Suppose you have just completed your learning at CodeGym and started looking for your first job. You would most likely encounter job openings requiring candidates to be familiar with frameworks and tools you have never tried. We have launched a series of valuable articles to help you better understand which additional Java tools you may need in your future projects and at what stage in your career. In this article, we are shedding light on Hibernate and its usage in the development cycle. Tech Starter Pack for Junior: Hibernate — a Powerful Framework for Working with Databases - 1

Hibernate: What is it?

No program can do without a connection to a database. Oracle, MS SQL Server, MySQL, and Postgres — are the primary databases in Java. Earlier, developers used the JDBC standard for smooth connection to these databases. The JDBC standard allowed them to work with different databases using the same methods and following common rules. All they needed to do was install a driver for a specific database using the JDBC standard. This method worked well up to a certain point. As applications became more complex and extensive, the size of the code increased as well (including the code for database queries). This led to the emergence of a so-called spaghetti code and lots of routine tasks. Hibernate is an open-source framework designed to make life easier for programmers by helping them work with databases in an object-oriented manner. It simplifies and streamlines interaction with relational databases in Java applications. Using it, developers can avoid spaghetti code and reduce the number of errors. Simply put, Hibernate takes away the pain of JDBC and acts as an adapter for the smooth connection of the application to the database.

How demandable is Hibernate?

Although many other tools exist for working with databases in Java, Hibernate is currently one of the most popular ones. 87 out of 300 job offerings for Java developers on websites such as AngelList, StackOverflow, and LinkedIn list Hibernate, among other must-have skills. With that, the median annual salary for developers who have expertise in Hibernate is £70,000 (approximately $86,700), according to ITJobsWatch. Speaking about other sought-after skills, companies often require knowledge of Spring, Agile Software Development, TDD, and AngularJS.

What types of projects require knowledge of Hibernate?

Hibernate is the most popular persistence framework in Java, so it's needed in nearly any project that involves working with databases. Hibernate is widely used in enterprise-level and web applications to map Java objects to database tables and vice versa, allowing developers to work with database data using object-oriented programming techniques.

When and how to learn Hibernate?

The ideal moment to dive into Hibernate is immediately after mastering Java and SQL. While it's not always a strict requirement for junior positions, having some knowledge of Hibernate can make you a more attractive candidate and increase your chances of landing a job faster. It's essential to be prepared for interviews with a basic understanding of Hibernate, as questions may arise during almost any hiring process.