Men are amused by anything. That is why professional ice hockey is so popular. That is why Disneyland runs into lengthier balance sheets than the scientific museums. And that is why something like Java is touted as the next Glasnost (well, unless you are a snoozebucket, you are probably aware of Java, the new language that is bowling the world over). Make way. Here comes the stuff our forefathers warned us about. It is mightier than the sword, the pen and usually, the programmer. A thousand and one news-breakers and articles have done their rounds on how Java is invariably an isotope of C++ minus the warts and pimples, on how it is going to give the Internet an upbeat facelift, on how......
But wait. The last thing you want to do is to sit back and worship the greatness of a language that has not even reached its final stages; you want to use it. The one sad hitch with today's software is that the so-called tutorials and manuals are scarcely meant for anyone to understand. Take the samples bundled with Java for instance. How would you like the idea of brooding over a hundred-line sample code to begin with? What these codes fail to do is spark an interest among the wide-eyed newbies. ( Between you and me, I suspect that is the state-of-the-art way of doing graffitti on aspiring programmers :) ).
And that's precisely what we aim to do here - to give you the first few sips of Java (seasoned not to burn your tongue). Our approach is simple. As far as possible, we will add a line at a time and expect you to try it out (if we exceed that, we apologize). The worst thing that could happen by trying to learn programming in this way is that we might lead to grazing down of a few more trees (we will use more paper, right). But at least we can comprehend the language better.
Undoubtedly, Java has flung open a whole slew of possibilities to spruce up a page on the Internet. Every little Johnny in the world, who has anything close to a GK, knows that Java can change lives. How is the question. Before we begin, let us make a few things clear. First, to learn programming in Java, it is undoubtedly a prerequisite to have a passing knowledge of C++ or we'd rather you sit over the weekend with a load of beer and cheetos in the fridge and atleast a dozen aspirins in the drawer :) . Secondly, the programs in Java here are explained in a simple, understandable manner and hence anybody expecting a display of rhetorical caliber is in for a disappointment of his lifetime. Just like an artist's potrait speaks for itself, we'd rather have Java speak for itself too. Third, while each concept is clearly explained, we prefer to keep our distance from the 'gears and cogs' of the language. And yes, it is also assumed you have downloaded the Beta versio!
n of
Java. (For those who came in late, the software can be downloaded from the address http://java.sun.com ). A point to be noted here is that we have worked on Windows 95 platform, though we are told the programs work in Windows NT and Solaris environments too.
" The essence of magic is simplicity "
We are not concerned with inculcating obedience or influencing the programming style of our readers; quite the contrary, we intend the development of initiative. The simplicity that will inevitably be exhibited in our code and explanation is merely a method to refrain from pedantic. The idea is not to win a prize in computer literature but to shorten your learning curve. The naming conventions that we will adhere to include:
Get yourself some reflections on Java...And then the king leered . That done, lets dive right into the real thing, head first.
We believe we have made our technique sufficiently clear by now. Ofcourse, with the kind of programs illustrated here, we can not look forward to a prize in the field of computer sciences. But yes, we make no compromises with our fundamentals. As regards the concepts of Java, there are quite a few potatoes in the sack. We promise to bring you all of them in elaborate detail and with a similar simple, step-by-step approach to programming. Whatever the implications of how Java is being accepted as a popular language or how it is starting a whole new revolution, one fact remains undeterred. It definitely is the harbinger of a dynamic future. Sun Microsystems, by introducing the unprecedented concept, has planted a stake in the sand. What we make out of it is in our hands.
What're they talking about Java ? Here are some good links spanning the latest java links, the cool java links, the java-related articles and the latest devlopment tools. Also a place for checking out some cool applets.
There are so many of us out there goofing up our programs trying hard to figure out the myriad concepts of Java and so few who actually seem to be getting anywhere. The least we can do is be together in cyberspace and share our experiences and knowledge. All your comments, queries, headaches, suggestions and experiences, both of the moments of bright flashes of understanding and the baffling times are welcome. You can reach us at :
We might serve as Java Aspirins for your digital headaches :) . We would like to thank Ms. Meeta and Mr. Prashant Ajjampur for giving us some space on their server. If you have got your feet wet with Java, see you soon, as this tutorial is constantly being updated (or must that be brewed ?). We soon plan to have Live Java Applets adjacent to the code here. We have our set of superstitions for such an idea though because here in India, whenever we go surfing (digital ofcourse), we usually make sure the images are turned off (and with modems sweating at an average speed of 9,600 bps, that is usually a good idea) But we hope to have applets speak for themselves soon.
Know Spanish? Try our Peruvian Connection , a friend enamored enough by us to translate this entire tutorial into Spanish and place it on his server. Way to go, friend!
And special thanks also to our French friend JAVA De JC Duford , who has mirrored this site.
If you are feeling particularly ornery to ferret some more state-of-the-art technologies, grab a coke and stop by Vijay Mukhi's Technology Cornucopia . Heard about Netscape Plug-ins? Well, if you're among the bereft, here's some dough on Netscape Plug-ins . If you knead something, let us know :)
This tutorial is a joint effort of
Mr. Vijay Mukhi
Ms. Sonal Kotecha
Mr. Shashank Tripathi