Java Tutorials

LESSON - Getting Started With Java Programming

Prerequisites / Requirements

Basic syntax

Conditional logic

Strings

Arrays

Loops

Passing arguments

Comment codes

Conclusion

Prerequisites

This tutorial was developed for someone with a background in programming that has never had any exposure to object oriented programming. You can attempt this tutorial if you have never programmed before, but I make no guarantees that the curriculum is done at a level that is appropriate for someone who has never programmed trying to work through these materials on their own.

• Background in structured programming strongly recommended
• No background in object oriented programming needed

Requirements

In this tutorial I am going to teach you Java devoid of a GUI (like Eclipse or Netbeans). I believe this approach to be the purest way of introducing you to the language. I will be using Java on windows in the examples. Having said this, all of these examples and materials will work on a posix platform (Unix, Linux, AIX, OSS, etc...).

• Java 1.3 or higher SDK/JDK installed on your PC
• Access to a text editor, as well as knowledge as how to use it. 
• Access to a command line shell (Windows Command prompt, or Linux Bourne Shell)

Introduction

We are going to start learning Java by covering the following subjects:

• Variables/Literals
• Conditional Logic
• Loops
• Arrays
• Compilation
• Running your program

My intent is to give you enough familiarity and practice with the syntax that you are acclimated enough to hit the next module, which is “First Steps in Object Oriented Programming”. I have taken this approach in courses I have taught on structured programming. I got my audience initially comfortable with the syntax so I could help them better focus on what I considered to be mission critical subject…namely writing subroutines and functions and achieving reuse in their code (if only on a personal level). 

Since this approach has brought me success in the past I want to employ it again, though applied only to those subjects that are mission critical in learning, and more importantly, thinking in Java. So, your mission here is to get comfortable with some basic Java syntax so that I will have your full attention for the next subject.

We are not going to get into all the intricacies of these topics in this chapter. We are going to build a foundation so that you can begin to write a series of programs that I like to refer to as “hello world” programs.