Learn to build software with Gradle
Join 250+ developers to master the build script and unlock your project's potential
- Become a pro at building various types of Java project
- Fix your build & spend more time developing features
Are you a copy & paste build engineer?
Without the right knowledge, editing Gradle build scripts feels like guesswork:
- You have no idea how Gradle actually works
- Your build scripts get out of control as your project grows
- You feel like an amateur as you fight your build
Building Java programs is complicated.
Your Gradle build script doesn't need to be.
Don't waste years learning Gradle the hard way
5 years ago I joined a new team and right away faced frustrating build issues. The old build tool was slow and didn't do everything we needed. I knew we had to switch to Gradle.
But I didn't know Gradle. I copy & pasted to get anything to work. The mysterious build script made no sense.
Did I give up? No, but I struggled for years with official documentation written for experts.
Eventually I learned enough to setup our project right in Gradle. The software built like a well-oiled machine, we saved hours each day, and the team could look to the future.
There was a wonderful a-ha moment when the build script finally made sense.
To help you reach Gradle mastery in weeks rather than years, I put everything I learned into a course. Gradle Hero is the fast way to master the build script and scale your Java project for success.
Course overview
What you'll learn
Know how to start any new Gradle project on the right foot
Understand in-depth the fundamental Gradle concepts
Propose and implement better ways of building your project
Fix your build to make development fun again
Master Java projects in Gradle
Progress your career as a build engineer
Gradle Hero outline
5 chapters to Gradle proficiency
1) Understanding the fundamentals
All the key Gradle concepts you might have heard of, properly explained to get you to where you're easily creating simple projects from scratch.
2) Interacting with Gradle
Nailing command line and IDE interaction means you can more effectively work with Gradle projects. Be prepared for any situation, with full understanding of the Gradle wrapper, daemon, and build lifecycle.
3) Mastering Gradle build scripts
Each build script concept is dissected and explained simply, so all those mysterious code snippets now make sense. Prefer Groovy or Kotlin build scripts? Whatever your preference, we'll cover both languages here.
4) Working with Java projects in Gradle
If you work with Java projects, this is the ultimate guide to more effectively building, testing, and running them. And then some. By the end of this chapter, you'll be creating realistic Java projects following all the best-practices.
5) Organising Gradle projects effectively
Prepare your Gradle build for the growth and change expected in a successful software project. Scale up with multi-project builds, and learn to reuse build logic with tasks and plugins.
Student feedback
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 (26 reviews)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comprehensive and very well explained
The course is comprehensive and will teach you a lot about Gradle and how to use it. It is one of the best courses I have done about Gradle. The explanations are very helpful, the practices are great. If you are looking for a great Gradle course, this is one I can recommend.
Elyasin Shaladi
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No longer a Gradle newbie
I recently started a new job where my team heavily relies on a multi-project Gradle structure that include custom plugins. I was a complete beginner in Gradle, and after completing the Gradle Hero course I feel much more confident navigating the codebase.Thanks Tom!
Alon Eitan
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fantastic course!
Tom is hands down the best Gradle content creator out there. This course is straight 🔥🔥🔥. Sent me down rabbit holes I would not have thought of exploring myself otherwise. Worth every penny!
Lawrence A
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellent introduction to Gradle
Tom's content is always great. This course gives a good overview of what can be done with Gradle and how to do it. This is a great way to pick up Gradle skil...
Steve Dearth
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gradle 7 Shines Through
I've run Gradle in production environments for several years, but wanted to learn needed adjustments for the latest version. This course shows many "best in practice" techniques to speed up and organize enterprise builds. Clear, concise examples illustrate how to improve code even for an "expert" in earlier releases. Well worth the time!
Kurt Fickie
What you'll get from this course
Ways you'll save time and effort
- Initialise new projects in seconds (chapter 2)
- Make building simple for everyone without installing Gradle (chapter 2)
- Keep your project up-to-date with a single command (chapter 2)
- Commit the correct Gradle files to version control so your project is always ready to build (chapter 2)
- Save time with the the Gradle background process (chapter 2)
- Build your code without leaving the IDE (chapter 2)
- Understand the Groovy & Kotlin essentials to work effectively in Gradle (chapter 3)
- Choose the best build script language for your project (chapter 3)
- Work effectively with Gradle's basic building blocks—tasks (chapter 3)
- Avoid unnecessary work for lightning fast builds (chapter 3)
- Add rich functionality in seconds with plugins (chapter 3)
- Setup Java projects the way Gradle expects to keep your configuration simple (chapter 4)
- Setup Java compile and runtime classpaths correctly by understanding how they relate to Gradle dependencies (chapter 4)
- Store all your dependency versions in a single easy-to-update file (chapter 4)
- Streamline your development process by running the most appropriate task from the Java plugin (chapter 4)
- Configure your project to harness the full power of Java (chapter 4)
- Setup unit and integration tests to run automatically (chapter 4)
- Avoid annoying environmental issues by fixing the Java version (chapter 4)
- Build Java projects correctly whether it's an application or library (chapter 4)
- Publish artifacts to Maven so they're ready to deploy (chapter 4)
- Configure your build for local development, CI, or any other build environment (chapter 5)
- Modularise your Java project for maintainability (chapter 5)
- Encapsulate common build logic with custom tasks and plugins (chapter 5)
- Be ready to troubleshoot any build issues (bonus 1)
- Use static code analysis to stop bad code reaching your repository (bonus 2)
- Simplify deployment by building and pushing your application inside a Docker image (bonus 2)
Course layout
Introduction
How to make the most of your course
Building software with Gradle: not just another build tool
Chapter one: Understanding the Gradle fundamentals
Introduction
The Gradle project
The Gradle build script
The Gradle task
The Gradle plugin
Practical: creating a simple Gradle project
Quiz
"Zip" challenge
Chapter two: Interacting with Gradle
Introduction
gradle init: create projects in seconds
Gradle wrapper introduction
Managing the Gradle wrapper
Project layout
Command line interaction
Build lifecycle introduction
Gradle Daemon
IntelliJ IDEA Gradle integration
Practical "start from scratch"
Quiz
Chapter three: Mastering Gradle build scripts
Introduction
Groovy build scripts
Kotlin build scripts
Groovy or Kotlin. Which to choose?
Configuring your project
Defining tasks
Locating tasks
Task dependencies & ordering
Task inputs & outputs
Applying plugins
Repositories & dependencies
Quiz
Chapter four: Working with Java projects in Gradle
Introduction
The Java plugin
Practical: building a Java project
Tasks in Java projects
Dependencies in Java projects
Build customisations
Running Java applications
Testing Java applications
Adding integration tests to a project
Controlling Java versions
Publishing to Maven
Practical: building Spring Boot applications
Deployment using .war files
Building Java libraries
Advanced dependency resolution
Quiz
Chapter five: Organising Gradle projects effectively
Introduction
Project properties
Multi-project builds
Practical: creating a multi-project build
Working with files
buildSrc and convention plugins
Creating custom tasks
Creating custom plugins
Sharing custom plugins
Testing custom plugins
Quiz
Bonus 1: Troubleshooting masterclass
Introduction
Logging
Viewing the task graph
Investigating dependencies
Bonus 2: Real world Gradle
Introduction
Code coverage analysis with Jacoco
Code style validation with Checkstyle
Code quality validation with PMD
Build & push Docker images
Updates
Version catalogs
Conclusion
What now?
Your opinion matters
Course details
- Only $68
- 10 lessons
- 7 hours of video content
- Subtitles
- Gradle version 7+
FAQ
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Can I get a receipt or invoice so I can expense the cost of the course?
Absolutely. You'll automatically be sent a purchase receipt by email. If you need an invoice, please email tom@tomgregory.com after purchase with any details you want on the invoice. I'll get back to you within 48 hours.
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Do you offer discounts for students or people from developing countries?
Gradle Hero takes you from Gradle beginner to build script mastery fast—a skill you'll use in your career for years. The course already represents excellent value for what you'll achieve, so unfortunately no discounts can be offered.