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I need to learn Java!

SatsumomoSatsumomo Rated PG!Registered User regular
edited July 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
Hello forumites,

I'm currently enrolled in a Java certification course in my school, with false promises that all you needed was programming knowledge, I have found that Java isn't as simple as it seems. I know how to use C (Not professionally but I can do simple stuff on it) and I've always found that learning new stuff in C is very simple, yet I'm not finding it is the same case with Java.

I already read Java for Dummies, and I'm currently reading one called Java through examples by Jesús Bobadilla. The certification class is going way too fast, and me and other classmates are finding that the instructor isn't very good at it either.

Now what I'm looking for is, does anyone know of a good free course I can take online, that has me doing the actual coding and stuff? Because books are nice and all, but there aren't any exercises for me to practice with.

As I have knowledge in C, I don't really need to re-learn if-statements or loops or boolean stuff. I think my biggest feat is getting the hang of OOP right now.

Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Satsumomo on

Posts

  • SeñorAmorSeñorAmor !!! Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    If you find anything good, I'd appreciate it if you shared it in this thread as I would really like to learn Java too (and also have similar experience like yourself).

    SeñorAmor on
  • Jimmy KingJimmy King Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Look under the "Trails covering the basics" section here. This looks to be what used to be the official Java book that was available online and in print. Seems to be set up a bit different now, but still has tons of info and a questions and exercises section at the end of each chapter.

    Is there anything you're specifically having trouble with? The most problematic thing going from C to Java is the move from procedural to OO code if you've never worked with OOP before.

    Jimmy King on
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  • DanWeinoDanWeino Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Objects First with Java - A Practical Introduction using BlueJ by David J. Barnes & Michael Kölling

    That book saved me. I went from no coding at all, to basic java in about a month. Has a cd with projects on so if you struggle you can look at some complete code and figure it out your own way. It uses BlueJ , basically helps you visualise your code, see what links with what etc, again, after about a month I moved onto Netbeans, but this certainly helped.

    I had a terrible tutor, with some pretty broken english and managed to pass with this book and a bit of googling.

    DanWeino on

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  • SatsumomoSatsumomo Rated PG! Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Awesome suggestions guys, thanks! I think my real trouble is just the whole OOP business, and all the ways your program can go very very very wrong with very slight variations to your code.

    Satsumomo on
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited July 2011
    A large portion of understanding Java is learning how Java programs are organized and how source files interact with one another... and yes it is a huge difference from C. C is like a player piano, and Java is like a Radioshack keyboard.

    It is a good idea to learn OOP.

    [opinion]
    Unfortunately Java is a shit language that has a hyper-sophisticated implementation of object oriented programming...
    [/opinion]

    Basic OOP precepts may be more easily understood using a lighter language like Python.

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  • RobAnybodyRobAnybody Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Second on the Objects First with Java. I took an online course through my local community college using that book. In all honesty, I probably could have done just as well without the course and used the book from start to finish. Would have saved a couple hundred bucks too, but oh well. :P

    On the slightly more advanced side of things, I've had a ton of fun working with Eclipse as a development environment for Java. If you go to their website,

    http://www.eclipse.org/

    and click on the "New to Eclipse?" link, they will get you set up with the free software, plus links to a full sixteen lessons that runs you through a lot of the basics of Java programming. IIRC, I used the Eclipse IDE for Java Developers Package, and it had everything I needed to have a good time with the tutorial videos, which are located here:

    http://www.eclipse.org/resources/?category=Getting%20Started

    I recommend the Eclipse and Java for Total Beginners. It is a solid introduction across the board. Plus, you get to learn the basics while working in a really slick interface that makes you coding cleaner and easier to understand. It also introduces you to a community of programmers, which is always helpful if you run into problems or snags. Oh yeah, and it's free!

    RobAnybody on
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