A Java geek

A list of cache providers

Last week, we described several criteria to look at to choose a cache. This week, it’s time to list Java cache providers based on these criteria. Java Caching System Guava Caffeine Ehcache Infinispan Coherence Community Edition Ignite Geode Hazelcast Java Caching System JCS is a distributed caching system written in Java. It is intended to speed up applications by providing a means to manage cached data of various dynamic natures.

Java

Choosing a cache

Today, I’d like to provide some help on how to choose a cache solution. I will organize it into two parts: In this post, we will list what features a cache must have and which ones it can optionally provide. Most criteria are general and can be used regardless of the tech stack, while a couple is specific to the JVM.In the second part, I’ll list providers and verify their respective capabilities Why cache? First, let’s bust a common myth.

Development

Kotlin and FaaS, an impossible union?

Some time ago, I read a post describing how to run a serverless Kotlin function on OpenFaaS. While the content is technically correct, I believe the concept itself is very wrong. Such posts can lead people to make ill-advised decisions: 'because we can' is hardly a winning strategy. in this post, I’d like to first explain why the JVM platform is a bad idea for FaaS. Then, I’ll proceed to propose alternatives to use Kotlin nonetheless.

Java

Faster Maven builds in Docker

Last week, I described different techniques to fasten your Maven builds. Today, I’d like to widen the scope and do the same for Maven builds inside Docker. Between each run, we change the source code by adding a single blank line; between each section, we remove all built images, including the intermediate ones that are the results of the multi-stage build. The idea is to avoid reusing a previously built image. Baseline To compute a helpful baseline, we need a sample project.

Java

Faster Maven builds

Builds require a few properties, chief among them reproducibility. I would consider speed to be low on the order of priorities. However, it’s also one of the most limiting factors to your release cycle: if your build takes T, you cannot release faster than each T. Hence, you’ll probably want to speed up your builds after you’ve reached a certain maturity level to enable more frequent releases.

Java

Multiple ways to configure Spring

Two weeks ago, I wrote how you could write a Spring application with no annotations. Many alternatives are available to configure your Spring app. I’d like to list them in this post, leaving Spring Boot out of the picture on purpose. Core concepts Property file XML Groovy DSL Self-annotated classes Configuration classes Kotlin DSL Bean definitions Beans Conclusion Core concepts A couple of concepts are central in Spring.

Java

Reassessing TestNG vs. Junit

In my latest blog post, I advised reassessing one’s opinion now and then as the IT world changes fast. What was true a couple of years ago could be dead wrong nowadays, and you probably don’t want to base your decisions on outdated data. This week, I’d like to follow my advice. One of my first posts was advocating for TestNG vs. JUnit.

Java

Annotation-free Spring

Some, if not most, of our judgments regarding technology stacks come either from third-party opinions or previous experiences. Yet, we seem to be adamant about them. For a long time (and sometimes even now), I’ve seen posts that detailed how Spring is bad because it uses XML for its configuration. Unfortunately, they blissfully ignore the fact that annotation-based configuration has been available for ages.

Miscellaneous

On metrics

There’s still an ongoing debate whether development in particular and IT, in general, are engineering practices. In all cases, there’s no denying that our industry is based on scientific foundations. Most of the organizations I’ve worked for implement the Deming wheel in one form or another: From a bird’s eye view, it makes a lot of sense. And given the success of the method in the Japanese car industry, there’s no denying that it’s effective.

Nicolas Fränkel's blog