Learning Java Programming

Discover what makes Java one of the most popular programming languages out there. After an overview of how Java works, learn the meanings and applications of terms like Java Virtual Machine, integrated development environment, and Java bytecode.

Think of integrated development environments (IDEs) as code editors with everything programmers need to write code. Get insights into three IDEs: IntelliJ IDEA (used to write programs in multiple languages), NetBeans (which simplifies app development), and Android Studio (the app-friendly IDE used in rest of this course).

For Mac users: Discover how to properly install Android Studio—the tool you’ll be using to learn Java and, later in the course, build an Android app. This lesson covers the step-by-step installation process.

For Windows users: Discover how to properly install Android Studio, the tool you’ll be using to learn Java and, later in the course, build an Android app. This lesson covers the step-by-step installation process.

Crack your knuckles and get ready to create your first Java program inside Android Studio. Learn how to build a program that prints out specific messages: “Hello World” and “Java programming is fun!”

Take a closer look at the "print" program you created in the previous lesson. Topics you’ll cover here include package keywords, classes (which must go within a pair of curly braces), and the critical importance of basic syntax for your code to run properly.

Variables are essential in computer programming because they make it much easier for programmers to output data that can be passed on to another method for further processing. Learn how to declare and specify String and int (integer) variables.

The act of putting strings together into one long string is known as concatenation. Exercises in this lesson include creating several String and int variables with assigned values, and writing a short story about yourself using variables in Java.

There are eight primitive variable types in Java, each of which has a set number of data bits it can hold. Dichone introduces you to the boolean primitive, which can only hold either 1 or 0 (true or false), and the char primitive, which represents one character only.

Explore additional primitive variable types. A byte holds eight bits and is commonly used in instances where you need a small container for data. A short holds 16 bits, and makes a great mid-sized container. And a long, at 64 bits, is best for larger numbers.

So far, you’ve learned how to express whole numbers of varying sizes. What about decimal numbers? That’s where a float or double comes in. The first holds any number with a few decimal places, and the second is best used to express decimals with more precision.

Understanding how operator precedence works in Java is crucial, because you could end up with the wrong result—even though you’ve plugged in the right numbers. Learn how to effectively work with mathematical operators like + and * and / and %.

Loops help programs repeat tasks until a final condition is met. Here, learn how to build and use while loops in your program and get tips on avoiding the danger of creating an infinite loop that will run forever (or at least until your computer runs out of memory).

“If you have less than $1,000 in your bank account, you should not go to Las Vegas.” How do we express this statement in code? Learn how to branch programs using if, if-else, and else-if statements to evaluate conditional expressions and decide what to run.

In programming cases where you have more than two possible conditions, a switch statement is your best friend, as it can test for a variety of different conditions and respond accordingly. In this lesson, try your hand at using switch statements.

Gain working familiarity with do-while and for loops. With the former, the statements inside the loop are executed at least once (even if the loop condition is false). With the latter, you can repeat a section of a program a fixed number of times.

Unlike variables, arrays store a collection of related variables that share the same type. Here, learn to think of arrays in Java as containers that hold smaller containers inside them and get tips on how to master their flexibility in programming.

In programming, objects are the building blocks of tasks that you can plug into a bigger system. Explore the various components that go into creating objects, from creating a blueprint (class) to using "methods" to express particular object “behaviors.”

Constructors are methods that construct your object so that, when it’s instantiated, the object is not just empty and useless. In this lesson, take a closer look at how to work with constructors using the same code from the previous lesson.

In this lesson on methods (code blocks where you can have statements and in which you can write your logic), learn through several helpful exercises how to work with important method-related keywords like main, public, static, and void.

How can you protect your classes from catastrophic programming mistakes? How do getters and setters actually force you to set up your class properties in more secure ways? Should getters and setters be marked private or public? Find out here.

String, just one of the thousands of classes that come prepacked in Java, is a class you can instantiate into an object. In this lesson, explore some of the many nuances of using the String class as a reference type in your own coding work.

Inheritance in Java involves the creation of a hierarchy of classes that inherit the behaviors of other classes. Discover how to override behaviors of the parent class (the super class) so that your subclass implements its own version of that behavior.

What happens when you still want to invoke your superclass’s method inside of a subclass? Dichone teaches you how to do just that in this second lesson on Java inheritance that’s all about the power of the super keyword.

Comb through all the Java classes available to you as a programmer with this look at the Java Class Library. One of the many beauties of Java is this library of usable classes you can plug into your own classes, without having to write them yourself.