Java Application Development: Must-Have Checklist

This article provides a comprehensive checklist to streamline Java application development, covering setup, coding, testing, and deployment essentials. It serves as a guide for developers to ensure they have all the necessary components in place for a successful project.

Disclaimer

This checklist is based on my experience and the best practices I have learned over the years. It is not exhaustive, but it covers the most important aspects of Java application development. The checklist is divided into several sections, each focusing on a specific area of development.

Information

This checklist is a living document that evolves with new tools, techniques, and lessons learned. Start small, adapt what fits your context, and automate as much as possible. The goal isn’t perfection, but consistency and continuous improvement.

Project Initialization & Tooling

• Clean Architecture
  Clean Architecture separates application concerns into clear layers, improving testability and maintainability.

  • ArchUnit to enforce architectural rules
  • Pragmatic Clean Architecture

• Continuous Integration (CI)
  Automate testing and validation for every commit and PR by setting up a CI workflow.

  • Example CI Workflow (ci-build-workflow.yml)

• Continuous Deployment (CD)
  Set up CD pipelines to automate QA and production deployments after successful builds.

  • Example CD Workflow (release-workflow.yml)

Code Quality and Standards

• Sonar Linting
  Integrate static analysis into your workflow using SonarLint for real-time IDE feedback and SonarCloud for CI/CD pipeline insights.

• Style Guide & Code Formatting
  Define and enforce consistent code style across teams using Checkstyle, OpenRewrite, and community standards.

  • Google Java Style Guide

• Enforce & Auto-Fix Java Code Style
  Automate Java code style enforcement using Checkstyle and OpenRewrite for a clean, consistent, and secure codebase.

  • Checkstyle + OpenRewrite Automation Guide

Build & Dependency Management

• Renovate Bot
  Automate dependency updates and keep your project secure with Renovate Bot.

  • Example renovate.json Configuration
  • Automating Maven Dependency Updates

• OpenRewrite
  Enforce code quality and automate Java refactoring with OpenRewrite.

  • OpenRewrite Integration
  • Journey API Example rewrite.yml

• Spring Boot DevTools
  Improve developer productivity with Spring Boot DevTools: automatic restarts, live reload, and dev-only config.

• Spring Boot & Docker Compose
  Manage services like databases or brokers with Spring Boot + Docker Compose for streamlined local dev.

  • Example docker-compose.yml

• Docker Containerization
  Package your app and its dependencies into containers with Docker for consistent, reproducible environments.

  • Example Dockerfile

Testing

• Shift Left Testing
  Embrace Shift Left Testing using Testcontainers to run integration and QA tests early in the pipeline.

  • Spring Boot + Testcontainers Guide
  • Conditional JUnit 5 Extensions

• Contract Testing with Spring Cloud Contract
  Use Spring Cloud Contract Verifier to validate service contracts and avoid integration failures.

  • Automating Contract Testing

Security

• OWASP Automation Framework
  Automate security testing with OWASP ZAP Automation Framework to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
  • Security Testing in CI/CD with OWASP ZAP

Deployment & Monitoring

• Database Migrations
  Manage schema changes safely using Flyway or Liquibase.

• Spring Boot Actuator
  Monitor and manage your Spring Boot applications effortlessly.

  • Deep Dive into Health Indicators & Info Contributors
  • Custom Metrics with Micrometer & Prometheus

Documentation

• Developer-Friendly API Documentation
  Create clear and maintainable API docs for your services.
  • Open API with Swagger
  • Spring REST API Doc with AsciiDoc

System Architecture & Design

• Self-Contained Systems Architecture
  Self-Contained Systems Architecture promotes building modular, independently deployable components — ideal for scaling large enterprise systems.
  • SCS in Practice: Wins and Challenges

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