Future of Java: Top Java Development Trends in 2024

Why Java?

Java's evolution and adaptability to new trends and technologies have made it a prominent programming language in software development. Our experts closely monitor and analyze the future of Java Java's evolving landscape, providing insightful opinions on key trends that will shape its applications in 2024. 

They delve into various aspects, such as AI/ML and microservices, to forecast the implications of these key trends of Java. Businesses can hire Java developers to remain at the forefront of technology and to stay competitive for the future.

Key Java Trends to Watch Out for in 2024:

1. AI/ML: How Does Java's emphasis on security and Portability benefit AI/ML applications?

Java popularity in 2024: According to a study on AL/ML published by Evansdata, 37% of developers use Java, falling only slightly behind JavaScript and Python.

Java is often used in large project enterprise environments. It offers a strong foundation in AI/ML applications. Its emphasis on security portability and high performance makes it a high choice for data scientists and developers. Java has libraries and frameworks like Deeplearning4j, Open NPL, and RapidMiner to help diverse AI development tasks. These tools integrate with Java's ecosystem. Enabling efficient processing and manipulation of large data sets. 

2. Microservices: What advantages do Java frameworks provide for Microservices development?

Microservices architecture in Java enables the development of flexible and scalable applications by breaking them down into smaller, independently deployable services. Each microservice is focused on executing one specific business function and operates autonomously, communicating with other services through APIs. Java supports microservices through Java frameworks like SpringBoot and EclipseProProfile, which simplify service creation, deployment, and discovery. These frameworks offer configuration management, service discovery, and fault tolerance solutions, making Java an ideal choice for building microservices architecture.

Read our blog on how to implement Java microservices architecture.

3. Cloud computing and serverless architecture: How does Java enhance cloud computing environments? How can serverless computing with Java help businesses? 

Java's platform independence and scalability make it an excellent choice for cloud computing environments. It allows applications written in Java to run seamlessly across various operating systems and hardware configurations without modifications. Java's distributed computing capabilities enable it to operate across multiple locations and handle large-scale and complex network systems. These features, combined with strong security mechanisms that protect data and transactions from unauthorized access, position Java as a suitable language for developing and deploying cloud-based applications.

Serverless computing is a computing model in which the cloud provider handles server resource provision and management automatically. This allows developers to focus on code development without worrying about server administration. Despite the name, serverless computing still utilizes servers but the burden of operations is removed from the developers. 

Use cases for serverless computing include event-driven applications and microservices, like real-time data processing apps and backends. For instance, a company might use serverless architectures to process transactions, where the code only runs in response to actual requests, optimizing resource utilization and costs.

4. Spring Framework: What are the key technologies integrated into Spring Framework that simplify application development?

The Spring framework is a widely available tool that helps developers create enterprise-level Java applications more easily. It addresses the challenges of building complex Java applications by integrating several technologies:

• Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP): This allows developers to define common functionalities separately from main logic, improving modularity.
• Dependency Injection (DI): It automatically provides objects with needed resources, simplifying configuration and boosting flexibility. 
• Plain Old Java Object (POJO): This encourages using regular Java objects instead of special objects, simplifying programming and increasing usability. 

Even with these advanced technologies, Spring remains a lightweight framework, meaning it does not consume excessive system resources. This makes it ideal for developing scalable, secure, and robust web applications for development.

Companies use Spring to build a variety of applications. For, e.g. a finance institution might use Spring to build a secure online banking application that handles thousands of transactions daily. Another example is a business that might use Spring to create an E-commerce portal to handle large online shopping traffic. 

Spring is used in Java to develop complex, high-performing applications.

5. Upgraded Java versions: How can new versions of Java improve app performance and security?

Upgrading from an older version of Java to the new version of Java 21 is beneficial due to the introduction of many enhancements that improve performance, security, and development efficiency. Java 21 includes new features like pattern matching, advanced garbage collection techniques for faster performance, and extended APIs for application development. It introduces security measures and virtual threads for better concurrency management. Upgrading to the latest version, Java 21, ensures that applications remain compatible with the latest standards and technologies.

Learn through our case study how we developed a Java-based application for a client with a strategic approach helping to fast-track migration.

6. PaaS and SaaS: Why is Java a good choice for Saas products? How do various tech stacks in Java help in offering Paas services? 

Java is a good choice for SaaS, as it allows SaaS products to scale as demand increases without getting bogged down by underlying system specifics. Java's security capabilities protect sensitive data, which is crucial for handling business operations. Java's rich set of libraries and frameworks accelerates the development process, reducing both time and costs. This, combined with Java's flexibility to develop various types of applications and its strong Java developer community support, makes it a reliable and versatile choice for SaaS development.

Java is well suited for PaaS due to its efficient application deployment and management. In PaaS, the JVM—Java Virtual Machine—application servers (JBoss and Tomcat), deployment archives, WARs, and EARs provide a naturally isolated environment for each application. This isolation allows multiple developers to deploy and manage their apps on shared infrastructure without interference, ensuring a stable and secure option.

When selecting a PaaS service for Java applications, Java developers can benefit from considerable flexibility in configuring their environment to meet specific needs. Java-based PaaS allows the integration of various technology stacks, such as MongoDB, MySQL, or Redis, enabling customization according to the application's requirements. Java environments typically provide comprehensive logging tools. These features make Java good choice for developing and deploying applications in a PaaS setup. 

7. Java IDEs: Which are the best IDEs for developing applications in Java?

Using a Java IDE—Integrated Development Environment like IntelliJ IDEA, Netbeans, or Eclipse can enhance Java developers' productivity by providing tools that simplify coding, increase code cleanliness, and facilitate ongoing maintenance and improvements. These IDEs support efficient coding through syntax highlighting and code completion features, making it easy for developers to manage and debug Java applications. 

Advantages: Why Java Has a Bright Future?

Here are few advantages of Java Programming:

• Java's ecosystem is constantly updated with features that enhance performance, security, and scalability for adaptability with modern emerging technologies.
• Growing community support and a huge repository of libraries and frameworks simplify the easy and faster development process.
• Java's emphasis on backward compatibility ensures legacy apps remain operational, allowing businesses to innovate without abandoning existing investments.

Conclusion:

Java continues to be a pivotal force in software development, with scope for new possibilities with the latest Java trends. Its ability to evolve with emerging trends like AI/ML, microservices, and cloud computing makes it a versatile choice for Java developers. The future of Java programming is steady as Java solidifies its role as a dependable platform for building complex applications.

Businesses looking for developers with Java skills ought to consider outsourcing remote developers for their projects to companies with expertise in Java development services.