Foundations of the Java syntax and semantics: This skill covers the fundamental building blocks of the Java programming language, including variables, data types, operators, control structures, and syntax rules. It is essential to measure this skill to ensure candidates have a solid understanding of the language's core concepts and can write clean and reliable code.
Basics of Web application programming: This skill focuses on the basics of developing web applications using Java, including HTTP request handling, servlets, JSP, and MVC architecture. Assessing this skill is crucial as it determines a candidate's ability to build scalable and efficient web applications in Java.
Object-Oriented Programming: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a key paradigm in Java, emphasizing the use of objects, classes, inheritance, and polymorphism. Evaluating this skill is vital to assess a candidate's ability to design and develop modular and extensible code using OOP principles.
Working with Databases: This skill involves understanding how to interact with databases using Java, including connecting to a database, executing SQL queries, and handling result sets. It is crucial to measure this skill to ensure candidates can effectively store, retrieve, and manipulate data in a database-driven application.
Java data structures (Strings; Arrays; Objects): This skill covers the different data structures in Java, including strings, arrays, and objects. Assessing this skill is important as it determines a candidate's proficiency in working with and manipulating data efficiently.
Collections framework: The collections framework in Java provides interfaces and classes for defining and manipulating collections of objects. Measuring this skill is essential to evaluate a candidate's knowledge of using collections effectively, such as lists, sets, and maps, in solving various programming problems.
Exception handling: Exception handling is a critical aspect of Java programming that involves managing and responding to errors and exceptional conditions. Evaluating this skill helps determine a candidate's ability to handle exceptions properly and write robust and reliable code.
Multi-threading: This skill focuses on concurrent programming in Java, including creating and managing multiple threads to achieve parallel execution. Assessing this skill is important as it determines a candidate's understanding of thread synchronization, resource sharing, and handling race conditions.
Functional programming with Lambdas & Streams API: This skill involves utilizing functional programming concepts in Java, such as lambda expressions and the Streams API, for performing operations on collections of data. Measuring this skill is crucial to assess a candidate's ability to leverage the power of functional programming to write concise and expressive code.
Core interface and implementations (List; Set; Map): This skill covers the core interfaces and their implementations in Java, including List, Set, and Map. Assessing this skill is vital to evaluate a candidate's understanding of using these fundamental data structures efficiently and effectively.
SOLID principles: SOLID principles are design principles that help in writing maintainable and scalable code. Evaluating this skill determines a candidate's knowledge of these principles, such as Single Responsibility, Open/Closed, Liskov Substitution, Interface Segregation, and Dependency Inversion, and their application in designing robust and flexible software systems.