15 Tools That Make Life Easy For Java Developers

by Michael Georgiou Sep. 19, 14 DevOps Zone

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If you are a web developer, it is a no brainer that much of your professional li
fe will be spent using Java. This is one commercial grade programming language,
you just can t avoid.
There are two schools of thoughts about Java; there is one that says Java is one
of the simplest and more powerful programming languages going around and at the
other end of the spectrum are people who say it is a language hard to use and i
s quite intricate.
Whatever the school of thought you subscribe to, there is absolutely no doubt th
at you ve got to get your Java coding right. DZone has a comprehensive list of com
mon Java mistakes that developers usually end up making. One of the ways of ensu
ring you write richer and bug free Java code is by using the many tools that are
at your disposal. Each of these tools addresses different developer concerns, b
ut there is one common theme running through them and that is
they offer excelle
nt support for coding and development.
A word of caution here One of the many myths surrounding Java programming is tha
t the availability of comprehensive IDEs and tools means you can afford not to h
ave a comprehensive understanding of Java. But that s not how it works. These tool
s make life simpler for you, only if you know your way around Java.
Now, let s take a look at 15 such tools:
1. JDK ( Java Development Kit)
I know what you are going to say, of course you need a JDK to get started with Ja
va ; but the fact is there is nothing obvious in programming. If you plan on devel
oping Java based applets and applications, your first need to get yourself a too
l like JDK, which includes the necessary Java Complier, the Java Runtime Environ
ment, and the Java APIs. It will help you get started with Java.
2. Eclipse IDE
Ask experienced Java developers about their favorite Java Integrated Development
Environment (IDE) and quite a number of them will point to Eclipse. Eclipse pro
vides much needed assistance for code completion, refactoring and syntax checkin
g. It also offers something called the Java Development Tools project (JDT) that
provides a range of tool plugin-ins to help develop all kinds of Java applicati
ons.
The real advantage of this IDE, however, is that it allows developers to combine
language support, for e.g. it also offers a C/C++ and PHP IDE. This makes it a
one stop resource for Java development.
3. NetBeans

This is another IDE that offers a comprehensive array of features such as conver
ters, editors and code analyzers that help you come up with applications that im
plement the latest Java technologies. The range of tools is extensive and the pe
ople behind this IDE are making continuous improvements to it. You also get the
benefit of static analysis tools that help you write bug free code.
4. IntelliJ IDEA 13.1
This one calls itself
w if this actually is
help developers come
lp boost productivity
also offers advanced
e. So, try it out.

the most intelligent Java IDE going around. You can only kno
the case if you use it, but there is no doubt that it does
up with innovative Java solutions. It has features that he
such as Smart Code Completion and On-the-fly Code Analysis ; it
support for web and mobile development and a whole lot mor

5. Oracle JDeveloper
If you are looking for a free IDE that helps you build a reliable Service Orient
ed Architecture with Java, or Java Enterprise Edition applications, there is not
hing better than JDeveloper. It supports the full development life cycle, which
means you are assured of a Java solution you can justifiably be proud of.
6. JUnit
This is a unit testing framework that helps developers write and run tests. But
there is an essential difference between JUnit and similar frameworks available
on the market. You can test one block of code at a time rather than waiting for
the module to be completed before you run a test. You can actually test and then
code , meaning you have very little doubt about the final functionality of an appl
ication.
7. Apache ANT
With the ANT , you get the benefit of working with a tool by the Apache Software F
oundation. This one is an open source tool whose greatest advantage is its simpl
icity. One key aspect of programming that gets the developer s goat is handling co
mplex repetitive tasks. With ANT , you can automate such tasks. This is just one o
f the many features this tool simplifies.
8. JRat (Java Runtime Analysis Toolkit)
If you want to measure the application s performance, JRat is the analysis toolkit
you must use. With this tool, you can identify potential problem areas that can
impact application performance.
9. Apache JMeter
This is another tool from the Apache stable. It is a testing tool that will meas
ure functional behavior and also the performance of your websites, databases, we
b services etc. The fact that it has an easy to understand GUI means you can eas
ily build a test plan and debug the application quickly.
10. Apache Maven
We have mentioned Apache s ANT earlier in the list, and Maven helps you do the same
thing; but developers think it is a big step up the ladder compared to ANT . As f
ar as dependency management, build actions, debugging and collaboration is conce
rned, it is a few notches higher than ANT . To put it simply, if you are using ANT
you need to tell it exactly what to do; you need to mention the exact location o
f your source, assign the storage location of the resultant bytecode and how you

want everything to be packaged in the JAR file.

Maven, on the other hand, simplifies these things for you.
11. Gradle
If you want a tool that is a combination of everything that is good about the AN
T and Maven, you will be very happy with this one. With Gradle you can code in Gr
oovy, which is a huge point in its favor because you can code just about anythin
g. The second huge advantage of this tool is that it supports the convention-ove
r-configuration paradigm.
12. Clover
This tool provides Java and Groovy code coverage. With Clover, you can zero in o
n the code that might turn out to be the most problematic and make sure your tes
ting focuses on that particular code. Result
a problem free application.
13. YourKit
This one is a Java profiler that allows on-demand profiling during development o
r production; this means you can ensure your product meets the highest standards
of quality. On-demand profiling means the profiled application can be run witho
ut incurring any overheads.
14. Mockito
If you want to write tests with clean and simple API, which deliver clean verifi
cation errors, Mockito should be your drink of choice. Mockito is essentially a
mock library that helps you create, verify and stub mocks
an essential aspect of
Java development.
15. FindBugs
Java code has bugs? Who re you going to deploy to find them? A good answer will be
FindBugs . It free, easy to run and really very good!
These 15 tools will definitely make life easy for you as a Java developer, but t
he whole idea behind using such tools is making an informed decision regarding t
heir use. Choose a tool that suits your needs and requirements at a given point
of time and it will deliver the returns you are looking for.
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