#12: Java Enteprise Applications

Our two guests, Jeanne Boyarsky and Adam Bien, are both long-time Java developers. On today’s episode, we talk about what consists of “good” architecture in the changing world of software development, and where exactly Java fits in to the puzzle.Defining software architecturePinning down a solid definition of software architecture can be tricky these days. Our guest Jeanne Boyarsky agrees. ”Architecture feels a little like a vocabulary word because it means so many different things to different people. But to me, it feels like the high level, what-are-you-going-to-put-together so that things make sense. Similarly, you don't want every application you have to be different, that makes it hard to work on anything. Architecture also includes non-functional requirements. If my app works, but takes a year to get back to you, it's useless. So I think all those things together.” Timeless principles of quality software developmentIt’s easy to feel overwhelmed or distracted by software trends, concepts, and developments, such as microservices, cloud-native, or serverless. But Adam and Jean say some key principles about what makes “good” software development will never “go out of fashion.”Stay flexible — Adam Bien says, “I think it is really important just to suggest things, and not to say, this is the absolute rule. Because nothing is absolute in software development, not even architecture, you always have exceptions. I think this is the most important thing.”Be curious and seek to understand — Both Adam and Jeanne emphasize the importance of asking questions and understanding the logic behind decisions. Jeanne suggests “Continually ask why things happen.” And Adam, like many of us, needs to understand, “For me, it's just important to know why.”Write simple code — Adam talks about how developers can think code is too “boring” and so they seek to improve it. But, according to him, that’s the opposite of what they should do. “Because whatever you do, you'll make your code base more complex, which will cause trouble in a few years. Write simple code.”Adam’s final words of advice? “Just build stuff”. And he adds, half-jokingly, “And don’t forget how to code once you become an architect.”Try Quarkus on Platform.sh: https://bit.ly/3bBUmNsPlatform.shLearn more about us.Get started with a free trial.Have a question? Get in touch!Platform.sh on social mediaTwitter @platformshTwitter (France): @platformsh_frLinkedIn: Platform.shLinkedIn (France): Platform.shFacebook: Platform.shWatch, listen, and subscribe to the Platform.sh Deploy Friday podcast:YouTubeApple PodcastsBuzzsproutPlatform.sh is a robust, reliable hosting platform that gives development teams the tools to build and scale applications efficiently. Whether you run one or one thousand websites, you can focus on creating features and fun