Introduction
What Java is, how the JDK/JRE/JVM relate, installing the JDK, compiling and running your first program, and choosing an IDE.
Variables & Types
Learn Java's primitive types, String basics, type casting, var, final, arithmetic, comparison, and logical operators.
Control Flow
Learn Java control flow - if/else, switch expressions, for/while/do-while loops, enhanced for-each, break, continue, and common patterns.
Methods
Learn Java methods - defining and calling static methods, parameters, return types, overloading, varargs, scope, and recursion.
Classes & Objects
Learn Java OOP basics - classes, objects, constructors, access modifiers, encapsulation, toString, equals/hashCode, static members, and records.
Inheritance & Interfaces
Learn Java inheritance, method overriding, abstract classes, interfaces, polymorphism, sealed classes, and composition vs inheritance.
Collections
Learn Java collections - ArrayList, HashMap, HashSet, iterating, generics, immutable collections, and choosing the right collection.
Error Handling
Learn Java error handling - try/catch/finally, checked vs unchecked exceptions, custom exceptions, try-with-resources, and best practices.
File I/O
Learn Java file I/O - Path, Files, reading and writing text files, directories, BufferedReader/Writer, and simple CSV parsing.
Project: CLI Task Manager
Build a complete command-line task manager in Java - CRUD operations, file-based persistence, input validation, and packaging as a runnable JAR.
REST API
Build a REST API with Java's built-in HttpServer - HTTP basics, request handling, JSON serialization, routing, and exposing the task manager over HTTP.
Deploy: VPS + Nginx
Deploy your Java REST API to a VPS - installing the JDK, running as a systemd service, configuring nginx as a reverse proxy, and HTTPS with Let's Encrypt.
Maven
Learn Apache Maven - project structure, dependency management, building fat JARs, and improving the REST API project with Gson for JSON handling.
Gradle
Learn Gradle with Kotlin DSL - project structure, dependency management, building fat JARs, and improving the REST API project with Jackson for JSON handling.
Streams & Lambdas
Functional Java - lambda expressions, method references, the Stream API, and practical data processing pipelines.
Optionals
Avoid NullPointerException with Java's Optional - creation, unwrapping, chaining, and best practices for handling missing values.
Testing
Write your first Java tests - JUnit 5 setup, assertions, test structure, parameterized tests, and testing the Task Manager and REST API.