HELP: Learning Java

[Ralph H. Stoos Jr.]

All,

I need suggestions for learning Java. I have purchased several books
(Java Essentials, Beginning Java 2) and have tried to read and write code.

Apparently, I am not easily able to read a book and then understand what
I am doing (i.e. a visual learner). Even on-line courses that I have
tried seem to be ineffective.

So, what I am looking for is another book that will help me (the
complete programming beginner) to learn Java, or a list of college
classes that I should take to get me proficient.

I am 50 years old and have been a practicing EE since 1979. I have done
a small amount of machine code programming when 8 bit CPUs were all the
rage. My age is probably what is the biggest barrier along with having
a 9 year old.

Please respond to the group for others in the same boat but also to:

rstoos@rochester,rr,com

I really want to learn Java but am told that in college they frequently
teach using Eiffel as a tool to get you thinking about OOP. If anyone
feels that Eiffel is a better stepping stone, let me know. I would
eventually like to nail down PHP too as I am an avid open source advocate.

Thanks for any suggestions,
Ralph H. Stoos Jr.

[Paul]

Ralph H. Stoos Jr. wrote:

All,

I need suggestions for learning Java. I have purchased several books
(Java Essentials, Beginning Java 2) and have tried to read and write code.

Apparently, I am not easily able to read a book and then understand what
I am doing (i.e. a visual learner). Even on-line courses that I have
tried seem to be ineffective.

So, what I am looking for is another book that will help me (the
complete programming beginner) to learn Java, or a list of college
classes that I should take to get me proficient.

I am 50 years old and have been a practicing EE since 1979. I have done
a small amount of machine code programming when 8 bit CPUs were all the
rage. My age is probably what is the biggest barrier along with having
a 9 year old.

Hi Ralph

I'm the same age as you and learned Java over the past two years, as
part of a Computing Diploma I was studying for. I've also got a
scientific background and used to program in FORTRAN back in the 70s.

I'd recommend that you look at the tutorials on the Sun website:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/index.html

and that's probably all you need to get started. I have a reference
book: "Java in a Nutshell" but now I go to the APIs and the language
specification on the Sun website.

Hope that helps.

Paul

[Soren Kuula]

Paul wrote:

Apparently, I am not easily able to read a book and then understand
what I am doing (i.e. a visual learner). Even on-line courses that I
have tried seem to be ineffective.

Hi,

I am still only 32, but still a kind of late starter with several things.

I have noticed, however, that when trying to acquire some new skill ...
it really doensn't matter how many books and tutorials on the subject I
try to trawl through - it is simply all too easy to read about is and
never facing any open questions.

I think that some challenges are the only good way. If you are good at
taking an initiative yourself (deciding to make a program that will...
or a web service that will ... etc) just do that. But everything gets
more meaningful (and binding) if you work togehter with some other
people .. taking a course, or joining an open source project, or
something like that. Sometimes it takes a little bit more of a push than
what one can impose on oneself to really make up one's mind to get some
nasty and seemingly invincible problem solved :)

So try find a project, or make one, or take a course.

Soren

[John]

Being a visual learner that just getting started, you might find the
book "Java" by Freidman-Hill helpful. It's part of the Visual Series
from Maran Graphics.

Another book mentioned quite often in this group is "Just Java."

Good luck!