Java

In order to begin using Java on your webpages, you need to make a visit to the creator of the language, Sun Microsystems. They invented the language in the early 1990's. Their website, java.sun.com is the definitive place to go for almost everything Java related. If we had unlimited time, I would just turn you loose on their site and let you learn on your own. However, you will find it easier to have me condense the information and use only a few items from their vast array of Java information. Always remember, however, that if you cannot find an answer to something elsewhere, java.sun.com is the mecca of knowledge to travel to.

What you absolutely need at java.sun is to download a version of the Java Developers Kit, or JDK. Later versions are called the Java SDK(Software Developer's Kit). Both of these downloads are free but relatively large so if you are working on a modem, you may want to download while you sleep. Downloading and installing the latest version of JDK or SDK gives you the basic tools(compiler, interpreter, etc.) to begin Java programming. You can use Wordpad to write your .java file and the command line interface of MS DosPrompt to compile the .java file into a .class file.

What is helpful at java.sun is documentation of the language and training.

To really understand the many complexities of the Java language(java.lang), one needs to browse the "Javadocs". Most professional Java developers download a copy of the Javadocs(Java documentation) to have on their hard drive for reference. Javadocs contain all of the classes(categories) of the Java language and how they are used. I will only ask you to browse the Javadocs and answer a few questions.
The second section that is helpful at java.sun is the training sections. I will ask you to do portions of the online training as java.sun. We will look at some of the tutorials as introductions to the language.

The website at java.sun has many other features that you may wish to peruse on your own. In this class, I will only ask you to focus on the above features.

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