Course prerequisites

You need basic Java, a computer that can run Docker, and some comfort with a terminal. You do not need to know Kafka or Docker. This page lists exactly what to have ready, so nothing surprises you once you start.

What you should already know

Java basics. The programs in this course are short, but you should be able to read and edit them.

• Classes, methods, loops, if statements and try/catch
• Lists and maps (List, Map, HashMap)
• Using Maven to add a dependency and build a project
• Running a program from the terminal, or from IntelliJ IDEA
• Reading and writing simple JSON (we'll use a small library for this — no prior experience with one required)

A terminal. You will type commands, move between folders and run scripts. In several labs you will have three or four terminal windows open at once, so being comfortable switching between them helps.

Helpful, but not required. A general idea of what a database or an API does. A little familiarity with threads also helps in the producer and consumer sections, but each is explained when it appears.

What you do not need

• No Kafka experience
• No Docker experience. The first section walks you through installing and using it
• No Python or Scala
• No cloud account. Everything runs on your own machine
• No Linux administration or networking background

Your computer

Linux users can follow the Docker and Java steps, but the setup lessons do not cover installing them on Linux.

Software you will install

You install all of this during the setup lessons in the first section. You do not need to prepare anything in advance.

• WSL2 (Windows only), which Docker uses in the background
• Docker Desktop, which runs the Kafka cluster
• A JDK (Java Development Kit) and Maven, which build and run your Java code
• IntelliJ IDEA, the IDE this course uses. As of a recent update it's a single, free product — no separate edition to choose
• SQLite, which the capstone project uses, together with a small JDBC driver we add through Maven

Docker Desktop is free for personal and educational use. If you plan to use it at work, check Docker's current license terms for your company size.

Time to plan for

• Setup: about 30 to 40 minutes, done once, at the start of the course
• Capstone project: about 3 to 4 hours, on top of the video time. You can split it over two days. It comes with a starter kit that you download from the last section
• Labs with waiting: one retention lab asks you to wait about five minutes, and the idempotent producer experiment runs for about 17 minutes while you restart brokers. You can do other things while they run

A quick self-check

Read this snippet. If you can say what it prints, you have the Java you need.

javaCopy
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

public class Check {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        List<Map<String, String>> events = List.of(
            Map.of("user", "a", "type", "click"),
            Map.of("user", "b", "type", "view")
        );

        for (Map<String, String> event : events) {
            System.out.println(event);
            System.out.println(event.get("user"));
        }
    }
}

It prints each event as a map, then the user name from that same event, so four lines in total. If that is clear, you are ready. If not, a short Java tutorial on classes, collections and loops is all the preparation you need.

Quick recap

• You need basic Java, a working terminal and a Windows or macOS machine with at least 8 GB of RAM.
• No prior Kafka or Docker experience is needed.
• The setup lessons install WSL2 (Windows only), Docker Desktop, a JDK, Maven and IntelliJ IDEA.
• Setup takes about 30 to 40 minutes. A few labs include waiting time.
• The capstone project at the end takes about 3 to 4 hours.
• When you are ready, start with the first section.