> there is no obvious starting point for a beginner I think maybe some of this perception comes from the days when Java EE (Enterprise Edition) was very common

> there is no obvious starting point for a beginner I think maybe some of this perception comes from the days when Java EE (Enterprise Edition) was very common. I worked on Java apps for many years and was fortunate to mostly avoid projects centered on Java EE. For getting started with current Java development, you can download OpenJDK AND IntelliJ IDE. Then Google search for a tutorial on what you want to build (a command line tool is a good place to start, then maybe a web app if you're familiar with that domain). Start with just the Java language and then add Kotlin, Clojure, etc later when you are more familiar with the ecosystem - these languages add incidental complexity that you'll want to avoid as a beginner. I'd recommend Gradle for building. You'll see Maven mentioned. Avoid the tool but understand that "Maven repo" and similar terms refer to artifact repositories for downloading 3rd party libraries.