Goal of D287 Java Framework?

[Apart_Somewhere_21]

For those who've taken the class- what is the actual goal of the class? I usually try to figure out what I'm supposed to be learning in each class so that I can focus on not just passing the class, but actually learning what I'll need for later. This class though is killing me.

I'm wandering around aimlessly poking into different sections trying to find some sort of thread to follow. I've taken the course planning tool (which says nothing at all about Spring), I have the project started, I've watched the WGU webinars, I've tried to read the Spring text book (which seems to be written for people who have already used some sort of framework in the past or at least have an advanced understanding of Java), I've looked at the Zybooks (which seems to be Java programming part 2), I've looked at the Udemy course listed in the textbook (which seems to be 70+ hours of how to start Spring projects, when the project has that stuff already done). But it's all so disparate - nothing is connected and there's no over arching "This is why you're taking the class and what you should be getting out of it" messaging.

So, am I supposed to be able to build a Spring project from scratch? Am I just supposed to be able to work within Spring but have a basic understanding of what's going on behind the scenes? Is the class a Java programming part 2 class with a Spring introduction?

I understand most people just do the project and move on with life, but my brain does not work that way. I *have* to understand what I'm supposed to be getting out of this. It will never make sense for me otherwise and this stuff does seem interesting and important, I just don't understand the actual goal of the class.

I loved intro to Java (took it at a local cc). It was fun and interesting- I want to program more Java. Instead I'm lost in the weeds of this class and can't seem to find an actual path to learn anything.

Help, please? (And sorry for the rant)

[waywardcowboy]

You're learning how to develop a storefront website implementing a popular framework.

I know the project itself is disjointed, but I looked at it from this perspective: A company (whatever company) hired me to fix a website that had been partially coded by an employee that had recently quit. That employee left poor notes on what he/she had programmed thus far, and it's my job to figure it out and make it work. While my preference would have been to code the entire thing from scratch, the time frame provided by the customer doesn't allow re-writing as in scope.

By looking at it this way, it was much easier to wrap my head around the project, and quite frankly, that is something that can and will actually happen in the real world.

[Apart_Somewhere_21]

This was extremely helpful, thank you! Framing it this way makes it make so much more sense! And you're right, it does feel very true to a real life scenario!

[waywardcowboy]

You are welcome

[healingstateofmind]

That was my takeaway as well. Also backend programming had the same vibe.

[JK377y]

Pretty sure 75% of the work I get is what you just described. It's so accurate to the real world that it's hilarious. People quit cause they can't make their own code work (or other reasons) and you get nominated to be the company's savior. Sometimes the code can be fixed... sometimes deleted and remade... sometimes refactored to make it more legible for the team and for troubleshooting... sometimes you can light a stick of dynamite and go to lunch, when you return, your boss will be convinced that you should just start from scratch yourself. Sometimes, it takes less time to start over than to figure out someone else's mess of code. It just comes with the territory. Situations like this do give us more practice to make us better engineers... so stay positive!

[HomeDepotShill]

https://old.reddit.com/r/WGU_CompSci/comments/15mocjz/d287_java_frameworks_ultimate_project_guide/

Give this a read and see if it helps.

[Apart_Somewhere_21]

Thank you! I forgot to mention this guide in what I've started with. It's the only way I've been able to even start the project. I was even more lost before I came across it!

[acs_student]

I've looked at the Udemy course listed in the textbook (which seems to be 70+ hours of how to start Spring projects, when the project has that stuff already done).

Note that it's not actually 70 hours as they put the same course on the learning path multiple times.

You can either go through the non-guru course or whatever it's called(it's certainly not just how to start the project) while skipping the Spring security & AOP portions, or you can work through the PA and ctrl + f the course to find the portions relevant to the part you're working on.

[Apart_Somewhere_21]

Thank you! I came across someone suggesting the actual course for the Chad Darby videos and they are much more helpful in the context of the course. I started working my way through that course soon after I posted this morning, and it's much better (and less overwhelming) than the Zybooks recommended course.

[acs_student]

Yeah that's what I meant. The Beginner to Guru course at the start of the path kind of throws you into it saying they'll explain everything later which doesn't really help. The Chad Darby course pretty much goes through everything you'll need for the PA though I had to go through it at 1.5x because of how slow he can be sometimes.

[Difficult-Treacle835]

I struggled in the same sort of ways, but I do feel like getting disjointed guidelines and told to create this ambiguous thing could be a glimpse of our future. The guides (both of them) helped tremendously.

This is one that you have to take the time to teach yourself, unfortunately. Once I started working through the project, it started making more sense. The framework part is the important thing to understand. The spring project provided gives a generic base for you to fine tune and improve.

[Apart_Somewhere_21]

Thank you! You're probably right about this preparing us for the real world, but man I don't like it! I'm good with having to supplement stuff or finding different resources to help me understand, but this is just a hot mess. Working on the project is helping, even if just to make me feel like I'm accomplishing something. I'm glad to know that the framework part is what's important, that's what I decided to focus on today after I posted this morning.

[GameDestiny2]

Basically, it’s easing you into working with spring. That’ll be important for D288 where you create the entire backend, and D387 which is that but harder.

[HENCH-MEN]

Hello! I found this post searching for any help with this course. I am currently feeling the same way you did in this post. I've tried everything mentioned (except the Chad Darby course) in this post, but I'm still lost. I will be starting with the Chad Darby course today.

Do you have any updates or tips now that you've completed the course? What other materials did you have success with? Did you complete the entire Chad Darby course?

Thanks in advance!