Switching from .NET to Java?

Question

For the past few years, I've been working on a team that does .NET and SQL Server. I'll soon be joining a team that is Java and Oracle. What can I read/do to get up-to-speed.

Answer 1

Javapassion is a site that offers free courses on Java. If you are on a hurry, there are 1 to 5 days courses available. You should have no problem following it, if you have experience in Java.

There are many good books for Java, but Thinking in Java is free and is good both for getting started and using as a reference.

Answer 2

Start here: http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/

Sun's documentation is pretty good.

See also:

• Hidden Features of Java
• Best Java Book you have Read So Far
• Overriding Equals and Hashcode in Java
• What is the Most Freequent Concurrency Problem You've Encountered in Java

Answer 3

Josh Bloch's Effective Java is a fantastic book. If you want to learn modern Java idioms there are few better places to look at.

Answer 4

If you need conversion of things from one language to the other here is a great website:

http://www.25hoursaday.com/CsharpVsJava.html

Answer 5

This, similar, SO Thread might be helpful.

Answer 6

Visit the JavaRanch (http://www.javaranch.com/) and test your Java knowledge with the Rules Roundup! Think of it as a certification mock exam, but with cows. ("No cows were harmed in the making of Rules Roundup.")

Answer 7

Be prepared to do a lot of reading. C# (assuming this was the language you have been using)is generally regarded as an improved Java, so the Java basics will not be hard to grasp. Java development tools are generally not as tightly integrated as the Microsoft stack, thus allowing for choices to be made. Lots of discussions in Javaland revolve around choosing tools.

Get to know something about the way Java packages things (jar, war, ear). Learn about the classpath (an endless source of joy and grief). Build a mental picture of how things work at compile time and run time (generics and type erasure, for instance).