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Ok, so i just started university, i have this comp class. This seems to be a very basic class about programming in java. They require you to have 2programs Java and Eclipse (which i assume is an extension program used to make code in java). I have no background in any language, although i have a good math background if that help any.
I have to basically catch up for one month of work due to various reason. What is a good program or site to start with. Are site like this good for learning http://www.tutorialspoint.com/java/index.htm ( first one in google).
I have tutorial of the class and the power-points the teacher used ( im going to start revising tonight), but is there anything else out there that might help out?
Thanks in advance for the help
 
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5/5 Because I have began Java programming this year and I find the website to contain abridged version of my textbook so I don't have to read all bunch of crap.
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They recommend buying the book Absolute Java by Walter Savitch 4th edition any good ?
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I have used Eclipse but i found it cloggy and ugly
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If you have no background in programming then I'm curious as to what you used Eclipse for.
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You still have to learn basics so get a book and start from the beginning typing out the samples and run them. Try to change lines and see what changes in the output.
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Khan academy also has some coding resources. Unfortunately, I haven't really tested them yet.
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I think you should just read one of the course books that explains it, takes a bit more time but is always more thorough and better written than online tutorials.
And then just match with the coding samples from class; go through it statement by statement and then it's easy enough.
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Ok thanks alot for all the replies im on it.
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For IDE, use IntelliJ (community version is free) because it's far superior... unless your course instructor specifically told you to use Eclipse, which I don't see why he would, and it's a point that can easily be contended.
Since you are learning it from a course, it's probably best if you just follow the syllabus, but try to do the exercises in different ways. Google ways to solve a problem, regardless how easy it is, there will always be different solutions.
Something like "Fibonacci Java" would probably yield results you would never expect, and try to learn from other people's work: why does it work, why did he do it this way, etc.
Once you get the hang of the language, books like Effective Java go a long way, but that's really not for beginners.
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Yeah get eclipse, your computer class will probably go over compiling java using the "command prompt" but having something like eclipse will allow you to run and test code a lot faster and more efficient.
This is basically "The New Boston"
He teaches how to code very simply, he teaches very similar to how an older brother would teach.
The New Boston
And remember, Java and Javascript are different languages. Please don't get them confused like I did.
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On January 31 2013 11:33 Cambium wrote:For IDE, use IntelliJ (community version is free) because it's far superior... unless your course instructor specifically told you to use Eclipse, which I don't see why he would, and it's a point that can easily be contended. Since you are learning it from a course, it's probably best if you just follow the syllabus, but try to do the exercises in different ways. Google ways to solve a problem, regardless how easy it is, there will always be different solutions. Something like "Fibonacci Java" would probably yield results you would never expect, and try to learn from other people's work: why does it work, why did he do it this way, etc. Once you get the hang of the language, books like Effective Java go a long way, but that's really not for beginners.
Why would you advise this? You should never contend such things with your course instructor as a first year computer student or whatever based on "someone on the internet told me this". For all practical purposes there is nothing wrong with Eclipse.
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On top of that, IntelliJ IDEA is significantly more resource intensive (which is a feat in itself) and really not necessary for the purposes of an introductory course. If anything, a proper alternative would be JCreator LE, which lacks a few things that Eclipse boasts but is far more lightweight and good to get started with.
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JCreator is much more beginner friendly compared to Eclipse; coming from a person not studying or in the field but learned fundamentals for personal experience.
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I used to tutor a university practical programming course and half of what I did there was to explain people how to use Eclipse. It was required to hear the introductory courses to computer science first, so people that took our course should know how to code already.
I wouldn't necessarily advice to start programming using Eclipse, but if your course does it, you should just go for it, it won't do any harm. This might be worth it for you if you want additional practice:
http://projecteuler.net/
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Just do the Sun tutorials (actually do the exercises). Specifically http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/index.html. They're all I did and I never had problems with uni courses that involved programming in Java - in fact normally I was far ahead of the class, and I attribute that solely to those tutorials cause I'm pretty stupid LOL.
Some advice I would give is:
-code in notepad++ or sublime text 2 (don't both trying to learn vim or emacs so quickly).
Why? Makes you more conscientious about what you're typing (if you rely on eclipse to autocomplete everything and automatically fix your errors, you retard your ability to see these errors yourself and you don't build the muscle memory of knowing what to type).
This should help on your exams too, which will probably have you write out code without a computer.
For any intro class there's no reason to NEED an IDE, because it's more helpful for managing larger projects (and even though Java projects explode in size so quickly, this is still an intro class) and for features like debugging which you don't need to use, although you can.
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@Darkren Ignore all comments about "get editor X, because its much better" it's more about preference and varies with your experience and what language you program in. I use notepad++ for HTML and other related scripted languages, I also use eclipse and/or Netbeans if I'm going to program something bigger in php/java/C++. IF I'm going to make a web development which requires something more sophisticated with a framework such as MVC I might use codeigniter or utilize the entire ASP.Net framework using c# with visual studio as an editor. Just pick the editor you like the best. there is no "right choice"
http://tutorialspoint.com/java/index.htm is good, another good site is also hotscripts.com, and also Khan academy, go to oracle.com and look around there as well.
Also use google and type in various terms such as "Java tutorial" "java examples" and so forth.
This should be plenty for you to understand java pretty well. As for books in java any book will suffice since a big part about the book will explain the basics of OOP (object oriented programming) the actual content after that regarding the java itself is just as well written on various sites on the web.
EDIT; another thing i strongly encourage you to do is to sign up to a forum where you can put up your code so people can critique it. this is huge if you want to learn something since people will point out what you could do better and what you might have missed.
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Don't pick the editor you like best. You can do that later after your course is over. Use Eclipse. Your Teacher and all your fellow students will be using it, which means when you have problems you'll have people to turn to for help. Many professionals develop in Eclipse.
As for something to catch you up, I've found the Stanford course on Programming Methodology to be fantastic for new programmers with no experience. You can watch the lectures from the class and access all the materials through the iTunesU program for free. Just open iTunes, click on the store, and search for "Programming Methodology." In the search results, under collections, you'll see Stanford's Programming Methodology course. Subscribe, and start watching the first lecture. Half of the first lecture is administrative stuff, so you can skip to the middle if you want.
I've been programming for 25 years, and this is one of the best sources I've ever seen for new programmers.
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On February 01 2013 20:51 Integra wrote:@Darkren Ignore all comments about "get editor X, because its much better" it's more about preference and varies with your experience and what language you program in. I use notepad++ for HTML and other related scripted languages, I also use eclipse and/or Netbeans if I'm going to program something bigger in php/java/C++. IF I'm going to make a web development which requires something more sophisticated with a framework such as MVC I might use codeigniter or utilize the entire ASP.Net framework using c# with visual studio as an editor. Just pick the editor you like the best. there is no "right choice" http://tutorialspoint.com/java/index.htm is good, another good site is also hotscripts.com, and also Khan academy, go to oracle.com and look around there as well. Also use google and type in various terms such as "Java tutorial" "java examples" and so forth. This should be plenty for you to understand java pretty well. As for books in java any book will suffice since a big part about the book will explain the basics of OOP (object oriented programming) the actual content after that regarding the java itself is just as well written on various sites on the web. EDIT; another thing i strongly encourage you to do is to sign up to a forum where you can put up your code so people can critique it. this is huge if you want to learn something since people will point out what you could do better and what you might have missed.
While I don't think it really matters in the end, and that you should use whatever you're most comfortable with/like the most/are told to use, I do think that it's probably best to first learn to code in a basic text editor. You'll never need the more advanced debugging and auto-completion tools in IDEs, and learning to code in a text editor does more to force you to learn basic syntax and good coding practices. When you start out, you don't really want text completion, you don't want auto-indentation, and you don't really want lint tools. You just want a blank canvass, maybe some syntax highlighting, that you can learn good practices about all that stuff on.
At least that's just my opinion. You should use whatever the class uses. But if you're learning on your own or if you have a choice, you should start in a basic text editor then try out IDEs and other stuff later on.
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EPT
