Re: Best Java Guides for a Newby?

  • From: "Mike" <foxwarrior09@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2011 20:21:53 -0500

David, that was exactly my point when addressing Brandon. Tutorials tend to barely scratch the surface, where textbooks show different ways to use each language feature. Please see my previous e-mail where I answered Brandon's questions.


Thank you,
Mike

-----Original Message----- From: David Tseng
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 8:16 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Best Java Guides for a Newby?

Also, forgot to add, you don't need an interface if you don't want.
In fact, I'd suggest you stay away from them for the time being as you
learn.  Again, probably best to work out the holes in your knowledge
before venturing on writing your own examples.


On 7/30/11, David Tseng <davidct1209@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'll take a shot at answering your questions:

On 7/30/11, Brandon Keith (Biggs) <brandonboy13@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello,
I finally had time to go past the HelloWorldApp in the tutorial. :D
Now I'm trying to create my own classes then run them through my
interface...
But I'm a little confused:

The HelloWorldApp had everything in it. It didn't need a interface, why
do
we need to make a separate interface for all our other classes?


Not clear on the wording of the question.  In general, you write an
interface for the purposes of inheritance and polymorphism.  In other
words, it acts as a "blueprint" for other classes' implementation.

Why do we have to create an interface when the class already has the same
code in it?


This has to do with good object oriented design.  I'll get to
specifics in your example below.

Do you save all classes as a .java file then use javac to compile it into
a
.class file?

Yes.

What do you save interfaces as?


The javac tool reads class and interface definitions and compiles them
into bytecode class files.

I created a class for my heater:

/** creates the class for heater which has temperature, speed and onOff
*/
class Heater }

Syntax error "}"; should be "{"

int temperature = 0
int speed = 0
int turned = on

voide changeTemprature(int newValue) {
temperature = newValue;
}

voide speedUp(int increment) {
Speed = speed + increment;
}

voide slowDown(int decrement) {
Speed = speed - decrement;
}

voide turnOn() {
Turned = on;
}

voide turnOff() {
Turned = off;
}

voide printStates() }
System.out.println("temprature:"+temprature+" speed:"+speed+"
turned:"+turned);
}
}

Where do I put the lines like:
public static void main(String[] args)

You can include this in any class.  In your case, this Heater class
would do as good as any.

and
System.out.println
?

This method allows you to print a message to the console.  It's up to
you where you'd want output printed.

Also do I have the right idea with the word after void is the word I type
to
turnOn the heater?
And the word after (int is the word that could be what ever I want it to
be,
it just needs to be the same below?)
Example:

voide slowDown(int pizza) {
Speed = speed - pizza;
}
?

Not sure how the book you're reading introduces java constructs, but
you should perhaps read about methods.  Is this class something you
got from the book?  I'm not understanding your question, but sounds
like you're wondering what each of the parts of a class method
definition means:
 voide slowDown(int pizza) {
void is the return type
slowDown is the method name
int is a primitive type.
pizza is the name of the int.

If you don't know what the above terms mean, you should dig through
the book you're using.  Any decent language programming book will
introduce these things in the first few chapters if not the first.>

If you have any question, the interface for the heater is:

interface Heater }

voide changeTemprature(int newValue);

voide speedUp(int increment);

voide slowDown(int decrement);

voide turnOn();

voide turnOff();
}


You'll want your Heater class to inherit from this class and you need
to name them differently.  "IHeater" and "Heater" for example.

I'd suggest working through the book cover to cover instead of
creating your own examples.

Sorry, I didn't see answers to these questions in the tutorials and I
need
to know this to do anything!
Thank you,

Brandon Keith Biggs

Check out
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brandonkeithbiggs
Also add me on facebook!
brandonkeith
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=675097942
And for my resume go to:
http://www.sfcasting.com/brandonkeith


From: Sina Bahram
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 6:50 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Best Java Guides for a Newby?


That's not learning a language Ken, that's learning an SDK, which implies
one already knows how to use the language.



I think you should start off with text as well, so that six months later
you
aren't asking basic questions like why doesn't this class run, because
you
never had to put a mian method in it since Eclipse always did that for
you,
etc. etc.



Of course, that implies that you actually want to learn the fundamentals
of
the language, and not just code.



Take care,

Sina



From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ken Perry
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 7:17 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Best Java Guides for a Newby?



I have to disagree with this.  There is nothing like using eclipse when
you're learning a language.  Let's say you are in Android and need to
make
an Application.  Ok so you start it up and there is an Activity class.
You're in your text editor what do you do?



You go out on line or into a document and try to read up on all the
possible
functions you can run in an activity.   Not bad but why not make it
quicker.



Just arrow to your myactivity and use the source menu and go down and
select
override members.  Then you can arrow through the list of things you have
that you can do in that class.  You check a few and tab down and hit ok.
Now you have 6 stub functions that work perfect.  You then go down to the
keydown function that you just added  and arrow over keyEvent and select
help it tells you all the functions



Eclipse and Visual studio are  not just environments but they are  great
learning tools.  Not to mention learning the environment now with an easy
program will  speed up both development of a harder program but it also
teaches you how to download other peoples projects and get them running.



Heck for that matter if you don't use eclipse you have to learn another
way
to compile your project.  Which normally means you start compiling at the
command line with javac.  That sounds easy but how many of you have tried
this and ran into the java path problems.  That is not something you want
to
get a new user into right away.  Then if you want to get real bold and
use
ant as a new programmer you better have a lot of antacid.



So I guess in short I just wanted to say sure Eclipse is a big pig but
the
gains for a new coder is pretty high if you learn to use it.  Now if
you're
on a Mac sorry to hear it while I like Mac I have not been impressed with
the amount of work I had to go through to get Eclipse set up.  I use it
on
both Mac and Windows but I will tell you there is nothing like Eclipse
and
Jaws 12.  I use no scripts and do just fine.



Ken



From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Homme, James
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 6:49 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Best Java Guides for a Newby?



Hi Brandon,

This is my opinion, so take with a grain of salt. Right at the beginning
with Java, I feel that you should use a text editor. Personally, I prefer
EdSharp, but there  are lots of good ones. Learn to use the command line
tools that come with the Java Development Kit. After you have written
some
programs, and you know what's going on with basic Java, start to use
something like Eclipse or Net Beans. I have no experience with SodBeans,
but
I understand that that package for NetBeans is making a big difference in
NetBeans accessibility. So scrap fancy editors for now.



Jim



From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Brandon Keith
(Biggs)
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 12:17 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Best Java Guides for a Newby?



Thanks and I started reading those, the only problem is I use Eclipse and
these talk about the Netbeans IDE which I think it is inaccessible.

My big question is: What are all the differences in the different things
you
can create with the new menu in Eclipse? There are like projects,
classes,
Java projects and all kinds of other things that aren't really talked
about
with Java.

Thanks,



Brandon Keith Biggs



Check out
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brandonkeithbiggs
Also add me on facebook!
brandonkeith
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=675097942
And for my resume go to:
http://www.sfcasting.com/brandonkeith



From: Homme, James

Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 9:36 AM

To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject: RE: Best Java Guides for a Newby?



Hi,

I think that, as with many things, this is one of those things that can
be
different, depending on the learning style and knowledge of the person.



Speaking just for myself, I get more out of tutorial style books, when
I'm
learning a language. I tend to freeze up at reference type material that
is
full of code and short on words, but that's my taste.



According to me, you will probably do well with the nutshell books, if
you
already know lots of programming concepts and want to see how certain
things
are done in Java. On the other hand, you may do better if you have little
programming experience by looking at the Java Tutorial, which takes things
a
concept at a time and explains them with lots of words and examples. You
can
see that at
http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/reallybigindex.html.



Thanks.



Jim



From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of qubit
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 12:30 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Best Java Guides for a Newby?



I would recommend if you have a subscription to bookshare.org, that you
download a copy of "Java in a Nutshell".  It is a nice summary of
features
with some examples.  I was going to read "Thinking in Java, 4th edition",
which I forked $25 for online, but got a package that I cann't display on
my
system.  I have been unable to read more than the preface, and most the
time, the html just freezes things.  So I'm pitching it.  A shame as it
sounds like a useful guide to using java the way it is meant to be used.



Online there are also common tasks implemented in java, which you can
find
in http://commons.apache.org/

Good luck and happy hacking.

--le



  ----- Original Message -----

  From: Florian Beijers

  To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

  Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 6:44 AM

  Subject: Re: Best Java Guides for a Newby?



  Hello Brandon,



  Do you have any form of IM or perhaps skype? I would like to help you
but
it's easier for me to recommend something if i know a bit more about your
background.



  Florian

  On Jul 6, 2011, at 8:04 AM, Brandon Keith (Biggs) wrote:



  Hello,

  I'm new to programming, (I have just made it past "Hello World") and am
looking for some guides.

  I would like to learn Java, but I'm not quite sure where to start. I
downloaded the 500 or so documents from the "Java Documentation" at:

  http://www.nonvisualdevelopment.org/node/20

  as well as reading all the tutorials on Eclipse and Java.

  I've installed the SDK 1.6 and Eclipse, is there anything else I need?
I
see there are Jaws scripts for Eclipse, where do I insert those?

  I arrowed through the 500 documents dealing with Java and found:

  Java Tutorial 3rd Edition, a short course on the basics

  but I see it was written in 2001 and only deals with Java 1.3 and
Windows
2000 and before. Is this something I should read? What books best
describe
the language in an exciting and useful format? I'm wanting to eventually
program for Android, but I think that is stepping a little ahead of
myself.

  Where do I start?

  Thanks,



  Brandon Keith Biggs



  Check out
  MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brandonkeithbiggs
  Also add me on facebook!
  brandonkeith
  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=675097942
  And for my resume go to:
  http://www.sfcasting.com/brandonkeith






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