Duke's Corner

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Cay Horstmann, a professor, author, and Java Champion. In April in Cologne, Germany at JCON Cay received the Java Community Lifetime Achievement recognition from Sharat Chander on the Oracle Java Developer Relations Team. This conversation covers the evolution of Java, the constant polishing of the library, the upcoming Java 25 release, the six-month release cycle, improvements in the Java language to make the technology more beginner friendly, teaching methodologies, conferences vs unconferences, and also timeless task-driven learning methods for students and developers to keep their skills sharp. Also, Cay has been writing books about Java for decades and years ago he was instrumental in initially getting Java integrated into the curriculum for the computer science AP exam in the United States. "One of the reasons why Java is still so vibrant 30 years in is that there is a constant stream of low-level innovation going on. It's pretty amazing." Cay Horstmann https://horstmann.com/ Duke's Corner Java Podcast https://dukescorner.libsyn.com https://jimgrisanzio.wordpress.com/podcasts/ https://jimgrisanzio.wordpress.com/72-cay-horstmann-txt/ Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris https://jimgrisanzio.wordpress.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/

Heinz Kabutz, a Java Champion and PhD holder, shares insights from his life in Crete and his dedication to the Java community. He highlights his recent Lifetime Achievement award and discusses upcoming features in Java 25. Heinz emphasizes the impact of community engagement, particularly through the JCrete Unconference, stating it can be life-changing for developers. He also provides invaluable advice for students entering software development, advocating for hands-on experience and participation in open-source projects.

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Nate Schutta, an author, a teacher, a software architect, and Java Champion. Nate lives in the United States and teaches computer science to university students. He loves teaching and he loves learning, and he specializes in exploring the big picture of complicated systems in his career as a software architect. The conversation covers the Java community, the value for developers if they contribute to Java User Groups (JUGs), the benefits and some possible drawbacks of AI, and the engineering feat that is the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Nate has a passion for learning and here's his advice for young developers and engineering students. "The fundamentals can't be skipped! And they take time to learn! You just have to put in those hours to understand the basics, and then you can graduate to the more complicated stuff." Nate tripped over Java a bit in school and joined his first Java project right in his first job. Once he heard about this new Java project, he said: "Heck, yeah! I want in on that!" Nate Schutta https://x.com/ntschutta https://bsky.app/profile/nts.bsky.social Duke's Corner Java Podcast https://dukescorner.libsyn.com Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris https://jimgrisanzio.wordpress.com

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Francisco Contreras, who is a Java developer and a co-organizer at Nicaragua JUG. Francisco has been a Java developer for over 15 years and he runs his own consulting business with customers around the world. He's passionate about Java the technology and also Java the community. "When I learned Java at university I felt like I could do anything with that," he said, talking about how Java enables him to engage developers, write really great software, and also grow a business. But Java goes well beyond just technology. When Francisco had some personal challenges in his life, he was happy that many community members immediately offered to help him. "The sense of community in the Java environment is just awesome!" Francisco Contreras https://x.com/Frank_JCG https://www.linkedin.com/in/fjcontrerasg https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5OlzVJbnuQc https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rhAe6zqxC34 JUG Nicaragua https://x.com/jugnicaragua Java User Groups https://dev.java/community/jugs/ Duke's Corner https://dukescorner.libsyn.com Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris https://jimgrisanzio.wordpress.com

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Ivar Grimstad, who is a Java Champion, a JCP Executive Committee Member, and a Jakarta EE Developer Advocate. Ivar is based in Sweden but travels to over 40 events a year talking about Java and Open Source with thousands of developers. He feels passionately about contributing to Java projects as the best way for young developers to learn Java and connect with the community, especially at Java conferences. Ivar has been working with Java professionally since 2000, but he's been solving problems with code since he was a little kid around 12 or 13 years old. "Java has been my go-to language for everything!" he says. "It's been here for 30 years and it'll probably be around for 30 more!" Ivar Grimstad https://x.com/ivar_grimstad https://bsky.app/profile/theguywiththeduketattoo.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivargrimstad/ Duke's Corner https://dukescorner.libsyn.com https://bsky.app/profile/dukescorner.bsky.social Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/ https://jimgrisanzio.wordpress.com/

The Duke's Corner Java Podcast contributed an 11 minute segment to the Community Keynote at JavaOne 2025 in California in March. Jim Grisanzio from Oracle Java Developer Relations hosted the program with special guests Cay Horstmann, Marit van Dijk, and Lize Raes. The panel covered the latest bits in Java, how to contribute to the community, and the best bits from JavaOne. Everyone had a great time! Here's the full Community Keynote session from JavaOne in March 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwR7Gvi80Xo&t=1838s Here's the 11 minute segment in video: https://x.com/jimgris/status/1907660414550176236

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Tom Cools, an engineer from Belgium, a conference speaker, a Java Champion, and the leader of the Belgian Java User Group. "I make it my mission to spread Java all over Belgium," says Tom as he describes how he runs the BeJUG as an Open Source project that takes contributions from the community. Here in this conversation Tom also talks about how the recent evolution of Java with rapid release cycles and new innovations attracted him to the language he loves. Tom is also a certified teacher so we discussed learning strategies, stress management, social media, managing change, AI, burnout, and other life experiences developers must deal with as they navigate through their careers in software development. Tom Cools https://x.com/TCoolsIT https://x.com/BeJUG https://bsky.app/profile/tomcools.be Duke's Corner https://dukescorner.libsyn.com Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with François Martin, a full stack developer from Switzerland who loves teaching Java to students and contributing to the Java community. This conversation ranges from teaching students Java from scratch, the value of test driven development, the lessons from NASA's Apollo project, the benefits — and surprises — of contributing to open source projects, and so much more. Even open source marketing and The Cluetrain Manifesto came up! François is passionate about coding in Java and sharing his experiences with other developers at JUG meetings and conferences. Java was the first language he learned and that seems to made all the difference in the world. François Martin https://x.com/fmartin_ Duke's Corner https://bsky.app/profile/dukescorner.bsky.social https://dukescorner.libsyn.com Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Marit van Dijk, a Java Champion and also a Java Developer Advocate at JetBrains. Marit will present on developer productivity with IntelliJ IDEA at JavaOne March 18-20 in California. Go to javaone.com and register and we'll see you there! Marit van Dijk https://x.com/MaritvanDijk77 JavaOne 2025 https://javaone.com Duke's Corner https://dukescorner.libsyn.com Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris

In this conversation, Venkat Subramaniam, a Java Champion, professor, and renowned programmer, shares insights into the upcoming JavaOne conference and the evolution of the Java community. He emphasizes the importance of understanding Java's semantics over mere syntax and advocates for critical thinking in software development. Venkat also discusses the shift towards agile practices and the significance of continuous delivery. With his engaging perspective, he highlights how conferences can foster learning and growth in the tech landscape.