes it's not practical to read too many books.
Hence, if you decide to read just one book on Java 8 and other newer Java versions, you should learn "Modern Java in Action." If you need courses alongside this book to learn new features of recent Java releases then I also suggest you check the What's New in Java series on Pluralsight. It's a byte-sized course to learn new and important features.
That's all in the second part of advanced Java programming books for Experienced developers. In the first part, we have seen books on Java performance, concurrency, design patterns, and Collection framework, and in this part, I have shared books on Java Security, Java 8, Java coding practice, and a book to get a good overview of crucial Java features.
If you guys like this series, I will continue to post the 3rd part of this series in which I will discuss remaining topics, like networking, object-oriented analysis and design, testing, UML, and popular Java frameworks like Spring, Hibernate, iBatis, etc.
Other Recommended books for Java Developers
- The Professional Java Developer RoadMap
- 5 Free Spring MVC and Spring Boot Courses
- 10 Algorithm Books for Programmers
- 10 Books Every Programmer should read
- 5 Books to Learn Spring Framework
- 10 Courses to Learn Data Structure and Algorithms
- 10 Free Java Programming Books
- 5 Books to Learn Java 8 and Functional Programming
- 5 Books Every Coder Should Read
- Best book to learn Java Programming for Beginners
- 5 SQL Books Every Programmer Should Read
- 5 Books to Learn OOP Design Patterns
- 3 Free Struts Books for Java JEE programmers
- 5 Best Spring Boot Courses for Java Programmers
Thanks for reading these advanced Java books, if you like this one, then please share it with your friends and colleagues. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or want to share some good books you have read on Java, then please drop a comment.
P. S. - If you are looking for some free online courses to learn some advanced tools for Java developers, you can also check out 10 Free Courses to learn Maven, Jenkins, and Docker, three of the most important tools for experienced Java developers.
Where I can find part 3 of this? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHello Piyush, I haven't posted the part 3 as no one asked except you but now that I know at least you are looking for it, I'll try to put together the third list.
DeleteI am also looking for part3
DeleteThx, will add part 3 soon.
DeleteI’m waiting as well. Great content.
DeleteI’m waiting as well. Very helpful. Thank you.
Deleteam also looking for part 3
DeleteYeah, great article Javin. waiting next part
ReplyDeleteThanks Carlos, now I have two people asking for the list, obviously, going to work on this.
DeleteThank you very much, can't find part 3
ReplyDeleteSorry, I never wrote that, may be now is the time to create part 3 for this list. thx
DeleteIt is amazing set of books, hopefully you will start 3rd part any soon
ReplyDeleteThx, Yes, I will write the third part soon. Mean while you can also check this list of 20+ Books Java developer should read in 2020. I have shared more recent java books there.
Delete