Hello, World! Hello Web developers! I know you all have been working great and hard on your websites, but now it’s time to give your coding a little break and explore the Best Java tools of 2024 that are sure to make your life easy.
Java is one commercial-grade programming language that no web developer can avoid. I am sure that for most of you, much of your professional life is spent using Java.
We may come from different schools of thought about Java – you may consider it to be the simplest programming language, and I might consider it to be the toughest, but the truth remains! If you have to develop, you have to Java!
There are a variety of Java tools available at your disposal to help you write bug-free Java codes and address all your concerns, but using the right tool at the right time is what makes all the difference.
So, without much ado, let’s get into the best Java tools list.
1. Java Performance Monitoring by SolarWinds
SolarWinds Java Performance tool enables you to improve and optimize the performance of your Java applications. It is built to proactively track Java application servers and issue notifications before they trouble you with major issues.
Highlight features of Java Performance Monitoring:
- This tool can locate web service APIs that affect Java applications.
- It monitors servers, JBoss, Oracle, and WebSphere using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol).
- HTTP or HTTPS may be used to test the health of JSON services.
- Virtual and physical Java Metrics like power supply, fan speed, and temperature can also be analyzed using this tool.
2. Site24x7
Site24x7 APM can help you monitor the performance of your Java applications. It supports apps built in AWS, .Net, Ruby, Java, PHP, Node.js, and mobile platforms.
Additionally, it helps you to fine-tune the application performance by gauging the application experience of real users by ISP, browsers, geography, and more in real time.
Supervise workloads and diagnose application performance issues on cloud and virtualization platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and VMware.
Features of Site24x7 includes:
- With application dependency charts, you can get a bird’s eye view of Java app results.
- Custom instrumentation supports monitoring individual methods or functions in code.
- It provides real-time JVM performance reports with alerting, including key metrics like garbage collection, JVM CPU usage, heap memory, and run-time memory.
3. Application Manager
Used by organizations of all sizes, the Application Manager is an application performance monitoring tool by ManageEngine. It enables you to easily isolate and fix performance issues through your entire application stack with minimal overhead and without impacting your customers – from the URL to the line of code.
Features of Application Manager include:
- With the aid of code-level insights, distributed traces, and other tools, you can track, optimize, and troubleshoot Java application performance.
- Java application server, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Java Runtime Environment (JRE), JDBC, JMX, and Java thread dumps can all be monitored.
- It comes with container monitoring, synthetic transaction monitoring, middle-ware monitoring, and many more.
4. Patch Manager
Patch Manager software by SolarWinds is designed to address software vulnerabilities quickly. It saves you time and makes it easier for you to keep your workstations patched and compliant by simplifying the steps in the patch management process.
Features of Patch Manager include:
- It has a user-friendly dashboard for patch management.
- Extends the functionality of WSUS and SCCM Environment
- Third-party application patching
- Prebuilt/pretested packages
- Patch compliance reports and status dashboard
- The program makes the application of security patches easy.
- Can automate the patching operation.
- It easily identifies devices that need to be patched.
5. JUnit 5
JUnit is the 5th version of JUnit and is an open-source unit testing framework for Java. It will help you write and run repeatable tests.
It requires Java 8 or higher at runtime, but you can still test codes that have been compiled with previous versions.
Features of JUnit 5 include:
- JUnit helps in the development and execution of tests.
- It has annotations to help you distinguish test methods.
- Assertions are provided for testing expected outcomes.
- JUnit tests allow for faster code writing, which improves consistency.
6. Apache NetBeans
Released on March 3, 2021, Apache NetBeans 20 is the latest edition of NetBeans. It helps you create applications in Java, PHP, and many more languages through various wizards and templates. Web developers can install it on all operating systems like Windows, Linux, Mac OS, and BSD.
Features of Apache NetBeans include:
- Provides complete support for the latest Java technologies.
- Provides support for PHP and C/C++ developers.
- Helps you write error-free code
7. Apache Maven
Apache Maven is based on the concept of the Project Object Model (POM) that can be used for building and managing any project based on Java.
It focuses on making the build process easy by providing a uniform build system. It also provides quality project information and encourages better development practices.
Features of Apache Maven include:
- Dependency Management.
- Model-based builds.
- Ability to easily write plugins in Java.
- Let’s work on multiple projects at the same time.
8. JRat
The Java Runtime Analysis Toolkit is an open-source performance profiler for the Java platform that has low overhead and is simple to use. JRat keeps track of an application’s execution and also saves performance data.
Features of JRat include:
- Move files to any place on any device with ease.
- Allows remote view.
- Assists website Redirection.
- JRat helps you modify system files.
9. Mockito
Mockito is a Mocking and unit-testing Java tool. It lets you write tests with a clean and simple API and produce clean verification errors making it very readable to the developer.
Features of Mockito include:
- Allows flexible verification in the order you want.
- Little annotation syntax sugar – @Mock
- Reflection-based equality matching.
10. Atlassian Clover
Clover is a Java tool that generates code coverage reports from unit tests. It can be used as a plugin in IDEA IDE, Ant, Maven 2 and 3, Grails, and Eclipse.
Features of Atlassian Clover include:
- Open-source and free-to-use tool.
- On-the-fly byte code makes it simple to use.
- The test optimization function makes running the test suite painless.
11. EHCACHE
Ehcache is a standards-based open-source cache that enhances performance, offloads your database, and makes scalability easier. Integration with other popular libraries and frameworks makes Ehcache the most widely used Java-based cache.
Features of EHCACHE include:
- Fast and lightweight.
- Scalable
- Extensible
- Distributed Caching with Terracotta
- Enterprise Java and Applied Caching
12. VisualVM
VisualVM is an all-in-one Java troubleshooting tool, designed for use both at the development and production stage. Using various technologies including Serviceability Agent (SA), JMX, jvmstat, and Attach API, it monitors and troubleshoots applications.
Features of VisualVM include:
- VisualVM automatically detects a Java application that is running locally and remotely.
- Displays basic runtime information.
- Provides basic profiling capabilities.
13. Oracle JDeveloper
Oracle JDeveloper is a free IDE. It addresses every stage in the application development process, thus streamlining the development.
Features of Oracle JDeveloper include:
- Ability to build servlets that function as EJB clients.
- Creation of Web Socket annotations of Java classes.
- Allows you to define a configuration class for the Metadata.
14. FindBugs
FindBugs is a free program that uses static analysis to locate bugs in Java code. If you are a new web developer, you can use FindBugs to access all types of bugs in your code early in the development stage.
Features of FindBugs include:
- Bug patterns can be identified with complete accuracy.
- Provides support for the Guava Library.
- Provides configurable analysis.
15. Java Decompiler
As the name suggests, Java Decompiler is a tool that is used to decompile and analyze Java 5-byte code and its later versions. It works with most of the current compilers including JDK 10.0.2, harmony-jdk-r533500, jrockit90_150_06, and jikes-1.22.
Features of FindBugs include:
- Supports AAR, JMOD, EAR, WAR, CLASS, KAR, JAR, and Zip files.
- You can drag and drop LOG files.
- Browsing of CLASS files and Java modules hierarchy.
16. Gradle
By using Gradle, you can build, automate, and deliver perfect software. You can write in Java, C++, or any language of your choice and can deploy your software on any platform. Through Gradle’s rich API, you can automate everything.
Features of Gradle include:
- The Java Library plugin helps reduce the size of the compile classpath.
- Gradle Wrapper helps you to run Gradle builds even on machines where it is not installed.
- Supports both multi-project builds and partial builds.
17. Cobertura
It is a Java tool based on jcoverage. Cobertura can help you identify the parts of your Java program that are lacking test coverage.
Features of Cobertura include:
- Eclipse JUnit, Launch Scala, and PDE can be launched in covered mode.
- View colored source code according to line coverage.
- Reports generated in HTML or XML.
- It can be executed via Ant, Command line, and Maven
18. Groovy
Groovy by Apache is a powerful, dynamic, and optionally typed language with static compilation and static-typing capabilities aimed at improving your productivity.
It has an easy-to-learn syntax which makes it my favourite. It can also integrate smoothly with any Java program.
Features of Groovy include:
- Flexible and malleable syntax.
- Vibrant and rich ecosystem.
- Supports automation tasks.
19. YourKit
YourKit is a memory profiling tool for .NET and Java. It includes Java Profiler 2021.3 which is an award-winning low overhead profiler for Java SE and Java EE platforms.
.NET Profiler 2021.3 is an easy-to-use performance and memory .NET profiler. YouMonitor 2020.6 offers monitoring profiling solutions for Bamboo, Ant, Maven, and many more.
Features of YourKit include:
- On-demand profiling lets you activate actual profiling only when needed, thus reducing overhead.
- Seamless integration with popular IDEs.
- One-click profiling.
20. Java Development Kit
Last but not least, JDK (Java Development Kit) is a development tool for writing Java applets and applications. It includes the Java compiler, Java Runtime Environment, and Java APIs. If you are somebody who is just starting, JDK can be your pick for its ease of use.
Features of Java Development Kit include:
- Easy to use for both new and experienced programmers
- The new license permits personal use and development use, at no cost
Conclusion
I hope that this article will help you choose the best Java tool ensuring good learning and great efficiency. Apart from the above list, there are many other Java tools available but we chose to bring to you the best twenty that is sure to take care of all your concerns.
Do let us know your favorite pick by leaving a comment below. Also, in case you find or use any other Java tool that you think deserves to be on the list, please do write to us.
Happy Developing! See Ya!
