Top 10 (Frontend + Backend) Frameworks Java Web Developers Can Learn in 2024 [UPDATED]

First of all, I wish you a very Happy New Year 2024. May God bless you to fulfill all your dreams. For the last few days, many of my readers are asking me questions on Facebook and Email that what frameworks and libraries should they learn in 2024? I have written a series of posts to help them, like 10 things Java programmers should learn in 2024. In this article, I am going to share some of the most popular frameworks which you can learn in 2024. The framework is not just for Java developers but for any programmer. They are in good demand, and learning them not only improves your chances of getting a better job but also opens new doors of opportunities.

As I have said before, technology is changing, and what worked 10 years before may not work now, and the biggest challenge for programmers is to keep themselves up-to-date. Good knowledge of popular frameworks and libraries goes a long way in developing a new application.

It's particularly important for experienced programmers as it's expected from them that they know the latest and most excellent tools for application development.

As a Java developer, I know Spring and Hibernate, but I have yet to learn Big Data frameworks like Spark and Hadoop, and that's what I have set a goal for me in 2024.

Top 10 Frameworks Programmers Should Learn in 2024

Here is a list of 10 popular frameworks which you can look forward to learning in 2024. They have changed how you develop a web application in recent times, particularly Angular and React JS, and this is probably the right time to get familiar with them.

1. Spring Boot

I have been using the Spring framework for many years; hence, when I first introduced it with Spring Boot, I was astonished by a relative lack of configuration. Writing a Spring-based Java application using Spring Boot was as simple as writing a core Java application using the main() method.

Even though I have tried Spring Boot, I have yet to learn many things, and that's why it's on my list of things to learn in 2024 for a long time.

I have also bought Spring Boot Masterclass, one of the best online courses to learn Spring Boot from Udemy for just 10$ last month, and I look forward to using that in 2024.

2. Quarkus

If you are itching to try something new, other than Spring boot for your new shiny, cloud-based Microservices then you can try either Quarkus or Micronaut. While both of them are not as mature as Spring Boot there are many good reasons to learn and use them for your new Java Microservice project. 

For example, Quarkus offer the following great things compared to Spring Boot, 

• They have a low memory footprint compared to Spring Boot.
• Hot reloading (in dev mode) is awesome for developers.
• There are plenty of modules. (https://code.quarkus.io)
• Quarkus Compile-time wiring, (unlike Spring's runtime wiring).
• It has a fast startup (Kubectl deploy restart comes out in less than a sec).

So there are plenty of reasons to learn and explore Quarkus and MicroNaut, they are not as mature and time-tested as Spring Boot but they definitely offer good performance and developer-friendly stuff. If you need a resource, I recommend checking out the Quarkus Backend development with Java and GraalVM course by Dmytro Chaban on Udemy. 

 3. Spring Cloud (Microservices)

Developing applications for the cloud has its own challenges, and Spring Cloud aims to solve those. It provides tools for Java developers to quickly build some of the common patterns of cloud-based applications, like configuration management, service discovery, circuit breaks, client-side load balancing, intelligent routing, distributed sessions, etc.

When you develop a cloud-based Java application, you don't need to worry about Hardware, installing the operating system, database, and other software. However, your app still needs those to function.

Cloud providers like Cloud-Found and Heroku provide those services to you, but you need to do a lot of work to access those services, and that's where Spring Cloud helps.

It provides a simple and efficient cloud connector to access those services by abstracting all cloud-specific details, which means you can access those essential services in the cloud just like you do in a non-cloud environment like you can connect to a database by just knowing host and port and login credentials.

If you are thinking about cloud-based Java applications, like Microservices, and want to learn how Spring Cloud can help you, I suggest you check out Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud, one of the best courses to learn these two great frameworks.

If you prefer to learn from books, then the Cloud Native Java book by Josh Long and company is another excellent resource to start with.

4. React.js

React is another JavaScript library or framework for building user interfaces. It's like Angular but maintained by Facebook, Instagram, and a community of individual developers and corporations. It allows web developers to create large web applications that can change over time without reloading the page.

The web development world is divided between Angular and React, and it's up to you what you choose. Most of the time, it's dictated by circumstances; for example, if you are working on a React-based project, then obviously you need to learn React.

Anyway, if you decided to learn React in 2024, then the Go Java Full Stack with Spring Boot and React course by Ranga Karnam on Udemy is a good starting point for Java developers. 

5. Apache Spark

This is one of the best big data frameworks that is gaining popularity. Apache Spark is a fast, in-memory data processing engine with elegant and expressive development APIs to allow data workers to efficiently execute streaming, machine learning, or SQL workloads that require fast iterative access to datasets.

You can use Spark for In-Memory Computing for ETL, Machine Learning, and Data Science Workloads to Hadoop. I have already shortlisted Apache Spark Fundamentals course from PluralSight to go through in 2024. If you are in the same boat, you can check out that course to get some inspiration.

6. Node.js

There is no doubt that JavaScript is the #1 programming language, and Node.js has a big part to play in that. Traditionally JavaScript is used as client-side scripting language where it is used with HTML to provide dynamic behavior on the client-side. It runs on the web browser, but Node.js allows you to run JavaScript on the server-side.

Tye Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript run-time environment for executing JavaScript code server-side. You can use node.js to create dynamic web pages on the server-side before you send them to the client.

This means you can develop a front-to-back, client-server application in JavaScript. I have recently purchased  The Complete Node.js Developer Course last month on Udemy's 10$ sale, and I look forward to learning it in 2024.

7. Bootstrap

This is another popular open-source, front-end web framework for designing websites and web applications. Initially brought to us by Twitter. Bootstrap provides s HTML- and CSS-based design templates for typography, forms, buttons, navigation, and other interface components, as well as optional JavaScript extensions.

Bootstrap supports responsive web design, which means the layout of web pages adjusts dynamically depending upon the browser's screen size. In the world of mobile, BootStrap is leading the way with its mobile-first design philosophy, emphasizing a responsive design by default.

If you are a web developer and don't know BootStrap, 2024 is the right time for stars with it. The BootStrap 4 From Scratch with 5 Projects by Brad Traversy is a good starting point for your BootStrap journey in 2024.

You can even buy it for just 10$ on Udemy's New Year sale, which is starting from 1st January to 11th January 2024.

8. Angular

This is another JavaScript framework, which is on my list of things to learn in 2024. It provides an entirely client-side solution. You can use Angular to create dynamic web pages on the client side. It provides declarative templates, dependency injection, the end to end tooling, and integrated best practices to solve common development challenges on the client side.

Since it's a JavaScript library, You can include this on your HTML page using the <script> tag. It extends HTML attributes with Directives and binds data to HTML using Expressions.

Since Google is behind Angular, you can be rest-assured by performance and regular updates. I firmly believe Angular is here for the long run; hence, investing time in it is wholly justified. If you decide to learn Angular latest version in 2024, then Angular - The Complete Guide (2024 Edition) by Maximilian Schwarzmuller on Udemy is a good starting point.

9. jQuery

This is another JavaScript framework that rules the world. jQuery is my favorite for a long time, and I advise every developer to learn jQuery. It makes client-side scripting really easy.

You can do animation, send HTTP requests, reload pages, and perform client-side validation by writing just a couple of lines of code.

If you decide to learn jQuery in 2024, then I suggest you take a look at the jQuery master class, a free online course from Udemy for learning jQuery.

10. Apache Hadoop

Big Data and Automation is the focus of many companies in 2024, and that's why it becomes essential for programmers to learn Big data technologies like Hadoop and Spark. The Apache Hadoop is a framework that allows distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of computers using simple programming models.

It is designed to scale up from single servers to thousands of machines, each offering local computation and storage. It's based upon the popular Map Reduce pattern and key for developing a reliable, scalable, and distributed software computing application.

I had already enrolled in The Ultimate Hands-On Hadoop last month, and if you decide to learn Hadoop in 2024, you can join too. You can get it for just $10 between 1st and 11th January 2024 on Udemy's Flash Sale.

11. Spring Security 5 (OAuth)

There is no substitute for security, and in 2024, it would be even more critical. Since Spring security has become synonymous with web security in the Java world, it makes perfect sense to update yourself with the latest release of Spring security in 2024.

The new version 5.0 of Spring security includes many bug fixes and a complete new OAuth 2.0 module. Even if you don't know Spring Security, you should consider learning it in 2024, and there is no better way than joining Eugen Paraschiv Learn Spring Security MasterClass.

That's all about what Java programmers to learn in 2024. These frameworks are in high demand, particularly, Spring, Node.js, and Angular. Learning these frameworks will not only improve your chances of getting a job but also open many doors of opportunities.

Even if you are settled down in your job, keeping yourself up-to-date with the latest and greatest technology is essential for your career growth.

So, I suggest you pick a couple of these frameworks and learn them in 2024. If you are a Java developer, then Apache Spark is the right choice, but if you are interested in a programming language rather than a framework or library, then Kotlin looks good in 2024.


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P. S. - If you are not sure how to learn new technology, like a programming language, framework, or a library in 2024, then please see my post about 10 ways to learn a new technique or programming language here.