Don't learn java1 that would be a waste. Learn java2. There are lots of free compilers at this place:
java.sun.com
You should see something on the right hand side saying popular downloads and then click on the J2SE 5.0.
server_crash
Postaholic
2,111 posts since Jun 2004
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in fact, all compilers that I know of are free. It's the editors you can elect commercial offerings for (which often offer production enhancing features not found in the free ones).
But when learning the language, don't use a full blown IDE. Those prevent you from learning important concepts like package structure and classpaths.
There's a ton of questions being posted in Java forums constantly by people who claim to have been using Java for years yet when faced with a commandline don't even know how to call the compiler...
jwenting
duckman
8,392 posts since Nov 2004
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Very true jwenting. I know at my high school we are using textpad and no one but I has ever had any previous programming experience. I didn't understand why they started this way but they did. Also, our first project was an applet, and they didn't even have to write the html code for it. The IDE did it for them. :rolleyes:
server_crash
Postaholic
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Most teachers that start their students out on an IDE couldn't find their way around a command prompt themselves...
It may be getting a bit better but a few years ago anyone who could turn on a computer was hired for programming jobs. Anyone with a tad more experience (say they could spell the name of the language) was hired as a teacher.
Some of those people are still around sadly and haven't learned much in the intervening period.
In India and surrounding countries we now observe the same thing starting to happen which in part explains the flood of questions to many forums about extremely basic things written in extremely poor English.
jwenting
duckman
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It really suprised me when I got into AP Computer Science this year. I thought I would have a tuff time even though I knew quit a bit about java, but I seriously have been teaching the teachers at some times. So I guess your right about the selecting of teachers and stuff.
server_crash
Postaholic
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When I first learned C++ the uni had just sent one teacher to a C++ course during summer recess.
He then started teaching his colleagues 2 weeks before classes started at the same rate they were supposed to teach it to us (so they were supposed to remain 2 weeks ahead all through the year), it had been deemed too expensive to send all teachers on that course...
Of course several of us (including me...) studied faster than the curiculum called for and pulled ahead of our teacher. It sometimes was embarassing to have your own teacher ask you for your opinion on things they weren't certain of themselves...
These were experienced teachers, very good otherwise. But due to budget restrictions they hadn't been properly trained in what they were supposed to teach and when saddled with students who studied faster than the course schedule called for they got stuck (but were not too proud to admit it).
jwenting
duckman
8,392 posts since Nov 2004
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Yeah, it's the same way here. I was hoping to have a teacher that was a guru at java so I could learn a lot. But, I guess it's not all his fault.
server_crash
Postaholic
2,111 posts since Jun 2004
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