Training course · Vibe Coding · Java & Spring

Vibe Coding for Java and Spring Developers

Build software in natural language: from prompt to app, rapid iteration, quality and security checks, and turning prototypes into production.

Duration
2 days (14 hrs)
Format
Online or on-site
Language
German or English
Participants
open dates or exclusive for your team
Certificate
Certificate of attendance

Overview

This course connects Vibe Coding with the everyday processes of Java & Spring. Participants work on realistic scenarios and leave with prompts, workflows and checklists they can use straight away.

Vibe coding is a new style of software development: you describe in natural language what an application should do, and AI tools generate the code for it. Instead of writing every line yourself, you steer through descriptions, examples and feedback, test the result and refine it in short loops. This dramatically speeds up prototypes, internal tools and experiments. This vendor-neutral course shows you how to use vibe coding productively with tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot or browser-based app builders.

Knowing the limits matters just as much as speed. Uncontrolled generated code can be unmaintainable, insecure or simply wrong. You will therefore learn to state requirements precisely, safeguard results with tests and reviews, spot typical security flaws and steer the architecture deliberately. Finally, you will map out a clear path from quick prototype to production-ready application, covering version control, deployment, documentation and a clean handover to the team that will run and maintain the solution over the long term.

Java and Spring carry business-critical systems in many organisations: banking back ends, ERP integrations, public-sector applications and large microservice estates. These systems have often grown over many years, and modernisation never stops. AI coding assistants and agents change the heaviest routine work in particular: major Spring Boot upgrades including the javax-to-jakarta switch, JUnit and Mockito tests for poorly covered code, refactorings towards records and modern language features, and analysis of stack traces and Hibernate issues. Clear guardrails are essential: build tool, module structure, architecture rules and test strategy all need to be in context. This course shows you how to use agents productively and in a controlled way in Maven or Gradle projects.

The course is delivered live – either online in a virtual classroom or on-site in our training rooms in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern. We can also run it exclusively for your team.

Who is this course for?

  • Java back-end developers using Spring Boot or Jakarta EE
  • Teams modernising legacy Java applications
  • Software architects for enterprise and microservice landscapes
  • Developers in banking, insurance and the public sector
  • Tech leads responsible for upgrades and technical debt

Typical challenges we address

  • Laborious framework and JDK upgrades with numerous breaking changes
  • Large legacy codebases with low test coverage and tight coupling
  • Hard-to-analyse performance issues in JPA, Hibernate and transactions
  • Heavy boilerplate in configuration, mapping and interface code

What you will be able to do

  • You build working applications in natural language with a suitable AI tool.
  • You phrase requirements and constraints so that generated results meet your expectations.
  • You iterate purposefully, fix errors efficiently and stay in control of the project state.
  • You safeguard generated code with tests, reviews and security checks.
  • Use AI agents for Spring Boot upgrades, refactorings and test generation in Maven and Gradle projects.
  • Diagnose Hibernate, performance and production issues faster with AI support.
  • Embed architecture rules and quality standards so that generated Java code adheres to them reliably.

Course outline

Day 1

Module 1 Vibe coding fundamentals
  • What vibe coding is and how it differs from traditional and agentic development
  • The tool landscape: AI editors, coding agents and browser-based app builders
  • Good use cases: prototypes, internal tools, experiments, learning projects
  • Roles: you as product owner, the AI as the one doing the typing
Module 2 From prompt to app
  • Describing requirements as a short spec covering users, features and boundaries
  • Choosing the tech stack and project structure deliberately rather than leaving it to the AI
  • Generating user interfaces from descriptions, sketches and reference examples
  • Adding data, APIs and persistence step by step
Module 3 Iterating and fixing problems
  • Working in small, verifiable steps and committing regularly
  • Feeding error messages, logs and screenshots back to the AI
  • Recognising stuck sessions, rolling back and restarting with fresh context
  • Creating project rules and context files to avoid repeating yourself
Module 4 Securing quality and safety
  • Having the AI generate tests and critically assessing what they actually prove
  • Reviewing generated changes for readability, duplication and needless complexity
  • Spotting typical security flaws: secrets in code, missing validation, exposed endpoints
  • Assessing dependencies, licences and data protection in generated solutions

Day 2

Module 5 From prototype to production
  • Setting criteria for evolving a prototype versus rebuilding it
  • Refactoring, cleaning up architecture and documenting with AI support
  • Setting up version control, CI and deployment for generated applications
  • Planning operations, monitoring and handover to a team or IT
Module 6 Practice lab: Java & Spring
  • Driving a Spring Boot upgrade
  • Generating JUnit and Mockito tests
  • Refactoring legacy code
  • Analysing JPA and Hibernate issues
  • REST APIs and interfaces
  • Making sense of stack traces and production errors
Module 7 Data protection, quality & transfer to daily work
  • Java systems often run in regulated sectors: agree with information security and data protection which code may be sent to external models, and take requirements such as DORA, NIS2 or national banking IT rules into account. Generated code and new Maven dependencies should be checked for licences and known vulnerabilities and recorded in an SBOM.
  • Ground rules for safe AI use in your team
  • Checking results: facts, sources, tests and the four-eyes principle
  • Personal action plan for the next 30 days
  • Open questions, outlook and resources for further learning

Practical scenarios from your field

Driving a Spring Boot upgrade

The agent analyses dependencies, applies OpenRewrite recipes, switches javax packages to jakarta, adapts deprecated configuration and security setups and iterates over build and tests until the application is green again.

Generating JUnit and Mockito tests

Services and controllers get unit tests with JUnit and Mockito plus slice tests using WebMvcTest or DataJpaTest. The AI deliberately raises coverage on critical paths and documents test assumptions.

Refactoring legacy code

Large classes are split up, DTOs turned into records, null checks replaced with Optional and streams used where they help. Existing tests safeguard behaviour at every step.

Analysing JPA and Hibernate issues

The AI reads SQL logs and stack traces, spots N+1 queries, LazyInitializationExceptions and poor fetch strategies, and proposes entity graphs, projections or index changes. Each optimisation is backed by SQL logs.

REST APIs and interfaces

OpenAPI specifications are turned into controllers, DTOs, MapStruct mappers and Bean Validation, complete with consistent error handling via ControllerAdvice and integration tests. Existing package and naming conventions are respected.

Making sense of stack traces and production errors

Long stack traces, thread dumps and log excerpts are summarised, the likely root cause is narrowed down and a reproducing test case plus fix is proposed.

Possible hands-on projects

Spring Boot microservice

A REST service with Spring Data JPA, Flyway migrations, Bean Validation, Actuator endpoints and Testcontainers tests, developed entirely by an AI agent from a specification.

Dependency report for Maven and Gradle

A command-line tool that analyses build files, lists outdated and vulnerable libraries and describes upgrade paths along with expected breaking changes.

Architecture rule checks

An ArchUnit test suite that automatically enforces your project’s layering rules, package dependencies and naming conventions and runs in the CI pipeline.

Prerequisites

Basic programming knowledge and some Git experience are helpful; you should be able to read simple code and make sense of error messages. In-depth Java knowledge and practical experience with Spring Boot or Jakarta EE, Maven or Gradle and Git.

Technical requirements

Your own laptop with an up-to-date browser, Git and an AI coding tool of your choice, such as an AI editor or coding agent with an active account.

Data protection & compliance

Java systems often run in regulated sectors: agree with information security and data protection which code may be sent to external models, and take requirements such as DORA, NIS2 or national banking IT rules into account. Generated code and new Maven dependencies should be checked for licences and known vulnerabilities and recorded in an SBOM.

Suggested dates

All dates are suggestions – your preferred date is always possible.

  • Mon, 23 November 2026 – Tue, 24 November 2026 Online Request
  • Wed, 2 December 2026 – Thu, 3 December 2026 Augsburg Request
  • Thu, 17 December 2026 – Fri, 18 December 2026 Online Request
  • Mon, 18 January 2027 – Tue, 19 January 2027 Kaiserslautern Request
  • Thu, 4 February 2027 – Fri, 5 February 2027 Online Request
  • Wed, 10 February 2027 – Thu, 11 February 2027 Bremen Request

Frequently asked questions

Is vibe coding only suitable for quick prototypes?

Vibe coding shines with prototypes, internal tools and experiments. With the right practices, namely clear specifications, tests, reviews and sound version control, results can also be turned into production-ready applications. The course teaches you to manage that transition deliberately and to recognise early on when rebuilding is the wiser option.

Which tools are used in the course?

The course is vendor-neutral. We work with the main tool categories: AI editors such as Cursor or Windsurf, coding agents such as Claude Code or Codex, and browser-based app builders. You are welcome to use your preferred tool, as the principles of specification, iteration, quality and security apply to all of them.

How should I deal with security risks in generated code?

Generated code often contains typical weaknesses such as hard-coded credentials, missing input validation or overly open interfaces. You learn to check specifically for these patterns, build security requirements into the specification from the start, use automated scanning and require a deliberate human sign-off before every deployment.

Can an AI agent carry out a major Spring Boot upgrade on its own?

An agent can take on much of the mechanical work – package switches, configuration changes and iteratively fixing compile and test failures – especially when combined with OpenRewrite. Architecture decisions, functional sign-off and testing in realistic environments remain the team’s job. On the course you practise this workflow on a sample project.

Is AI-assisted coding allowed in regulated environments?

In principle yes, but with clear rules. What matters is the choice of provider and operating model, contractual commitments on data use, approval processes and traceable reviews. We discuss how banks, insurers and public authorities typically approach this and which questions you should settle with your information security team.

How much does “Vibe Coding for Java and Spring Developers” cost?

The course costs a flat €949 plus VAT per participant – whether online or on-site. This includes 2 training day(s) with a live trainer, course materials, a lab environment and a certificate of attendance.

Can I suggest my own date?

Yes. Our suggested dates are just a guide. In the request form you can always describe your preferred date or period in free text – we check availability and confirm within one working day.

Is the course online or on-site?

Both are possible: live online in a virtual classroom or on-site in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart or Kaiserslautern. We can also run the course exclusively for your team.

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