Top 8 Java Open Source Projects You Should Get Your Hands-on [2021]

Learning about Java is no easy feat. It’s a prevalent and in-demand programming language with applications in numerous sectors. We all know that if you want to learn a new skill, the best way to do so is through using it. That’s why we recommend working on projects. 

So if you’re a Java student, then you’ve come to the right place as this article will help you learn about the most popular Java open source projects. This way, you’d have a firm grasp of industry trends and the programming language’s applications. 

However, before we discuss its various projects, it’s crucial to examine the place where you can get those projects – GitHub. Let’s begin. 

Java Open Source Projects: Github

If you want to get Java open source project ideas, then the best place for you to start with is Github. This open-source code repository is responsible for transforming how developers operate and collaborate. It is also the best place to learn about Java open source projects, as you’ll see in our article’s next section. 

GitHub is a source-code hosting and social coding platform. It uses Git for its version control system, and since its launch in 2008, it has become one of the most used developer tools all across the globe. GitHub allows you to build and follow feeds related to others’ projects as it’s a social platform.

You can say that GitHub is Facebook for developers. Its free repository hosts tons of open source projects. Apart from following tasks, you can follow individuals on GitHub as; thus, it makes it easier to keep up with your colleagues’ and friends’ works. Through the Git version control system, GitHub allows developers to work seamlessly on their projects without hassles. The distributed version control system will enable you to work locally and merge the changes in a single commit. 

It’s crucial to be familiar with how GitHub operates before you start working on Java open source project ideas. That’s because GitHub is the best place to find open source projects, and you’ll need to use this platform if you want to work on such projects as well. 

Popular Java Open Source Projects on Github:

Learning about the most popular projects can help you catch on to the industry trends and prepare yourself accordingly. Here are some of the trending Java open source projects:

1. Java Design Patterns

Design patterns are among the most useful practices for a programmer. They help you speed up the programming process by solving general problems much quicker. Design patterns provide you with tested development paradigms, so the development process becomes quick and straightforward.

You can reuse design patterns to avoid small errors and issues, leading to significant problems in your project. Another advantage of design patterns is they enhance your code’s readability for others. 

As the name suggests, Java design patterns is a collection of design patterns for Java. A product of seasoned architects and programmers, the patterns help you simplify development with Java. The project requires you to be familiar with the numerous Software Design Principles.

All the patterns in this project have useful descriptions to understand where you should use a particular pattern and where you shouldn’t. We recommend learning more about this project as it’s a must-have for every Java programmer. It has over 62 thousand stars on GitHub, so you can understand how popular it is. 

Learn More About Java Design Patterns.

2. Arduino

If you’re interested in the Internet of Things (IoT), then you must get acquainted with Arduino. It is an open-source electronics platform based on simple software and hardware. An Arduino board can read various inputs such as a finger pressing a button, a tweet, or a light on a sensor and convert it into an output, such as turning on a torch, activating a system, or publishing something. 

As a microcontroller platform, it’s very accessible and easy to use. It has cross-platform compatibility as it can run on Mac OSX, Windows, and Linux. Even though it is quite simple to use, its versatility and flexibility make it suitable for experienced programmers.

If you want to use Java in IoT, then learning about Arduino would surely be a significant step. Its GitHub repository has more than ten thousand stars, so you can understand how popular it is. 

Learn More About Arduino Here.

Read: Interesting Java Projects & Topics

3. Blynk

Blynk is a prominent Internet of Things solution that allows to build web and mobile applications for the Internet of Things. You can use this platform to connect more than 400 hardware models such as ESP8266, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi with drag and drop IoT mobile apps within a few minutes.

Blynk lets you connect your devices to design apps, the cloud, and analyze telemetry data. It is undoubtedly among the most prominent Java open source projects. If you’re interested in learning about IoT, then you should definitely start with Blynk. It is fast and provides you with proper connection management. Apart from those advantages, it allows you to connect with public and private servers. Its primary server is based on Java, so you can learn a lot from it. 

Learn More About Blynk Here. 

4. Mindustry

If you’re interested in gaming and video game development, then this project is perfect for you. Mindustry is a resource management strategy game written in Java. You can check its code and see how the game works. It has more than six thousand stars on Github, so you can understand how popular it has become. If you want to learn about video game programming, getting familiar with this project will surely help. 

Learn More About Mindustry Here. 

5. Sndcpy

Sndcpy is a neat solution for android audio forwarding. You can say that it’s scrcpy but for Android. Scrcpy is an open-source application for screen mirroring that lets you control an Android device from a macOS, Windows, or Linux desktop computer. Sndcpy enables you to forward audio from an Android ten device to your computer without needing any root access. 

It is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. As it is written in Java, you can learn a lot about it through its source code. Sndcpy is one of the best Java open source project ideas as you can try to replicate this solution and learn a lot about Java mobile development. 

Learn More About sndcpy here.

Also Read: Java Projects on Github

6. Termux Application

Termux is a terminal emulator for Android. A big reason behind its immense popularity is its extensive collection of Linux packages. It lets you edit files with vim and nano, connect to servers over ssh, use the Python console as a calculator, or use frotz to run text-based games.

Learning about this project can teach you a lot about terminal emulation and Java mobile development. You can understand how popular it is when you consider that it has more than 6.7 thousand stars on its GitHub page. 

Learn More About Termux Application.

7. Tsunami Security Scanner

Tsunami is a network security scanner. Its primary advantage is its extensive plugin system that allows you to detect severe vulnerabilities easily. Tsunami’s plugins are its biggest strength, and it relies on them to perform all kinds of scanning tasks. Even though it is in pre-alpha release, it has garnered more than six thousand stars on its Github page. So you can understand how prominent this project is. 

Learn More About Tsunami.

8. Signal Android 

Signal is a privacy-focused messaging app for Android devices. It is among the most prominent Java projects on GitHub with more than 14 thousand stars. It uses a phone’s data connection to communicate. Moreover, Signal can encrypt the messages stored on the user’s phone too.

You can check out its GitHub page and take inspiration from this project to create your own private messaging app. That would surely be among the best Java open source project ideas as building a private messaging app can teach you a lot about cryptography. 

Learn More About Signal.

Start Working on Java Open Source Project Ideas

Learning about any programming language can be daunting. Moreover, when you want to get familiar with that language’s various applications, the task becomes more challenging. That’s why we believe our article on Java open source project ideas would have helped you. You now know where to start. 

We hope you found this article on Java open source projects useful. If you have any suggestions or questions regarding this topic, please let us know through the comments below. We’d love to hear from you. 

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