A question for Java developers... how wide are your skills?

[kingshuk]

I've done some work as a Java developer in the IB scene... as well as Java itself I worked with servlets, JSP, JSTL and SQL routinely. I used Ant to build the software, and SVN obviously, but I don't know much about writing an Ant script or setting up a new SVN project. Does that matter... I don't know when asked 'do you know Ant' if answering 'yes' implies I can cope using scripts to build the project, or that I can write a new script from scratch in notepad?

From my personal experience (about 10 years IB/software house etc) it doesn't matter. I say I have used ant and can write ant script if/when required. In java interviews I've seen people ask questions on java, other relevant technologies, business domain questions.

Ant never figured as that important. Probably relevant for a build engineer role though. Same with SVN - I say I've used SVN but I'm not a SVN administrator (have done it in the past and forgotten quickly).

[BarbarianAtTheDoor]

A caveman would have regarded a box of matches as magic, I suppose.

[minestrone]

That's shocking. I even patched issues doing that with Weblogic, which has the best support I've ever seen. I have to do that once every year (2 years, maybe) on average.

Nobody with half a brain would ever run with a mod version of a paid for app server. Talking out a hole in yer arse.

[BarbarianAtTheDoor]

Where did I claim that we were running our production servers with the patch?

These exercises usually have 2 reasons. One is to allow development to continue while we wait for support to pick up the ball and the other is to tell support what our solution was to give them a strong hint on what our understanding of the problem is.

In fact, I had to do just this very recently, due to a serious bug in Sybase's JConnect JDBC-driver.

I understand no-one can be smarter than you guys, but you also have to understand that there are people who never heard about this rule.

[minestrone]

One time the processor failed on our load balancer, I managed to construct a new one from a lego starter pack, a couple of sponge stress toys and a pack for fruit pastels. My team hoisted me upon their shoulders and carried me round the building while the entire staff chanted my name and threw flowers upon me.

[BarbarianAtTheDoor]

Whatever. I'm not exactly sure what's so hard about this that it equals superhuman achievement in your heads, but it doesn't really matter.

Do you also think that it's humanly impossible to do other types of assembly or is it just the Java VM which should not be toyed with, lest it will unleash the fury of the gods?

Here, so that you no longer feel inadequate:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jvms/...ecTOC.doc.html

http://asm.ow2.org/

[minestrone]

Whatever. I'm not exactly sure what's so hard about this that it equals superhuman achievement in your heads, but it doesn't really matter.

Do you also think that it's humanly impossible to do other types of assembly or is it just the Java VM which should not be toyed with, lest it will unleash the fury of the gods?

Here, so that you no longer feel inadequate:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jvms/...ecTOC.doc.html

http://asm.ow2.org/

I'm saying you are living in fantasy land if you think you are tracking down and fixing BEA and Sybase faults.

[BarbarianAtTheDoor]

"It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness"

You have your head so far up your lower backside that you can't imagine anyone doing what you can't, even though said person even explained how he has done so, so you would rather call the other a liar. Nice.

Besides, what I'm doing is nothing special, I've learnt it from someone too. Ever seen a java stacktrace?

[minestrone]

Ever seen a java stacktrace?

Undoubtedly many less than yourself.

[d000hg]

I never heard of anyone having to disassemble Java byte-code when I worked in a Java environment, with some very smart guys, let alone having to do it myself.
Even in my C++ days, I never had to do this and I don't remember anyone else needing to, although a few people had expertise in that area.

If you're having to do this kind of stuff on a regular basis, I think you may be the one with the problem. It sounds more like a C developer determined to use the same techniques in newer languages.