Custom On-site Courses

The most effective form of training is face to face, live, in a classroom. Dancing Cloud Services is always ready to create and deliver courses customized to your particular needs. We also have a range of courses pre-built to common needs in topics related to Java, Scala, software design, and architecture. We've delivered these classes in many countries around the world.

While live classroom training is always the most effective option from a purely pedagogical perspective, it's common in today's fast paced, high pressure, workplace that a virtual training solution might be the better balance when other business pressures are factored in. We have the tools and experience to deliver effective training in this format too.

Contact us to discuss your specific needs

Public Web-based Courses

Live, online training through SafariBooksOnline

Simon currently offers several live, web-based, courses through his publisher Pearson Education via O'Reilly's 'Safari Books Online' service. These classes are run approximately every two months. Current titles include:

Current Publications

Oracle Technology Network's Java Magazine

Simon is a contributing editor to Oracle's Java Magazine, and since 2016 has authored a regular column that presents simulated certification exam questions, along with discussions of the answers and the thought processes that lead to the answers. As with all Simon's work, this column is focused on creating a deeper understanding, not merely rote learning. This column is co-authored with Mikalai Zaikin, who was a colleague of Simon's when they were both instructors for Sun Microsystems. The Java Magazine is an e-magazine published at two-month intervals by Oracle, available by free subscription.

Functional Programming for Java LiveLessons

This course dives deeply into the functional programming syntax extensions that were added to Java 8. More importantly it also teaches you how to think in a functional style, and solve real problems using this approach. The course takes traditional object oriented programmers on a journey where each step is small and easy, yet the journey covers a great distance. On the way, in addition to the lambda syntax and it's related extensions, you'll learn about higher order functions, closures, monads, Java's Streams API, and using functions to create new functions out of existing ones. This in turn provides the means for handling exceptions in code where exceptions would be fatal, such as a Stream pipeline.

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Modern Java Collections

This course dives into the details of the Java Collections API, and the design patterns that they embody, along with the basics of Generics as they are applied to collections. You'll learn about Lists, Sets, Maps, Iterators, and their variants.

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OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I (1Z0-808)
Complete Video Course

This video course was created primarily to address the needs of Java programmers wishing to obtain the first-level Oracle Java programmer certification. However, the presentations are accessible to any programmers wishing to clarify details tested by the exam of how Java works. The title is split into short chunks addressing very focused topics, facilitating its use for working reference.

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Java Programming Basics

This video course was created to introduce Java to programmers familiar with other, possibly non-object-oriented, languages. The title introduces the concepts and techniques of Java, as well as the basics of object orientation. You'll learn the fundamental syntax and how to work with objects, variables, loops, and libraries. You will then practice your skills by creating a network chat program from the ground up.

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Past Publications

The Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide

July 1999, by Simon Roberts and Philip Heller

Sun Certified Enterprise Architecture
for J2EE Technology Study Guide

March 2002, by Mark Cade and Simon Roberts

Java 1.1 Developer's Handbook

March 1997, by Philip Heller, Simon Roberts et al.

Oracle Certified Associate,
Java SE 7 Programmer Exam (1Z0-803)

This video course was created primarily to address the needs of Java programmers wishing to obtain the first-level Oracle Java programmer certification. However, the presentations are accessible to any programmers wishing to clarify details tested by the exam of how Java works. The title is split into short chunks addressing very focused topics, facilitating its use for working reference.

See this title