If I don’t know any of the frameworks involved, what methods should I use to understand large J2EE applications?

I started working in my company five or six years ago as a junior java developer. I started some J2EE programming using servlets and JSP I didn't spend much time in that location. I went to work in the database, so I was far away from the software development world Now I have to go back to Java programming. I got a web application to develop and maintain

When I opened the project, I didn't understand anything The application is built using many advanced frameworks, such as spring, hibernate, wicket, axis for web services and Maven People who work in applications are good programmers, so I'm sure they have applied patterns and concepts correctly, but now it's just too much I've never seen before

What can I do to effectively understand the current framework and technology? I have a good understanding of the basics of Java 1.4, and I have a good understanding of design patterns and object-oriented design, but I know nothing about the frameworks mentioned earlier I really appreciate the suggestions of those who have a better understanding, rather than blindly reading the first book I found on these different topics

Thank you very much for your help

Solution

I assume that "skilled programmers" are still there, so your best choice is to use them Although not every developer can explain things well, they should be able to give you an overview of the application so that you can understand what each framework provides and how they work together

The first thing to do is what, not how Get guidance and want to design documents so that you understand each part of the entire solution

Once you understand the contribution of each part / framework / tool, you can more easily understand how they do it Again, it will be very helpful to help you get started one-on-one with developers Over time, as you become more familiar with the code, you will begin to understand how these frameworks work and their functions

Courses and documentation will certainly help, but nothing can replace a warm body (a competent body) to help you understand something, especially if they create something

Once you understand how these frameworks are used in your own applications, you will find it easier to start getting other features you can use in the future

Note: in addition, for courses, you may need to check to ensure that they address the details of the framework you are using Spring is quite extensive. If your company specializes in web development using other frameworks, learning spring MVC may not be useful to you (in your current position), and spring di (core) and data access may be what you really need