Look Ma, I made a JAR! (Building a connector for Kafka Connect without knowing Java)

This article details the author's journey as a non-Java developer attempting to build a custom Kafka Connect connector using Claude, an AI coding agent. The author explains the challenge of integrating systems with Kafka when no existing connector is available, and how they leveraged Claude to generate Java code despite lacking Java expertise. The article covers the initial failure where Claude misunderstood the task (focusing on REST API instead of connector development), the iterative refinement process, and the eventual success in creating a working connector. It highlights the potential of AI-assisted development for non-specialists in the tech industry.