How did you learn Java

[Ivan]

Hello,
I would really appreciate an advice. I've decided to learn Java, but I don’t know where to start. The biggest problem is that I have pretty much no experience in programming, I know a bit of Turing and that's all. But I do have lots of enthusiasm.
I was going to buy a "Java All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies" . . . what do you think about it? How did you start?

[Clayton]

I suggest you read through wtd's Introduction to Java found in Java tutorials (it's stickied at the top of the forum). Also, check around different sites for different tutorials. General advice: stay away from graphics and such. Graphics are only going to detract you from learning the actual ideas that you are trying to learn.

[neufelni]

Check out Free Programming Resources. They've got lots of Java tutorials there.

[wtd]

Don't be put off by the fact that my intro is heavy on objects and classes. These are unescapable concepts in Java, and putting off the pain won't do you any good.

[Naveg]

There is a definitely a TON of stuff out there on the web that will teach you basically everything you need to know to get going with Java. However, I still recommend finding a decent book. While the internet has pretty well all the information, it doesn't have the structure and organization of a good book. You'll have to read through a lot of tutorials and articles most likely by different authors about various topics. A book puts the information together in a logical sequence that is better to learn from.

That said, if you're a seasoned programmer and are just looking to learn a new language, tutorials and articles from different sources may be the way to go.

[Martin]

Personally, I was born with innate knowledge of the Java programming language. However, for the rest of you, I've heard really good things about this book, although I don't know the target audience.

[rizzix]

Martin @ Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:01 am wrote:

Personally, I was born with innate knowledge of the Java programming language.

Ahhahahahaaaahaa.

[wtd]

One more suggestion: the Java language is not especially rich, semantically speaking (at least compared to some). This means that a lot of stuff is offloaded into the standard library.

Thus, "learning Java," is largely about learning to use that library. To this end, I suggest using an interactive environment of some kind. Beanshell and Scala's interpreter are probably the two most popular answers to this. I prefer the Scala environment for various reasons.

[haskell]

I learned using books. Some books I recommend for the beginner are:

- Core Java2 Volume I & II
- Java, How to Program 6th edition

Especially Deitel's Java, How to Program 6th Edition. If you could get just one book, that would be the one I'd definately recommend. Deitel is also excellent beginning C++, C#, and etc...

Also, Google is very good for picking up cloudy topics. If you are cloudy, search it on Google. The answer is there, you just have to look.