A Java geek

The right feature at the right place

Before moving to Developer Relations, I transitioned from Software Architect to Solution Architect long ago. It’s a reasonably common career move. The problem in this situation is two-fold: You know perfectly well software librariesYou don’t know well infrastructure components It seems logical that people in this situation try to solve problems with the solutions they are most familiar with. However, it doesn’t mean it’s the best approach.

Java

Null safety: Kotlin vs. Java

Last week, I was at the FOSDEM conference. FOSDEM is specific in that it has multiple rooms, each dedicated to a different theme and organized by a team. I had two talks: Practical Introduction to OpenTelemetry Tracing, in the Monitoring and Observability devroomWhat I miss in Java, the perspective of a Kotlin developer, in the Friends of OpenJDK devroom The second talk is from an earlier post.

Technical

Securing Admin access to Apache APISIX

API Gateways are critical components in one’s infrastructure. If an attacker could change the configuration of routes, they could direct traffic to their infrastructure. Consequences could range from data theft to financial losses. Worse, data theft could only be noticed after a long time by mirroring the load. Hence, protecting your API Gateway is of utmost importance. In this short blog post, I’ll list a couple of ways to secure your Apache APISIX admin access.

Development

Learning by doing: An HTTP API with Rust

When I started working on this post, I had another idea in mind: I wanted to compare the developer experience and performance of Spring Boot and GraalVM with Rust on a demo HTTP API application. Unfortunately, the M1 processor of my MacBook Pro had other ideas. I'm trying to compile a *very* simple #SpringBoot #Kotlin webapp with #GraalVM native image. I'm using Liberica NIK via Docker on a M1 Mac. Compilation seems to be stuck.

Technical

The quest for REST

Since I started working for Apache APISIX, I have tried to deepen my understanding of REST via various means. Did you read my review of API Design Patterns book? In the current literature, REST is generally promoted as the best thing since sliced bread. Yet, it comes with lots of challenges. In 2010(!), Martin Fowler wrote a post on the glory of REST. He lists three steps for an API to become truly REST: In each of these steps, issues lurk.

Book

API Design Patterns

I already mentioned how I’m trying to get to speed in the API world: reading books, viewing relevant YouTube videos and reading relevant IETF RFCs. Facts 30 chapters, $35.00The author is a Principal Software Engineer at GoogleHe’s also the author behind https://google.aip.

Technical

2022 in retrospective

2022 is over, and not a moment too soon. I’ll never forget it: some of my friends had to flee their own country; others are fighting for their freedom as I write this post. I hope they will be safe and that their wishes will come true in 2023. On the personal and technical side, here’s a summary of the past year from my perspective. Job change First and foremost, I changed jobs. I worked for Hazelcast for 3½ years.

Technical

An immutable Mastodon handle

Whether Twitter crumbles remains to be seen, though some signs are telling. Whatever happens, I’m continuing to invest a bit in Mastodon. Last week, I showed how to sync one’s content between Twitter and Mastodon. This week, I’ve set up a Mastodon handle on my domain that redirects to my profile page: I want to explain how I achieved it and the problems I’m still having.

Development

Preparing to move away from Twitter

I opened my Twitter account more than 13 years ago, in August 2009. For 12 years, I kept focusing on professional-related content: Java, the JVM, programming, etc. I built my audience, trying to promote good technical content, either my own or stuff that I enjoyed reading. Then, on February 24th, Russia invaded Ukraine. My first visit to Ukraine was in 2014, just after the Maidan revolution. During eight years, I returned there often and made plenty of friends.

Nicolas Fränkel's blog