Week 1 – Fundamentals of Java

In the first week of this roadmap, you’ll delve into the fundamental aspects of
Java. While Java’s syntax is relatively straightforward to grasp, mastering its
intricacies takes time, akin to honing any craft. Understanding Java’s core
concepts is pivotal for software development in Java. To kickstart your journey,
you’ll begin by installing a Java IDE such as IntelliJ or Eclipse.

Let’s Understand the Important Topics to Learn:

Decision Making:

Simple if statement

If-else statement

Nested if statement

Switch-case statement

Ternary operator

Control Flow:

For loop

While loop

Do-while loop

Break and continue statements

Nested loops

Methods:

Method declaration

Method calling

Method parameters

Return values

Method overloading

Object-Oriented Concepts:

Abstraction:

Abstract classes

Interfaces

Inheritance:

Single inheritance

Multilevel inheritance

Hierarchical inheritance
 Method overriding

Polymorphism:

Compile-time polymorphism (method overloading)

Run-time polymorphism (method overriding)

Encapsulation:

Access modifiers (private, public, protected)

Getter and setter methods

Arrays:

Single-dimensional arrays

Multi-dimensional arrays

Array initialization

Accessing array elements

Array manipulation (sorting, searching)

File Handling:

File input and output streams

Reading and writing text files

Reading and writing binary files

FileReader and FileWriter classes

File class for file operations

Debugging:

Using an integrated development environment (IDE)

Breakpoints

Step through code

Inspect variables

Debugging tools and techniques

Collection Framework:

List interface and its implementations (ArrayList,

LinkedList)

Set interface and its implementations (HashSet, TreeSet)

Map interface and its implementations (HashMap, TreeMap)

 Iterators and loop through collections

Collections utility methods (sorting, searching)

Generics:

Generic classes

Generic methods

Bounded type parameters

Wildcards in generics

Generic collections

Multithreading:

Creating threads

Thread lifecycle

Synchronization

Inter-thread communication

Thread pooling

Lambda-expression:

Syntax of lambda expressions

Functional interfaces

Passing lambda expressions as arguments

Using lambda expressions in collections

Method references

Language Syntax:

Basic syntax rules

Data types and variables

Operators

Statements and expressions

Comments and documentation

Exception Handling:

Try-catch block

Finally block
 Throwing exceptions

Custom exceptions

Exception hierarchy

Input/Output:

Standard input and output

BufferedReader and BufferedWriter

Scanner class for input

Input/output streams

There are numerous resources to master Java fundamentals. The best way is to read
Java documentation and refer to books like “Head First Java” by Kathy Sierra and
Bert Bates, “Java: A Beginner’s Guide” by Herbert Schildt, or complete Java
tutorials. If you face any difficulty there’s always a huge developer community to
help you on Stack Over Flow and web tutorials.

Week 2 – Fundamentals of DSA

Coming to the second week on this roadmap, you need to master DSA. DSA is core to
computer science, and understanding Data Structures and Algorithms is very much
essential to writing efficient and scalable code. They are the backbone of problem-
solving and play a crucial role in interviews, competitive coding, as well as
development procedures.

Data Structures
Some of the data structures to master are:

Arrays: Contiguous memory locations for storing elements.

Linked Lists: Elements linked together in a linear sequence.
Stacks: Follows Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle.
Queues: Follows First In, First Out (FIFO) principle.
Trees: Hierarchical structure with nodes connected by edges.
Graphs: Networks of nodes connected by edges.
Algorithms
Searching Algorithms: Find the location of a specific item in a collection.
Examples: Linear Search, Binary Search.
Sorting Algorithms: Arrange elements in a specific order.
Examples: Bubble Sort, Merge Sort, Quick Sort.
Graph Algorithms: Traverse or manipulate graphs.
Examples: Depth-First Search (DFS) and breadth-first Search (BFS).
Dynamic Programming: Solve complex problems by breaking them into simpler
overlapping subproblems.
Example: Fibonacci Sequence calculation.
Greedy Algorithms: Make locally optimal choices to find a global optimum at each
stage.
Example: Dijkstra’s algorithm for finding the shortest path.
These are widely used but don’t restrict yourself to these, explore as many as you
can. Learning DSA is mostly about practice, problem-solving, and reasoning.

Week 3 – Front-End Development

In Week 3, we must dive into foundational aspects of web development, focusing on
the front end. The building blocks of creating engaging user interfaces and
interactive experiences using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript must be covered. From
structuring web pages to styling elements and adding dynamic functionality, this
week sets the stage for mastering the front-end development essentials.

HTML
CSS
JavaScript
HTML, CSS, and JS are easy to graph through resolution, and DOM will require
dedicated practice and understanding of content rendering. Try building some basic
web pages like a to-do list, dairy, etc., and see how you can fit them into
different screen resolutions.

Frontend frameworks speed up the development by providing pre-built components and

libraries, enhancing efficiency, scalability, and user experience in web
applications.

Some of the popular front-end frameworks highly used are:

React Framework
Angular Framework
React is used for dynamic applications, and performance-critical projects, and
facilitates flexibility, and a variety of tools and libraries to choose from.
Whereas, Angular is mostly used for large-scale enterprise applications and
familiarity with TypeScript.

There is no “best” choice begin with one of them and get your hands dirty. It is
always easy to master the other if you master one. You can rely on official
documentation, or follow tutorials and courses.

Week 4 – Backend Development with Java

In Week 4, we’ll delve into backend development using Java, focusing on server-side
programming and data management. Let us explore the robust capabilities of Java for
building scalable and efficient backend systems, mastering concepts such as server
logic, database connectivity, and API development to create dynamic and powerful
web applications.

Core Java
JSP and Servlets
Spring Framework
Spring Boot
Hibernate Framework
Core Java lays the foundation for Java development, JSP and Servlets enable dynamic
web page generation and handling of HTTP requests. The Spring Framework facilitates
the development of enterprise-grade applications with its comprehensive features
for dependency injection, aspect-oriented programming, and MVC architecture. Spring
Boot simplifies and accelerates the process of building stand-alone, production-
ready Spring applications. Hibernate Framework offers powerful ORM capabilities,
abstracting database interactions and simplifying data persistence in Java
applications.

To learn advanced Java, a course or tutorial can be handy.

Week 5 – Database Management System

So, apart from business logic and user interface, the third pillar of full-stack
development is the database. It is the most essential as everything is incomplete
without the data.

This involves CRUD (Create Read Update Delete) operations on data present in the
database directly from the interface with the help of business logic without
manually intervening with the database. This requires a good understanding of the
DBMS. Examples include MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, etc.

RDBMS
SQL(Structured Query Language)
NoSQL (Not Only SQL)
Knowledge of both SQL and NoSQL is necessary. It is not possible to know NoSQL
without knowing SQL. At the same time NoSQL formats like JSON are widely used.

Week 6 – Java Build Tools and Dependency Management

In Week 6, we tackle Java Build Tools and Dependency Management. Here, we explore
essential tools like Maven and Gradle, along with dependency management concepts,
to streamline project development and ensure scalability and maintainability.

Build tools automate the tasks involved in transforming source code into executable
applications. Any application is built with the help of external libraries and
modules. Dependency management tools maintain these. Popular Java build tools are:

Gradle
Maven
Build tools help increase efficiency, improve consistency, dependency management,
and continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD).

Week 7 – Web Services and Java APIs

In Week 7, we explore Web Services and Java APIs. Here, you’ll master the design,
development, and utilization of web services using Java, enabling you to create
efficient and scalable applications for seamless communication over the web.

Application Programming Interfaces or APIs are software components that facilitate

communication between two different types of applications.

Web services are software systems designed to support interactions over the
Internet without the need to share sensitive information. It provides functionality
to other applications such as payment processing, login, database access, etc.
Following are the two most famous web services –

SOAP
JSON
Web services act as an interface, they hide the implementation details and can be
used without the limitation of hardware or software platform, independent of the
programming language. They are loosely coupled, cross-technology, and component-
oriented implementations.

RESTful API
Representational State Transfer API or RESTful API has become part of the
architectural style for building web APIs known for their simplicity, flexibility,
and scalability. They are stateless as they use HTTP methods, resources, and data
formats for client-server communication. Start by understanding the basics and then
choose a framework and practice building your APIs!

Week 8 – Explore Cloud Computing (Bonus): AWS, Azure, GCP

Cloud Computing has revolutionized business operations by providing on-demand
access to resources like servers, storage, databases, and networking over the
Internet.

In Week 8, we will focus on a bonus exploration of Cloud Computing, focusing on the

leading platforms AWS, Azure, and GCP. This week, we delve into the fundamentals of
cloud computing and how these platforms revolutionize the way applications are
built, deployed, and managed. Gain insights into key cloud services, deployment
models, and best practices, empowering you to leverage the power of the cloud in
your Java development projects.

To solidify these concepts and gain hands-on experience building cloud-native

applications, the Scaler Full-Stack Developer course offers a comprehensive
curriculum that covers AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) in depth.

Week 9 – Soft Skills Development for Java Full Stack Developers

Developers require soft skills as they effectively need to communicate with the
clients to understand requirements, collaborate with colleagues, leads, and
juniors, solve problems, fix bugs, etc. Developing these skills early in your
career will help you a lot. Many companies are focusing more on soft skills as
technical skills to some extent can be built with the help of training.

Communication skills
Teamwork and Collaboration
Adaptability and Flexibility
Creativity and Innovation
Time Management and Prioritization
Some of the skills cannot be built overnight, it might take some time but be open-
minded, adaptable, and open to learning and working in various opportunities.

Week 10 – Apply Your Knowledge through Hands-on Projects

Whatever you have learned in previous modules can be put together in a dynamic
project to solidify your understanding and showcase your skills.

Choose a project that aligns with your interests and skill levels. Choose a big
enough project but don’t pick something you know you will never complete.
Clearly define all the requirements of your project. Sit for some time with pen and
paper and write all the features you wish to see in your application.
Design the frontend and backend architecture for your application. Consider using
best practices, and principles of software engineering. This project must be
scalable.
Implement the features and functionalities written in the requirements and
architect. If you find it difficult to add some of the functionality you may leave
them in future scope but try to implement most of them. Do not forget to document
the whole thing.
Test and debug your application against normal and edge cases. Try to fix bugs and
eros that may occur. Bugs and Errors are the real way to learn from your mistakes.
Deploy and share it with your friends. You may also share on LinkedIn or other
platforms to get reviews and feedback.
Gather feedback from peers, mentors, users, etc. to identify areas of improvement
and further refine your project.