first step for learning Java

[Bayan]

Hello everyone,
I start learning Java in this month by reading Thinking in Jave book,
before this time i learn bit about C++ and C#, but I don't know what
best IDE i can use it?
please, give me your advices for learning Java for go on it very good,
becuase I .plan to complete my study in this language.

[Brian Ehmann]

While learning language fundamentals, I would recommend you use your
favorite text editor until you feel you are ready to write more
complex applications like web apps. This way you will learn the
language instead of the IDE. Plus it will help you become familiar
with using the javadocs instead of relying on the IDE's auto
completion when you are not sure what method to call on a class.

However if you REALLY want to use an IDE, my bias opinion says you
should give eclipse a try (eclipse.org).

- Brian

[Wayne Fay]

> I start learning Java in this month by reading Thinking in Jave book,
> before this time i learn bit about C++ and C#, but I don't know what
> best IDE i can use it?

I'd start with BlueJ, if you're new to programming in general and Java
specifically (bluej.org).

Wayne

[Matias Berrueta]

I think  that make a simple system is the best way.  

You must chose in two of the most popular ways, web develop, and win develop (is totally different) .

Then, take an hello world example, and start coding.

Lucky 

Matias Berrueta

[Andre Van Klaveren]

Bayan,

I agree with Brian.  It's best to start off with your favorite text editor and command line compiling, etc. when learning the language.  It will help you focus on the language and not the IDE.

Eclipse is probably the industry defacto standard (at least owns majority popularity share) Java IDE.  That said, I actually prefer the Netbeans (http://www.netbeans.org) IDE over eclipse.  Netbeans is a mature, fully featured Java (and other languages) IDE and, in my opinion, has a much lower learning curve then Eclipse and is way more intuitive to use.

I also use Eclipse of course.  :)




-Andre

[Graham Allan]

> I'd start with BlueJ, if you're new to programming in general and Java
> specifically (bluej.org).
>
> Wayne

+1

BlueJ takes a different tack to learning Java, giving object oriented
fundamentals a greater billing than syntax and other details like running
Java apps from the command line. It does have an IDE but it's definitely
steered towards teaching OO and Java rather than providing a productive tool.

If you're looking to learn the absolute basics I'd recommend it too.

~ Graham

[PhilDin]

Hi,

Thinking in Java is a fine book and worth keeping around but for the
very beginning, I recommend the Java tutorial here:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/index.html

The first trail "Getting Started" and the second trail "Learning the
Java Language" are the most important. After that, you can skip around
a little bit. If you plan to learn GUI apps go through the Swing trail
but bear in mind that learning how to lay components out can be tricky
at first, don't expect to get it right immediately.

I wouldn't use an IDE at first, it will only be a distraction. I
recommend notepad++ which you can download for free. This means that
you will be editing your code in Notepad++ and then, switching over to
a DOS command box to run javac. This will get tedious, especially if
you want to create a project with more than one file. To address this,
you can either learn how to create a project using ant (or maven but I
think that's definitely for later) or start using an IDE and let it do
the hard work of creating a build script.

I haven't used BlueJ but I've heard good things about it. I have used
Netbeans and Eclipse quite a bit and personally, I prefer Netbeans, I
think it's a bit less daunting for a beginner and it comes with a drag
and drop GUI builder (called matisse). There are some tutorials on
Netbeans here:

http://www.netbeans.org/kb/docs/java/javase-intro.html

Best of luck,
-phil

[Bayan]

thanks for all
in my college i studied OOP programming course(I know almost all OOP
fundamentals), and i programming some homeworks in C++ language by OOP
(because we study introduction about software engneering), then I
programming simple programs in C#.net
but now i want learn Java well, and I have simulation project about 3d-
ball collision(phesics graphical project), my tools for performing it
is Java and OpenGl.

AT first time i used Notpad for programming but i don't like it so
left it immediately.
use Notepad, is necessary?

[Nicole Lacoste]

Hi Bayan,

When I first started learning Java I also got the Thinking in Java book, since it seemed to be so well considered.  I didn't like it though, the examples are very hard to follow, they never show just one thing, they go over pages and pages and instead of showing you the output of a programme they have this wierd expects regex thing that is incomprehensible and very off putting for a beginner.  This book almost put me off java for life!

As someone else said the Java tutorials on Sun are very good.  I also can recommend Head First Java by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates. I didn't use this book myself, because by the time I found it I already knew Java, but I have read significant parts of it.  The book I did use was also by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates, the SCJP book, it is fantastic if you want to get certified, but I think Head First Java is even more geared to get you up and running fast.  Don't be fooled by the conversation tone and all the pictures they really cover a lot of stuff in real depth. After you get the hang of things, read Effective Java by Joshua Block to become a Java master!

As far as IDEs well the usual list is Eclipse, Netbeans, which are free and IntelliJ just open sourced a version of its IDE that covers all the basic stuff.  Any of these are propbably fine. I don't think the choice matters much at all.

So welcome to Java programming.  I wish you lots and lots of fun!!

Nicole

[DAemon]

I started using a text editor with code colouring (Smultron on the Mac, but suitably tricked out emacs will do the same thing) so that I wouldn't rely too much on all that code completion stuff, but could still see what I was doing relatively easily. Worked well for me1

- DAemon

2009/11/5 Bayan <bay...@gmail.com>

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[Michael Neale]

There is something to be said for keeping things simple when learning
- no distracting features/shiney things to distract.

On Dec 30, 2:47 pm, DAemon <forsakendae...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I started using a text editor with code colouring (Smultron on the Mac, but
> suitably tricked out emacs will do the same thing) so that I wouldn't rely
> too much on all that code completion stuff, but could still see what I was
> doing relatively easily. Worked well for me1
>
> - DAemon
>

> 2009/11/5 Bayan <baya...@gmail.com>

>
>
>
>
>
> > On Nov 3, 8:50 pm, Bayan <baya...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Hello everyone,
> > > I start learning Java in this month by reading Thinking in Jave book,
> > > before this time i learn bit about C++ and C#, but I don't know what
> > > best IDE i can use it?
> > > please, give me your advices for learning Java for go on it very good,
> > > becuase I .plan to complete my study in this language.
>
> > thanks for all
> > in my college i studied OOP programming course(I know almost all OOP
> > fundamentals), and i programming some homeworks in C++ language by OOP
> > (because we study introduction about software engneering), then I
> > programming simple programs in C#.net
> > but now i want learn Java well, and I have simulation project about 3d-
> > ball collision(phesics graphical project), my tools for performing it
> > is Java and OpenGl.
>
> > AT first time i used Notpad for programming but i don't like it so
> > left it  immediately.
> > use Notepad, is necessary?
> > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> > "The Java Posse" group.
> > To post to this group, send email to java...@googlegroups.com
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to

> > javaposse+...@googlegroups.com<javaposse%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups .com>

[Joe Sondow]

I'm a fan of http://www.javaranch.com as a place for asking and
answering technical questions about any specific area of Java
development when you hit a roadblock. The Java Posse google group is
excellent for high-level discussion and deep technical details.
However, the javaranch message boards deal with more high quantity
basic technical issues. You'll learn a lot just browsing them for the
topics that interest you.