Better AI output often comes from a stricter workflow, not smarter prompting. Context quality, instruction files, validation loops, and security hygiene matter more than people think. bazlur.substack.com/p/ai-output-...

I'll be speaking at Microsoft JDConf 2026 on Wednesday, April 8, at 2:00 PM EDT Talk: Building LLM Apps in Java with LangChain4j This talk is for Java developers who want to integrate LLMs into real backend systems, not toys. Free and virtual. Register: jdconf.com

AI does not remove ambiguity. It amplifies it. If the spec is weak, the implementation will often be fluent and wrong in ways that are harder to catch later. Better contracts matter more now, not less. bazlur.substack.com/p/before-you...

AI has made coding cheaper. It has not made judgment cheaper. That’s the main idea behind the first article in my new series for Java developers: read it: open.substack.com/pub/bazlur/p...

Excited to share that I’ve contributed two chapters to Sustainability for Java Developers, a collaborative effort by Java Champions and community experts. If you care about building better Java systems with a lighter environmental footprint, this one’s for you 🌱☕

Modern Java deserves modern concurrency. If you haven’t grabbed your copy of Modern Concurrency in Java yet, now’s a good time. bit.ly/3KEhqCl

Excited to be joining the QCon Certification Program to deepen my skills and stay current with industry practices. Looking forward to learning from experts and applying it in real projects. certification.qconferences.com #ContinuousLearning #SoftwareArchitecture #QCon

The JUnit team has released JUnit 6.0.0 (GA on September 30, 2025), unifying version numbers across Platform, Jupiter, and Vintage and raising the minimum to Java 17 (and Kotlin 2.2 for Kotlin test code). Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AlIPI #Testing #Java #Kotlin

Kotlin users can simplify coroutine testing with direct suspend methods, and JFR integration becomes easier to adopt for performance investigations. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/Ak1yZ #Testing #Java #Kotlin

For most teams already on Java 17 and JUnit 5.14, adoption should be a routine dependency bump followed by a quick dry run, modernizing any build plugins (e.g., Surefire/Failsafe ≥ 3.0), and validating CSV-driven tests. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AkqJz #Testing #Java #Kotlin

JUnit 6.0.0 Ships with Java 17 Baseline, Cancellation API, and Kotlin suspend Support: https://lttr.ai/AkkEC #Testing #Java #Kotlin

Introducing JUnit 6.0.0: a transformative update that unifies versions, elevates minimum requirements to Java 17, and introduces streamlined support for Kotlin suspend tests. Enjoy enhanced testing performance with the new CancellationToken API, built-in JFR listeners and many more—migrate today!

Fresh off the press. Alhamdulillah! My book, 'Modern Concurrency in Java,' is finally available. learning.oreilly.com/library/view... Amazon: www.amazon.ca/Modern-Concu...

I'm happy to share that the Early Release of Modern Concurrency in Java, with all chapters, is now available on the O'Reilly platform. If you have access to the O'Reilly platform, you can take a look now. learning.oreilly.com/library/view...

Over the weekend, I built Smart Mock—an AI-powered API mock server that generates realistic, context-aware responses from your OpenAPI specs. 🛠 Built with Spring Boot, Ollama, and LangChain4j 💻 Runs locally—ready in minutes Check it out here: bazlur.substack.com/p/building-s...

Let's revisit the very familiar ConcurrentModificationException and why it happens. But more importantly, why does Java NEED to throw it? www.linkedin.com/pulse/fail-f...

I've launched The Coding Café on Substack: lnkd.in/gtkcVUR2 The subscription is growing rapidly! ☕ What to expect: - Deep dives into Java features - LLMs and AI with Java experiments (LangChain4j and beyond!) - Trendy stuff that matters Join me to get LLMs and Java in your mailbox weekly!

Built an AI Chrome extension that fills forms intelligently! 🚀 FormPilot uses: - Local LLMs (privacy-first) - RAG for personalization - Java Spring Boot backend - Zero API costs. Code + guide: open.substack.com/pub/bazlur/p...

🛩️ I built an AI that knows what planes are flying overhead — in real time.q No cloud. No APIs. No fees. Runs fully local. Built with: ⚙️ Spring Boot + LangChain4j 🧠 Ollama (local AI) 📡 Real-time flight data What would you build with local AI? bazlur.substack.com/p/building-a...

Read the rest of the interview: www.infoq.com/news/2025/06...

www.infoq.com/news/2025/06... 🚀 Spring founder Rod Johnson just launched Embabel, and Java developers can finally build AI agents without Python! This isn't just another wrapper. And he's actually pulling it off. Give it a read.

Introducing the Embabel Agent Framework, a pioneering platform developed by Spring founder Rod Johnson, designed to revolutionize AI applications on the JVM. Read more: www.infoq.com/news/2025/06...

Guardrails are finally available in LangChain4j! I explored them this morning—super easy to use and a big step toward safer AI apps in Java. Check out my write-up: bazlur.ca/2025/06/21/b...

Introducing the Embabel Agent Framework, a pioneering platform developed by Spring founder Rod Johnson, designed to revolutionize AI applications on the JVM. Read more: www.infoq.com/news/2025/06...

🚀 My latest news piece is live on InfoQ: www.infoq.com/news/2025/06... I had the pleasure of speaking with Rod Johnson, the creator of Spring and Embabel, to gain insights into this framework for building AI-powered Java applications. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Java turns 30 today! 🎉 From "Write Once, Run Anywhere" to powering cloud-native, AI-driven, and distributed systems, Java has grown into a modern, expressive, and resilient language—far beyond the stereotypes. Happy birthday 🎂 to Java

www.infoq.com/news/2025/05... JEP 512 enhances Java with Compact Source Files and Instance Main Methods in JDK 25, easing the learning curve for beginners. Key features include simplified syntax, automatic imports, and a new IO helper class, to create programs with minimal complexity.

Instance Main Methods Move from Preview to Final in JDK 25 www.infoq.com/news/2025/05...

I will speak at JUG Toronto tomorrow on the topic "Building Applications with LLMs and Java"! I'll be sharing tons of demos with LIVE Coding. 📍 Free Times Cafe, 320 College St, Toronto, ON 📅 www.meetup.com/toronto-java... I would love to see some familiar faces and meet fellow Java enthusiasts.

Another weekend experimenting with RAG! Check it out here: bazlur.ca/2025/04/18/c... #Java #LangChain4j #AI #LLM #RAG #KnowledgeBase

Over the weekend, I ran an experiment combining Ollama, LangChain4j, Spring Boot, and RAG to build something interesting. 🔗 bazlur.ca/2025/04/06/b... I’d love for you to read it and share your thoughts!

Join us at JDConf 2025 for our session. We’ll be covering Java, Jakarta EE & LLMs. RSVP Now: jdconf.com #Java #JDConf #AI #Cloud @shaaf.dev

I recently attended Devnexus 2025, where I co-presented a session on building LLM apps in Java with Jakarta, alongside @shaaf.dev . Here's my trip report: bazlur.ca/2025/03/08/a...

🚀 Just shared my experience with JetBrains Junie EAP! Checkout:

The Microsoft JDConf agenda is live! I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be speaking in the APAC time zone. It’s online, so you can join from anywhere! Don’t miss out—RSVP now at jdconf.com#apac and secure your spot. See you there! ^^ @shaaf.dev

Seriously Chrome! Are you trying to render the entire internet at once, or is 47.74GB just your casual morning appetite?

✅ Cover design done! Alhamdulillah! A hive of fresh Java concurrency insights—buzzing your way soon!

Excited to be speaking at @devnexus.bsky.social 2025 in Atlanta this March! 🚀 Get 40% off your ticket with code SPEAK40: devnexus.com Join me & @shaaf.dev for a hands-on deep dive into building LLM apps in Java with Jakarta EE.

It’s been 30 years, and #Java has proven its enduring impact! What do you think is the reason for this? - What key factors have contributed to Java's longevity? - What makes Java continue to be a preferred choice for developers today? Let's discuss it!

Also among all the amazing AI talks at @devnexus.bsky.social; join @bazlur.ca and me for a hands-on live coding demo. devnexus.com/presentation...

☕ Meet our snarky Jakarta EE chatbot! Built with LangChain4J, it’s dishing out Java wisdom with a side of sarcasm. 😂 We’re testing prompts for the JChampion Conference—who says enterprise frameworks can’t be fun? Register now: www.eventbrite.com/e/jchampions... @shaaf.dev

This LLM is a Java Champion!! or the "real" champion 🤔😂 Some fun with #LLMs and @jakartaee.bsky.social. Join @bazlur.ca and me at the @jchampionsconf.bsky.social and learn more. Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/jchampions... www.youtube.com/shorts/TshRW...

The InfoQ Java Trends Report 2024 provides an in-depth analysis of the latest developments in the Java ecosystem, including the adoption of Java 21, advancements in virtual threads, and the evolution of frameworks like Spring Boot and Jakarta EE. Give a read: www.infoq.com/articles/jav...

Attend the 2025 JChampions Conference online on January 23, 24, 27, 28. All sessions are led by a Java Champion. Speakers & Session at jchampionsconf.com. Free tickets: tinyurl.com/2pyth6cv. Watch previous sessions: tinyurl.com/57d9yn8v

Excited to speak at #JChampionsConf 2025! with @shaaf.dev 🚀 🗓 Jan 28, 2025 | 🕐 13:00 EST / 19:00 CET 💡 "Java + LLMs: A hands-on guide to building LLM Apps with Jakarta" 👉 Join me for a hands-on session blending #Java, #AI, and #JakartaEE! 🌐 jchampionsconf.com #JavaChampion #LLMs #AI

🚀 Excited to present Java + LLMs: A Hands-On Guide to Building AI-Powered Apps with JakartaEE! with @shaaf.dev 🌟 Discover how to integrate LLMs into your Java projects using JakartaEE & LangChain4j. Live coding, RAG models, AI-powered features—don’t miss it! 💻✨ jchampionsconf.com/speakers.htm...

Join us for "Understanding Large Language Models for Java Developers," where @shaaf.dev will explore Gen-AI use cases and their practical applications. The session includes a hands-on demo on using Gen-AI, prompts, RAG applications, and Langchain4J. www.linkedin.com/events/72654... #java #LLM

I'm excited to share that my book *Modern Concurrency in Java* is halfway done. If you have an O'Reilly subscription, you can already access the early-release version of the book. Check it out on O'Reilly, and let me know your thoughts! learning.oreilly.com/library/view...

I wrote an article on why #Java still makes sense a while ago. Now, I’m planning to write a follow-up. Who’s interested in contributing? I’d love to hear your thoughts: Why do you think Java remains #popular, continues to make sense, and will stay #relevant for years? foojay.io/today/7-reas...

JEP 491, "Synchronize Virtual Threads without Pinning," is now Proposed to Target for JDK 24. This initiative aims to resolve Java's "pinning" issue, a limitation of the synchronized keyword, which restricts scalability with virtual threads. www.infoq.com/news/2024/11...