Getting Started In Java Programming
Will Shattuck
I recently acquired an Android based phone. There are some programs that I wish to run, but they aren't available anywhere yet. Probably because someone hasn't written them the way I want them to run. :) So, on with the hacker ethic. If there isn't software you want, WRITE IT.
The problem is, I don't know much about Java. I downloaded the Android SDK, and installed Eclipse with the ADT plugin. All of that is dandy, but I don't really know where to start with learning Java. Any suggestions? Free would be best, but I'm not against purchasing a book that is really (and I mean Really) good.
Thanks,
Will
aka Will the Computer Guy (not programming guy ;)
Thomas 'cmdln' Gideon
Java. I don't know if the latest edition is still in print but it
should be. There may also be a free version of it or the next edition
somewhere on Bruce's site.
cmdln
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Command Line Arguments" group.
> To post to this group, send email to
> command-lin...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> command-line-argu...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/command-line-arguments?hl=en.
>
--
The Command Line Podcast
http://thecommandline.net/
Open Media Review
http://openmediareview.com/
Philip Durbin
a class at the Harvard Extension School called "Java For Distributed
Computing", taught by Charlie Sawyer.
You could try out some of the homework assignments, such as building
an Elevator and an ATM machine, at http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~cscie160/#homeworks
and refer to the lectures at http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~cscie160/#writtenlectures
You'd miss out on the lectures themselves, of course, but Mr. Sawyer
says he has taken his "best shot at explaining the ideas in the
written word" according to his Lecture on Lectures: http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~cscie160/OnLectures.htm
I enjoyed the class anyway. Good luck!
Phil
J Irving
> The problem is, I don't know much about Java. I downloaded the Android SDK,
> and installed Eclipse with the ADT plugin. All of that is dandy, but I
> don't really know where to start with learning Java. Any suggestions? Free
> would be best, but I'm not against purchasing a book that is really (and I
> mean Really) good.
I really don't have any starter book recommendations unfortunately - I
learned Java back at the 1.0/1.1 transition, so even if I could
remember anything it would be pretty useless at this point. I was
indifferent to the Eckels book that Thomas recommended when I used it
to upgrade my brain 3 years ago after a while away from java, but it
is certainly comprehensive (it's pretty big). It felt like a
compendium, and didn't really inspire me. But it worked.
If you're not really a programmer yet, you might want to back up and
find a decent intro to object-oriented programming first. I'm told
the old java tutorials are pretty good:
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/concepts/
There are many java tutorials, which might be enough to get you where
you want to be. And they're free :)
Once you've figured out how to make code that does roughly what you
want, you need to get your head straight. For that, I recommend Josh
Bloch's book:
http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Java-2nd-Joshua-Bloch/dp/0321356683/
Also in the head straight department, learn to think in TDD and in
terms of writing testable code, by reading things like Misko Hevery's
blog:
He has google's writing testable code guide hosted there, which is pure gold:
http://misko.hevery.com/code-reviewers-guide/
In the end, you'll probably end up spending most of your time buried
in the documentation for whatever SDK(s) you're working with.
Good luck with it, it can be really fun.
cheers, J