Java is an object-oriented
programming language currently developed by the Oracle Corporation. With Java,
a programmer has more portability than with languages such as other software
languages such as C++; a Java executable can be run on virtually any system
with the Java framework installed. This "write once, run everywhere"
methodology has allowed Java to become one of the world's most popular
programming languages, currently ranked #2 according
to GitHub's PYPL index.
Object-oriented programming, as
its name implies, is rooted in the concept of programming around
"objects": just as real-life "objects" do, software objects
carry a state and a behavior. Both the table that holds the laptop I am writing
this post on and my pet cat could be seen as examples of real-life
"objects": both of them carry different states (What color are either
of them? What breed is my cat? What kind of table am I using?) and behaviors
(My cat can be running, walking, laying, eating, etc.; my table can be in use,
not in use, have an open drawer, etc.). Object-oriented programming sees
anything with a space in memory as an "object," just as we do in real
life. In Java, objects belong to a larger class. In the same way that we would
segment different tangible objects into a “class” of objects, the same concept
applies to object-oriented programming. For instance, while we can recognize
tables and cats as objects, we would not lump them into to the same class.
To begin programming with Java,
you will need to download a couple of different programs onto your computer:
1) The latest version of the
Java Development Kit, or JDK, which can be downloaded here.
2) An integrated development
environment, or an IDE. For a Java beginner, I would recommend Apache's NetBeans IDE,
which boasts a user-friendly interface and ease of use for a programmer new to
Java. For example, creating a new Java project will automatically propagate the
preliminary code necessary for all Java programs to run.
The simplest way to ease into
the Java language is to try your hand at its "Hello World" program, a
tutorial for which can be found on Oracle's website. Once you complete the tutorial, be sure to look at their "closer
look" at the "Hello World" code for further elucidation
of Java's syntax. I also recommend this article on major
principles of object-oriented programming to better understand the finer
concepts of Java and OOP.
Happy coding!
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