Time to learn Java

kayos

Right phobos and all you Java heads out there I'm going to start learning the basics of Java and maybe start looking into jsp and servlets. So what I'm looking for are some nice tools (IDE's and Web App servers free of course). So any links/offers of CD's and why I should use the tools you suggest are the best. I'll be running in a windows env for the time being.

[note]
No I am not admitting that VB sucks in case you think I am AL/Weston
[/note]

TIA

phobos

Good to hear you have finally come to you to your senses (only joking).

It has been a while since I last talked to you, so just ta let ya know, I am now on the admin team of the Irish Java Users Group. We are being sponsored by Sun and Borland and have gotten some really kewl freebies, which I can pass on to ya. Actually I have 4 CDs full of tools and tutorials from Sun, that you would find very useful. Actually everything you need in on those disks.

I can pass on JBuilder (IDE) to ya, if you want. I have to go to a meeting in Dublin some time over the coming weeks and should be getting a complimentary copy of the new JBuilder 5 (oooooh).

Anyway, I'm sure I have enough stuff to keep ya busy for a few months at least. If you're still in Salthill, I'll see ya at the weekend.

;-phobos-)

yossarin

hey kayos,

http://java.sun.com/products/?frontpage-main

for jdk/sdks. For development I'd go with winedit (http://www.winedit.com/). They're pretty much ok - but don't use Jbuilder if you can help it.

servlets + jsp: Jakarta project:
http://jakarta.apache.org/
or more specificily the Tomcat server - available from the same page

hope this helps

yoss

phobos

They're pretty much ok - but don't use Jbuilder if you can help it.

Actually I would agree with that statement. It is usually a matter of personal preference, but all the guys at IJUG tend to stick with JBuilder. I personally only use it when I want to throw some GUI components together, coz it has a VB like form, widget toolbox editor, which allows drag and drop functionality. But all that can done in code, but takes more time (obviously). Unless you start making your own template classes, and inherit from them.

[edit]
But then again as you know the major problem with IDEs like JBuilder is that, if you rely on their RAD automations, you usually end up with a load of redundant Borland centric code. Bugger!
[/edit]

;-phobos-)

kayos

Nice one Weston. I wont be around at the weekend but if you

1. Give the Discs to Dav I'll burn a copy and you'll get them back the next weekend your back
2. Burn a copy for me and I'll give you some blank CD's (I'll leave them with Dav)

And it would be looked upon very kindly

PS I know Dreamweaver UltraDev is good for ASP and I know it can do JSP but is it any good for JSP?

Enygma

Hi kayos,
While the jakarta project has some fantastic software (i.e. Ant) I'd also take a look at Resin (www.caucho.com) it's a *lot* faster than Tomcat.

I use homesite for editing JSPs and it's really good but I guess which ever editor you're familiar with will do. (I think the homesite editor is actually the one used in Dreamweaver 4)


What's this IJUG thingy anyway? Is there a website/mailing-list set up?

Giblet

the "simplest" app would be to get the JDK from sun and combine it with textpad

and "JAVA GENTLY" is a good book for beginners
it explains classes methods instances etc really easily

marauder

I used to use winedit until I found this....
http://www.jcreator.com/ :cool:

Evil Phil

I'm only starting to learn JSP m'self. I got a book called Inside Servlets which seems ok so far, but it comes with Tomcat and Jbuilder 4 which is kind of handy.

Oh yeah, its by Dunstin R. Callaway ISBN=0-201-70906-6

Bosco

Kayos!?!....Learning Java?!?

Looks like I'll have to invest in a hardhat and rain gear...the pigs may take to the air at any moment...

Hope it all goes spankingly

Bosco

phobos

IJUG or the Irish Java Users Group was set up a few months back to promote the use of the Java language in Ireland (Surprisingly enough).

I don't want to give the impression I am trying to plug this initiative. So the best thing I can do is give you the URL. If you are interested visit it, if you are not, don't!.

www.ijug.org

To date there are 200 members and 4 administrators. We recently merged with www.bjug.net (Belfast Java Users Group), and the result is simply IJUG. The combined number of members has not been issued yet. The group is still in an elimentary stage, as you will surely see when you visit the site. The official launch date has yet to be finalised and will be sometime before Christmas. The lauch party will be located somewhere in Dublin, and attending memebers will no doubt recieve freebies from companies such as Sun Microsystem and Borland.

if you have any further questions you can send me mail.

;-phobos-)

ManWithName

That IJUG sounds cool. Hopefully it will have more momentum than the previous JSIG ( www.jsig.com ) in Dublin.

For people starting off in Java, I always recommend "Thinking in Java" by Bruce Eckel. You can download it from www.mindview.net, but you'd be better off buying a nice big paper copy I think it's really good because it focuses not only on teaching you the grammar of the language, but also the mentality behind OO programming.

After that, I reckon, download the JDK from sun, Tomcat from jakarta.apache.org, fire up your favourite text editor and off you go . Actually a good book I would recommend for learning servlets and JSPs is the O'Reilly one by Jason Hunter, I think. Dunno if you can get that for free thou

Jelvon

so is java worth learning? well I suppose I kinda have to learn it as java programming is part of my degree.. ,, but at the end will it be useful to me in finding a job?

Trojan

Originally posted by Jelvon
so is java worth learning? well I suppose I kinda have to learn it as java programming is part of my degree.. ,, but at the end will it be useful to me in finding a job?

Quick answer: Yes

Long answer: http://java.oreilly.com/news/whyjava_0600.html

Al.

Enygma

Definetely Jevlon, more and more businesses are using Java. Also a lot of the concepts you will learn will translate easily into other languages. But keep in mind that the more languages you know the more chance you have of getting a job. Take a look at C++, Perl and VB(you may not like it, then again you might). Once you know one, the others should be easy enough to learn.

GoneShootin

yes i did C++ as part of my cert, now im doin the dip and tis java we b starting. id imagine that it would have been much more difficult to go from scratch as elemets are similar between to two...

phobos

Java is an excellent language to learn, because it lets you write software that can be immediately released to a much broader target market (multiple OS's and the WORA concept). It is for this very reason more and more companies are adopting Java as their standard development tool. Having said that I still think the likes of C/C++ are great languages, and if you can program in them, the transition to Java will be painless.

With Java you can brach out in to any area of development, more so than other languages. You can do things like program embedded Smart Cards and PDAs, to distributed web applications, and Enterprise systems. This is all excluding application development (which you might have been used to before).

As a matter of interest GS, which college R U in?

But having read your other thread, I don't think it is a good idea just to plod through a language like Java. Just as Trojan and Enygma said, it is a valuable addition to your CV. So what I recommend you do, is learn the language (well). Don't try and just pass, get a bloody distinction, and to hell with everything else (well not really, but ya know what I mean).

;-phobos-)