SAP CAP Java vs Node.js

[D_buj]

Hi everyone,

Currently, I am expanding my skillset to prepare for the transition to the cloud. For this purpose I'm learning CAP. I am wondering if I should put my focus on the Java SDK or on the Node.js SDK. I have found similar questions where the answer usually is that it depends on your current skillset. What if I don't have experience with either Java or Node.js and try to figure out which one I should learn? Any opinions?

Currently I am leaning towards Node.js, since I think JavaScript knowledge can also be useful for building frontend. However, I am hoping for some more opinions.

Regards, Daan

[tobias_steckenborn]

It's likely that most people here lean toward JavaScript / Node.js in a similar vein as you. Based on votes in one of the SAP community calls, it seems that Node.js is ahead (in the active community) by a significant margin. If I remember correctly you should find the pie chart crawling through Gregor's endless twitter feed ;). Nevertheless, Java's support suggests that some larger stakeholders rely on it as well

If you're looking for a solution to most of your problems, you'll probably find one in the JavaScript ecosystem. You might consider Java if type safety is a strong concern. TypeScript is currently (in my view) a bit cumbersome with CAP. However, there have been some community initiatives to resolve some of those issues.

Ultimately it's a choice of preference and as usual you'll find different people leaning into different directions based on their requirements.