Share the wealth! (of knowledge)

Particularly concerning Java.

I have seen a large number of posts here mention Java and some of the many benefits to using it.

While I do have a degree in computer programming, the class that I took in Java consisted of the teacher telling us to read a chapter, and then spending the rest of the day telling us where he liked to go skiing in Colorado. After a few months and a large number of complaints, that teacher was no longer with us. But, they didn't want to change our graduation dates or make us pay for the class again, or anything else of that nature, so they just gave everyone a B and dropped the class.

So, my knowledge of Java goes about as far as knowing that Java and JavaScript aren't the same thing. And that's about it.

What's the reason for this post then? I want to know about Java!

Where should I start for learning how to use it? What resources (online, books, whatever) have you found to be the most helpful in learning and/or useing Java?

I'd go to your nearest book start and buy a book on learning java. There are tons of them. Review the chapter headings to see if it covers the types of things you want. I don't have a specific book in mind as most of my books are a few years old and out of print. However there are a ton of them and I'm sure many are very good.

Also, if you want online resources, here is one from Sun. http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/

Tom

I agree with Tom, get a book and start studying the technology. There is a mountain of information about the many java technologies, both those included in the native stack and those that are add-ons.

I think a good place to start is the Java EE 5 tutorial, it includes the latest and greatest on enterprise java.

http://java.sun.com/javaee/5/docs/tutorial/doc/

The web is full of resources but it depends on how much of a programmer you are and what languages you are comfortable with. If you've done work in C++, or C# I think it will be very easy for you to pick up Java from an intermediate book or Sun's website API. If you are a beginner (and from what I can tell you are not, but others that read this post might be) use the Java tutorial and try out the demo apps. A intro to Java book would be great for the beginner too.

Thank you for sharing! Is there any software that I need to write or compile the script in?

Java is not like Javascript at all. It is very much like C++ and probably closer to C#. It is an object-oriented programming language, not script-like at all. You do need a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to run Java code, and as a developer, you need the Java Development Kit (JDK). Many people here would probably suggest Eclipse or NetBeans as IDE's.

Here's a link about getting started; hope it is helpful.

http://java.sun.com/developer/onlineTraining/new2java/

thedqs wrote:The web is full of resources but it depends on how much of a programmer you are and what languages you are comfortable with. If you've done work in C++, or C# I think it will be very easy for you to pick up Java from an intermediate book or Sun's website API. If you are a beginner (and from what I can tell you are not, but others that read this post might be) use the Java tutorial and try out the demo apps. A intro to Java book would be great for the beginner too.

I have done some work with C++, but not very much in the last 2 years or so, and I've never done anything with C#. Visual Basic is my language of focus, but I'm starting to get a little tired of it, and I'm ready to get into something a little more useful.

I appreciate the advice and the links, guys. I'll dig through them as soon as I get the chance to do so and can get the JRE/JDK on my machine.

Also try to get one one of the projects that are starting to form up. Then you can see actual code and maybe help a little, the best way to learn is by doing.

I agree with the previous posts. A good Java book, especially one that prepares you for certification, is the best route to take for starting out. Below are a few web sites I've appreciated over the years. Many have tutorials and discussions on different aspects of theory and technology.

java.net - http://www.java.net/
Javalobby - http://www.javalobby.org/
JavaRanch (a friendly place for Java greenhorns) - http://www.javaranch.com/
jGuru - http://www.jguru.com/
TheServerSide - http://www.theserverside.com/

Cool!

Thanks, BHofmann!

JasonG wrote:Cool!

Thanks, BHofmann!

Anytime. I'd be happy to answer any questions you would have as you familiarize yourself with Java. You can send me a private message since general Java questions don't really fit into the purpose of this forum.

For the record, C# is more like Java than Java is like C#. I have often recommended to people that they go the the Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) certification. Even though I am not a huge fan of certifications, I think that it does provide a very solid foundation and you won't then be plagued by syntax and semantics of the language.

Also just an FYI, JSE and JEE are completely different beasts. I don't really care for desktop development in Java and would tell you to look at a different language for it. I really like doing web app development in Java and think it is more along the lines of Java's strengths.

B.

bh5k wrote:I don't really care for desktop development in Java and would tell you to look at a different language for it. I really like doing web app development in Java and think it is more along the lines of Java's strengths.

If you want your client application to run on all platforms without a lot of work maintaining different code bases, Java is still my preferred choice. But overall I would agree with this statement.

Tom

bh5k wrote:For the record, C# is more like Java than Java is like C#.

Yes, your statement is more correct than mine. Boy, I really like C# though. It's too bad you guys don't have all the cool new Microsoft technologies and environments at the Church.