freesoft_2000
Practically a Master Poster
623 posts since Jun 2004
Reputation Points: 25
Solved Threads: 10
Indeed. Get the JDK (latest version is 5.0_04 (compiler version 1.5.0_04) from http://java.sun.com and use your favourite programmer's editor to create the code.
Don't touch those fancy IDEs until you understand what they're doing and can do the same by hand (albeit MAYBE slower).
VI, jEdit, Emacs, even Notepad.
jwenting
duckman
8,392 posts since Nov 2004
Reputation Points: 1,662
Solved Threads: 337
1.5 (5.0) is the latest version and likely the one you should get (unless you have a clear business need to use only an older version).
jwenting
duckman
8,392 posts since Nov 2004
Reputation Points: 1,662
Solved Threads: 337
Java is case sensitive, keep that in mind.
Standard convention is to use CamelCase for everything except constants.
ClassNames start with a capital letter, and have every First Character of Every Word capitalised.
method and attribute names start with a lowercase letter.
CONSTANTS are in all uppercase.
This isn't enforced by the compiler but is generally accepted. The number of people who don't do it is very small and they're disliked by everyone else.
Classpath should contain the current directory (".") as the very least. You can add downloaded libraries you use a lot, though adding those dynamically when compiling and running is often preferred.
jwenting
duckman
8,392 posts since Nov 2004
Reputation Points: 1,662
Solved Threads: 337
It's definitely a beginner's book. Many people like it, I don't :)
Sun has excellent tutorials on their own site (if sometimes a bit dated) which are in fact the complete text and illustrations of some of their printed books which are classics.
I recommend you get either "Head First Java" (Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates, O'Reilly, 2005) or "Agile Java" (Jeff Langr, Prentice Hall, 2005).
Both excellent books to learn from.
jwenting
duckman
8,392 posts since Nov 2004
Reputation Points: 1,662
Solved Threads: 337