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InvincibleShieldFlag for Canada

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How does one start programming in Java?

I realize the best way to learn Java is to learn it in school, but my high school CS teacher was a n00b and didn't know it, so we took three years of C, where I learned exactly nothing.

I am a pro at VB, C, C++, Flash, and even JavaScript, but I haven't a clue how to program in Java. It's not that I don't know the language. I've read enough about Java to start some simple programming. In the past I have learned everything I know about programming through just programming, and learning as I go. When I need help, I ask my friend, the internet. But Java is different. I've gone through a tonne of Java tutorials on Sun's website about the technology, but I am no closer to making Java applications than I was.

All I really need is a list of programs that I need to download, and several step by step tutorials on how to familiarize myself with the IDE (by creating some sample apps) and I can take care of the rest. I don't need giant code samples - which seem to be all I can find!!
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HonorGod
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If you are really beginner, I prefer you to go by normal editors, write some sample programs.. execute through command line. After that you can start using IDE.. which actually does every thing for you...

Why I am suggesting you this way is.. you will get to know, actually what is required to compile/run the java programs...

For a very basic programs.. (like very beginners) and how to execute them you have look into..

http://www.freejavaguide.com/corejava.htm
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cmalakar
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For free? :)
Yes, between the Sun Java tutorials, and the Thinking in Java, you should have a pretty good start.  The fact that you have programmed in other languages should help you get up to speed pretty quickly.
For a good IDE, I would recommend NetBeans. I've been using it since version 3.6 and it has its quirks, but it has never really let me down. The GUI builder has also been vital to my work and with the new binding features in version 6, it really has everything you need to make complete applications.

http://www.netbeans.org/
Hey there thanks everyone you have all been really helpful. HonorGod, I have already read through a huge amount of those tutorials. I got as far as I could without making a single application.

I suppose what I really need is an explanation of how to use an IDE. I feel that all I need to know is how to use an IDE, what all the features of the IDE are. For instance, I taught myself how to use Flash 11 years ago, as the first IDE I ever used. I learned how to program in that language easy. But then when I tried to learn C, I had huge trouble even though the language is almost identical to ActionScript. The reason was because I didn't understand the idea of a compiler, builder, and so on. I am having the same trouble with Java. I know as much as I need to about the actual language itself (to get started with some simple stuff), but I need to know what I need to download, where I need to download it, and what menus to navigate through to actually make programs, and how to handle errors. I think I will read cmalakar's noob book, because I find it very useful in that it goes over one feature at a time. And other than that, I will probably seek out some documentation for netbeans.

Thanks again!
Thanks I will read your book and try to get it working with NetBeans.
>> Hey there thanks everyone you have all been really helpful
Then why not split the points among all comments that were helpful to you?