Where to go next when I want to "update my self in advanced java technologies and frameworks"

Question

"Update yourself in the latest core java language, and some of the advanced Java technologies and frameworks" is the advice I got from a fellow senior programmer as a pre-requisite to looking for a better job. I want to do that.

Background: I am a beginner java developer. I have several years of experience writing Java SE (Console) and Java ME apps - I have written some console apps and several mobile games. My only experience with Java EE is a very straightforward "Java Web Application" using NetBeans. It has a couple of JSPs, some DAO and VO classes and simple JDBC access to MySQL database and mostly simple inserts, updates and deletes. It runs in Tomcat 6.

After the basic servlet apps, what are some other frameworks that I need to know about today? I know there are many things like Spring, Hibernate, Struts, EJB, JSF, blah, blah.. but have no idea what they are and what they do and more importantly at what abstraction level they are present (what comes on top of what). Where should I go next? What should I learn next in "advanded java frameworks"?

Answer 1

You can go for

• JSF
• Struts
• Spring
• Hibernate

If you want to go for mobile era.

• rush to android

They are HOT today i feel.

Answer 2

Dive into the details of concurrency, generics, design patterns and object oriented design in general. As a technology Hibernate is a must.