Core Java 17 Programming (TT2104)

Fast Track to Java Programming for OO Developers is a four-day, fast-paced hands-on course that helps experienced object oriented developers (coming from C++, C#, etc.) quickly get up and running with programming in Java, using the latest coding skills. You’ll exit the course well-prepared to tackle real-world programming tasks, equipped with an in-depth knowledge of Java and a practical skill set to create robust, efficient, and secure Java applications.

Working in a skills-immersive, hands-on learning environment led by our expert instructor, you’ll explore the intricacies of the Java platform and the Java Standard Edition, working seamlessly with the Java Development Kit (JDK), and using the development environment (IDE) proficiently. The course emphasizes best practices in OO development, reinforcing core object-oriented principles such as inheritance, polymorphism, interfaces, and abstract classes, allowing you to design software applications, develop back-end systems, or contribute to enterprise-level projects.

The course centers around applying these skills to real-world challenges, ensuring you can leverage them in your role or project right after class. Throughout the course you’ll build applications, create subclasses, and develop custom exception handling. You’ll also gain proficiency in using Java’s arrays, records, packages, and utility classes. The course also delves into the advanced features of Java programming, including working with generics, understanding functional programming with lambda expressions, and using the Collection API. You’ll be proficient in the JDK, be able to navigate your course IDE, and will be able to develop complex Java programs.

You’ll exit this course equipped with the skills required to tackle a variety of programming challenges and create efficient, robust Java applications with ease.

NOTE: This course uses Java 21, which also covers the fundamental concepts and techniques in Java 11 and 17. This course is suited for Java 11, Java 17 and Java 21 skills development. Earlier versions are available. Please inquire for options.

Course Outline

Please note that this list of topics is based on our standard course offering, evolved from typical industry uses and trends. We’ll work with you to tune this course and level of coverage to target the skills you need most. Topics, agenda and labs are subject to change, and may adjust during live delivery based on audience skill level, interests and participation.

1. The Java Platform
   • Introduce the Java Platform
   • Explore the Java Standard Edition
   • Discuss the lifecycle of a Java Program
   • Explain the responsibilities of the JVM
   • Executing Java programs
   • Garbage Collection
   • Documentation and Code Reuse
2. Using the JDK
   • Explain the JDK’s file structure
   • Use the command line compiler to compile a Java class
   • Use the command line Java interpreter to run a Java application class
3. Using the IntelliJ IDE
   • Introduce the IntelliJ IDE
   • The Basics of the IntelliJ interface
   • IntelliJ Projects and Modules
   • Creating and running Java applications
   • Tutorial: Exploring your IDE ( with IntelliJ 2023.2 (Community Edition) or Eclipse IDE
4. Writing a Simple Class
   • Write a Java class that does not explicitly extend another class
   • Define instance variables for a Java class
   • Create object instances
   • Primitives vs Object References
   • Implement a main method to create an instance of the defined class
   • Java keywords and reserved words
5. Adding Methods to the Class
   • Write a class with accessor methods to read and write instance variables
   • Write a constructor to initialize an instance with data
   • Write a constructor that calls other constructors of the class to benefit from code reuse
   • Use this keyword to distinguish local variables from instance variables
6. Language Statements
   • Arithmetic operators
   • Operators to increment and decrement numbers
   • Comparison operators
   • Logical operators
   • Return type of comparison and logical operators
   • Use for loops
   • Switch Expressions
   • Switch Expressions and yield
7. Using Strings and Text Blocks
   • Create an instance of the String class
   • Test if two strings are equal
   • Perform a case-insensitive equality test
   • Contrast String, StringBuffer, and StringBuilder
   • Compact Strings
   • Text Blocks
   • Unicode support
   • Lab: Fun with Strings
   • Lab: Using StringBuffers and StringBuilders
8. Fields and Variables
   • Discuss Block Scoping Rules
   • Distinguish between instance variables and method variables within a method
   • Explain the difference between the terms field and variable
   • List the default values for instance variables
   • Final and Static fields and methods
9. Specializing in a Subclass
   • Constructing a class that extends another class
   • Implementing equals and toString
   • Writing constructors that pass initialization data to parent constructor
   • Using instanceof to verify type of an object reference
   • Overriding subclass methods
   • Pattern matching for instanceof
   • Safely casting references to a more refined type
10. Using Arrays
    • Declaring an array reference
    • Allocating an array
    • Initializing the entries in an array
    • Writing methods with a variable number of arguments
11. Records
    • Data objects in Java
    • Introduce records as carrier of immutable data
    • Defining records
    • The Canonical constructor
    • Compact constructors
12. Java Packages and Visibility
    • Use the package keyword to define a class within a specific package
    • Discuss levels of accessibility/visibility
    • Using the import keyword to declare references to classes in a specific package
    • Using the standard type naming conventions
    • Introduce the Java Modular System
    • Visibility in the Java Modular System
13. Utility Classes
    • Introduce the wrapper classes
    • Explain Autoboxing and Unboxing
    • Converting String representations of primitive numbers into their primitive types
    • Defining Enumerations
    • Using static imports
    • Introduce the Date/Time API
    • LocalDate / LocalDateTime etc.
    • Apply text formatting
    • Using System.out.printf
14. Inheritance and Polymorphism
    • Write a subclass with a method that overrides a method in the superclass
    • Group objects by their common supertype
    • Utilize polymorphism
    • Cast a supertype reference to a valid subtype reference
    • Use the final keyword on methods and classes to prevent overriding
15. Interfaces and Abstract Classes
    • Define supertype contracts using abstract classes
    • Implement concrete classes based on abstract classes
    • Define supertype contracts using interfaces
    • Implement concrete classes based on interfaces
    • Explain advantage of interfaces over abstract classes
    • Explain advantage of abstract classes over interfaces
16. Sealed Classes
    • Introduce sealed classes
    • The sealed and permits modifier
    • Sealed interfaces
    • Sealed classes and pattern matching
17. Pattern Matching
    • Pattern Matching in switch statements
    • Pattern Matching and sealed classes
    • Record Patterns
18. Introduction to Exception Handling
    • Introduce the Exception architecture
    • Defining a try/catch blocks
    • Checked vs Unchecked exceptions
19. Exceptions
    • Defining your own application exceptions
    • Automatic closure of resources
    • Suppressed exceptions
    • Handling multiple exceptions in one catch
    • Enhanced try-with-resources
    • Helpful NullPointerException(s)
20. Building Java Applications
    • Explain the steps involved in building applications
    • Define the build process
    • Introduce build scripts
    • Explain the standard folder layout
    • Resolving project dependencies
    • Tutorial: Importing code Using Maven
21. Introduction to Generics
    • Generics and Subtyping
    • Bounded Wildcards
    • Generic Methods
22. Introducing Lambda Expressions and Functional Interfaces
    • Understanding the concept of functional programming
    • Understanding functional interfaces
    • Lambda’s and type inference
23. Collections
    • Provide an overview of the Collection API
    • Review the different collection implementations (Set, List and Queue)
    • Explore how generics are used with collections
    • Examine iterators for working with collections
24. Using Collections
    • Collection Sorting
    • Comparators
    • Using the Right Collection
    • Lambda expressions in Collections
    • Sequenced Collections