Begginner to java

[script-learner]

To keep me away from the 'darker side' of computers i was advised by a
computer expert to start learning computer languages. I currently no
small amounts of c++ and html. I was advised that java was a good
starting point, does anyone disagree? What is the best medium for
learning java, book - online tutorial etc. Are there any peices of
software required such as a compiler? Thanks for any info given SK

[Lee]

script-learner said:

To keep me away from the 'darker side' of computers i was advised by a
computer expert to start learning computer languages. I currently no
small amounts of c++ and html. I was advised that java was a good
starting point, does anyone disagree? What is the best medium for
learning java, book - online tutorial etc. Are there any peices of
software required such as a compiler? Thanks for any info given SK

First, you should find out whether they recommended Java,
or Javascript. They're as different as cars and carpets.
The similarity of the names is marketing hype.

You don't need a compiler for Javascript. The FAQ for this
newsgroup should point you towards decent books and online
resources.

If it's Java that you're interested in, the newsgroup that
you want is comp.lang.java, and your starting poing should
probably be http://java.sun.com

You'll find a decent online tutorial and instructions for
downloading and installing the free compiler and libraries.

Many people prefer the eclipse development environment (also
free) to the one that Sun provides, though.
http://www.eclipse.org

[Richard Cornford]

script-learner wrote:
<snip>

I was advised that java was a good starting point,
does anyone disagree?
With 6 billion people on the planet you can find someone who will
disagree with anything. Java is probably as good a programming language
to learn as any other. But javascript and Java are distinct languages
with only superficial similarities so a javascript group is a strange
place to be asking that question (a general programming group would seem
more sensible as a place to look for a broad opinion on the subject).

On the subject of subjects, is your subject header: "Beginner to java"
actually a description of the subject of your post? It really should be.
What is the best medium for
learning java, book - online tutorial etc.
That depends where you start from. You won't meet many Java programmes
who don't own "Java in a Nutshell" (by David Flanagan, Publishers:
O'Reilly), but it won't teach you to program.
Are there any peices of
software required such as a compiler? Thanks for any info given SK

The Java SDK's from sun contain everything needed to turn source code
into running programs. A good (programmers) text editor is an obvious
requirement, and there are many IDE's available for Java that wrap the
whole thing up in one user interface (though they mostly cost too much
to be of interest to amateurs).

Richard.

[Vitalli]

And just what's wrong with the darker side?

[Andrew Thompson]

On Sun, 30 May 2004 22:57:41 -0600, Vitalli wrote:

And just what's wrong with the darker side?

"Stronger, no. More seductive, cunning,
crunchier the Dark Side is." ;-)

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

Vitalli wrote:

And just what's wrong with the darker side?

You can hardly see anything, not even the text you are referring to.
PointedEars