Kenneth Kousen

President, Kousen IT, Inc.

Ken Kousen is a Java Champion, several time JavaOne Rock Star, and a Grails Rock Star. He is the author of the Pragmatic Library books “Mockito Made Clear” and “Help Your Boss Help You,” the O'Reilly books “Kotlin Cookbook”, “Modern Java Recipes”, and “Gradle Recipes for Android”, and the Manning book “Making Java Groovy”. He also has recorded over a dozen video courses for the O'Reilly Learning Platform, covering topics related to Android, Spring, Java, Groovy, Grails, and Gradle.

His academic background include BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from M.I.T., an MA and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Princeton, and an MS in Computer Science from R.P.I. He is currently President of Kousen IT, Inc., based in Connecticut.

Presentations

Java Upgrade

9:00 AM MDT

Learn to use the new features of Java 8, 9, and beyond, including lambda expressions, method references, and the streaming API.

Exercises will include using lambdas and streams, refactoring existing code, working with map/filter/reduce, and sampling the new java.time package.

Knowledge of earlier versions of Java is assumed. The exercises will be independent of IDE, but IntelliJ IDEA is recommended.

Functional Java, Part 1

8:30 AM MDT

Understand Java from a functional programming point of view. This part covers the basics of lambdas and streams, emphasizing functional programming by transforming collections using the stream approach.

Also includes method references and static and default methods in interfaces.

Functional Java, Part 2

10:30 AM MDT

Functional features in Java, including parallel streams, the java.util.function package, the Optional data type, and reduction operations.

The talk also covers the new date and time package based on Joda time, as well as collectors and implementing the Collector interface.

Refactoring to Java 8

1:00 PM MDT

Java SE 8 introduces many new features that can simplify your code. Using streams, lambdas, and the new Optional type all change the way we write Java. In this presentation, we'll work through a series of examples that show how to rewrite existing code from Java 7 or earlier using the new Java 8 approach.

Examples will include replacing anonymous inner classes with lambdas, switching from iterating over collections into transforming streams, using immutables wherever possible, lazy evaluation, and more.

Spock Workshop

2:45 PM MDT

Learn how to use the Spock testing framework in both Java and Groovy applications. This half-day workshop will demonstrate testing with both Spock and JUnit together for Java projects, Groovy projects, and projects that combine both technologies.

Topics will include writing specifications, using Spock mocks, and adding Spock enhancements.

Spock Workshop

4:30 PM MDT

Topics will include writing specifications, using Spock mocks, and adding Spock enhancements.

Beyond Managing Your Manager

8:30 PM MDT

This is a revised and updated version of the previous talk, with current thinking from practice and the literature. The talk presents why conflicts with your manager are inevitable based on differences in priorities and perspectives, and how to plan for them. The goal is to show you how to build the loyalty relationship that allows you to get what you need when you need it.

Topics covered will include diagnosing communication styles, lessons from game theory, working within the organizational hierarchy, and lessons on how to build a relationship with your manager that still allows you the freedom to express yourself and what you really want.

Groovy for Java Developers

1:30 PM MDT

Learn Groovy from a Java developer's perspective. Use Groovy features like native collections, operator overloading, and the Groovy JDK. Additional topics will include closures, builders, AST transformations, and basic metaprogramming.

Tests using both JUnit and Spock will be provided, as well as a Gradle build file. All code will be made available through a git repository.

Groovy for Java Developers

3:15 PM MDT

Tests using both JUnit and Spock will be provided, as well as a Gradle build file. All code will be made available through a git repository.

Grails: The Next Generation

5:00 PM MDT

Grails is no longer the web framework you remember. Based on Spring Boot and complete with profiles and JSON views, Grails is now an excellent way to build micro-services, access NoSQL databases, provide a powerful REST API, and more.

Grails can do everything Spring Boot can do and more. It combines sophisticated Groovy DSLs with asynchronous capabilities, a newly redesigned data services layer, and more.

Books

Modern Java Recipes: Simple Solutions to Difficult Problems in Java 8 and 9

by Ken Kousen

The introduction of functional programming concepts in Java SE 8 was a drastic change for this venerable object-oriented language. Lambda expressions, method references, and streams fundamentally changed the idioms of the language, and many developers have been trying to catch up ever since. This cookbook will help. With more than 70 detailed recipes, author Ken Kousen shows you how to use the newest features of Java to solve a wide range of problems.

For developers comfortable with previous Java versions, this guide covers nearly all of Java SE 8, and includes a chapter focused on changes coming in Java 9. Need to understand how functional idioms will change the way you write code? This cookbook—chock full of use cases—is for you.

Recipes cover:

The basics of lambda expressions and method references
Interfaces in the java.util.function package
Stream operations for transforming and filtering data
Comparators and Collectors for sorting and converting streaming data
Combining lambdas, method references, and streams
Creating instances and extract values from Java’s Optional type
New I/O capabilities that support functional streams
The Date-Time API that replaces the legacy Date and Calendar classes
Mechanisms for experimenting with concurrency and parallelism

Gradle Recipes for Android

by Ken Kousen

Using the Android Studio IDE and the Gradle build tool will make Android app development much simpler—as long as you know your way around Gradle. This practical guide shows you how Gradle works with Android so that you can use it effectively on your projects. You’ll learn ways to customize project layouts, add dependencies, and even generate multiple different versions of your application.

Use Gradle independently and from with the new preferred IDE, Android Studio
Integrate tests into standard Android project builds
Easily customize builds to add popular third-party libraries as dependencies
Generate artifacts with various properties, like debug or release, and different flavors, like paid or free

Making Java Groovy

by Ken Kousen

Summary

Making Java Groovy is a practical handbook for developers who want to blend Groovy into their day-to-day work with Java. It starts by introducing the key differences between Java and Groovy—and how you can use them to your advantage. Then, it guides you step-by-step through realistic development challenges, from web applications to web services to desktop applications, and shows how Groovy makes them easier to put into production.

About this Book

You don't need the full force of Java when you're writing a build script, a simple system utility, or a lightweight web app—but that's where Groovy shines brightest. This elegant JVM-based dynamic language extends and simplifies Java so you can concentrate on the task at hand instead of managing minute details and unnecessary complexity.

Making Java Groov is a practical guide for developers who want to benefit from Groovy in their work with Java. It starts by introducing the key differences between Java and Groovy and how to use them to your advantage. Then, you'll focus on the situations you face every day, like consuming and creating RESTful web services, working with databases, and using the Spring framework. You'll also explore the great Groovy tools for build processes, testing, and deployment and learn how to write Groovy-based domain-specific languages that simplify Java development.

Written for developers familiar with Java. No Groovy experience required.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

What's Inside

Easier Java
Closures, builders, and metaprogramming
Gradle for builds, Spock for testing
Groovy frameworks like Grails and Griffon

About the Author

Ken Kousen is an independent consultant and trainer specializing in Spring, Hibernate, Groovy, and Grails.

Table of Contents

PART 1: UP TO SPEED WITH GROOVY

Why add Groovy to Java?
Groovy by example
Code-level integration
Using Groovy features in Java

PART 2: GROOVY TOOLS

Build processes
Testing Groovy and Java projects

PART 3: GROOVY IN THE REAL WORLD

The Spring framework
Database access
RESTful web services
Building and testing web applications

Groovy Fundamentals [Online Code]

by

Number of Videos: 4 hours - 23 lessons
Author: Ken Kousen
User Level: Beginner
Learn the advantages of using Groovy by itself and with existing Java projects. This video workshop takes you into the heart of this JVM language and shows you how Groovy can help increase your productivity through dynamic language features similar to those of Python, Ruby, and Smalltalk. Presenter and Java consultant Ken Kousen demonstrates how writing anything from a simple build script to a full scale application is much easier with Groovy than with Java. You’ll quickly learn how to add Groovy to your projects, and then explore the language through a host of examples and demonstrations. Once you complete this course, check out Ken’s other videos on the subject: Practical Groovy and Mastering Groovy. - Walk through Groovy’s basic data types. Use the “slashy” string syntax to define regular expressions. - Learn how operator overloading in the libraries simplifies your code - Control and customize all the natural defaults and autogenerated code in POGOs - Get demonstrations on using closures, and mixing Java and Groovy classes together - Know when and how to use Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) transformations - Parse and generate both XML and JSON - Access RESTful web services with ease Ken Kousen, President of Kousen IT, Inc., is a technical trainer, mentor, and consultant in all areas related to Java, specializing in Android, Spring, Hibernate/JPA, Groovy, and Grails. He is the author of Making Java Groovy (Manning) and the upcoming O’Reilly book, Gradle for Android.

System Requirements:

Supported OS: [Mac Mountain Lion 10.8, Mac Lion 10.7, Mac Snow Leopard 10.6, Mac Leopard 10.5, Mac OS X, Macintosh]
Processor: Any
RAM: Any
Hard Disk: 3GB
Video Card: Any