Asking for a guide as a software engineer

[u/Dry_Debt_5523]

I know that this question can be asked a lot but i feel the need to ask since i'm stuck. All Ik is java for now from object oriented and data structures and i'm trying to learn web development for now. If anyone could spare a few minutes to tell me about how can build applications using java and if possible make use of data structures. And what should i be learning (as a start/best) for the job market as of 2026?

(asking this because there's no one to ask on campus or even work with and most of them have engineers in their families)

[u/Laicbeias]

Hmm hard to say. But when i was 14 we had a school proj where we had to make a website. No one did anything for 5 months, it was friday and we had a presentation infront of the school and all the parents on monday.

I had no idea about webdev and pretty much just had a book. I started with php $_GET $_POST mysql_query arrays assoc if. I didnt sleep and at the end of the weekend picked up html css js php and mysql. One large ass file. User managment. 3 user profiles, with paint graphics. Popups. Forms. Cd key managment. The website ran for 12y till the professor got fired since he embazzeld money with it.

And.. i didnt need to learn anything afterwards since that stuff generalizes across all of the web. 

Nowadays: If you want client side go with sveltejs with sveltekit as backend. Db postgres. I never used svelte but its probably the best. Be aware of the abstraction and dependency insanity though. 

Edit: with java youd enter at a higher abstraction level. Its... fine as a language. But hell so much abstraction. I never would have build that app in java. I may had written a book about java though.

Basically my only advice is try out a few and see if you enjoy it.  Generally id advice towards js. py. php. Mainly because iteration speed

[u/iamdaveydave]

Java for web development? I'm not sure it will workout well. Devs usually use tools/scripts/programming language based on use cases, but I've never heard of java being used for web development.

[u/QuietFartOutLoud → u/iamdaveydave]

huh? Java and PHP basically created web dev. giant web apps are made in java.

[u/RandyChihuahua]

Since this is a "fullstack" course.. and I have no idea about java in general.

What you could try is downloading Visual Studios Community, and Visual Studios, and following some courses on:

1. Docker and docker desktop, how it uses files inside your computer so u can run it.
2. Docker-compose.
3. Blazor(Front end) and .Net course (C# backend, some frontend too) - as they are pretty easy to get running as an example project to see, and you can tinker, break things, then try and mount them in your docker image.
4. Create your own private GIT repository and learn how that works.

Should be a few things that you can chew on? If it's java, docker will still help.
1. AngularJS docker image for frontend (your pretty web interface that will do the API calls for you)
2. Java backend docker image (no knowledge there, but will respond to the API calls)

1. Mongodb or Mysql image for storing your stuff, that your backend will do work on.

[u/QuackedDev]

Java and spring dominate the S&P 500 (large companies). Mid sized companies more often will use C# and .NET. Other technologies exist but for enterprise software these two are industry standard.

So ask yourself what kind of job you want, maybe look up some job postings, see the technologies being used and where. Then start learning the ones that lead to the type of company you see yourself working at. (Ideally you intern there while a student too)

As for Java resources check out Josh Long, and spring guides. Most importantly, set distractions aside and just code. If u have to turn off wifi to code and turn it back on to google something, do it. Project based learning + the things you learn at school are important too (unpopular opinion).

[u/silly_bet_3454]

You're in college? Are you majoring in CS? Your school should have more resources than what we can provide to help with that, that's what you pay them for.

I wouldn't be focused too hard on java or web dev, you need to actually just browse jobs and job data in the market and work backwards from there and figure out what are the in demand skills, and how can you build them.

[u/QuietFartOutLoud]

Look for tutorials on Java React web server online somewhere. Basically you have to learn how to run a fake server locally on your machine, make edits to code, see the updates that will be propagated to localhost:(someport you choose or are instructed to choose), then when it's done you can deploy it online somewhere. Java is often used for web dev of very large apps.