Backend development

Stage 1 · Lesson 5 of 10

Maven or Gradle builds

Your language and how HTTP works

Real Java projects are built by or Gradle, not by calling javac yourself. The build file, pom.xml or build.gradle, lists what your project needs. It names your dependencies from Maven Central (the main library store), the Java version and any plugins.

The tool then downloads everything, compiles your code, runs the tests and packages it into a . Learn the standard folder layout: src/main/java for code and src/test/java for tests. Learn the everyday commands: mvn test and mvn package, or ./gradlew test and ./gradlew build.

Learn how the test scope keeps test libraries out of production. Commit the wrapper script, mvnw or gradlew, so everyone uses the same tool version.

Common trapfighting the conventions: put files where the tool expects them and most configuration disappears.

A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come with the full roadmap. Unlock

Resources for this stage

Start with· follow one of these

  • GuideFree
    Dev.java: Learn Java

    Oracle · Beginner

    The official path through modern Java: records, collections, generics and exceptions

  • CourseFree
    Java Programming MOOC

    University of Helsinki · Beginner

    Free Helsinki course with hundreds of graded exercises, the best way to get fluent

Practise

  • Exercism

    Your language track: small exercises with free mentor feedback on idiomatic code

Keep handy

  • W3Schools

    Quick syntax lookups for your language when you forget how something is written

  • MDN Web Docs

    Read the HTTP overview, methods, headers and status code pages until they feel obvious

Also worth your time

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