Introduction to Java Programming
If
you want to learn computer programming but don't have any prior experience,
you'll enjoy a tour of Java, one of the most widely used computer languages
in the world. It’s a breeze to learn in a friendly and supportive
environment. Start with the basics of program design and go on to write your
own programs and integrate input and output, calculations, decision making,
and loops. Build your knowledge and confidence with easy-to-understand
examples and plenty of skill-building exercises. So whether you just want to
try it out to see if you like it or plan on doing more with Java, this is a
great place to start!
We’ll use the latest release of Java, from Sun Microsystems, the company
that maintains and supports the language. We’ll also use BlueJ, a graphical
development environment designed especially for students. Both are free
open-source products, and I’ll give you the proper instructions to download
them. By the time we’re done, you’ll be comfortable with Java programming
and ready for more!
To enroll in this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
Microsoft Windows 98 or better, or Macintosh OS X or better, or Linux; Internet access; e-mail; and the and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser. You will also need a working copy of the most recent versions of the Java Development Kit (JDK) and BlueJ (free downloads). Download and installation instructions are available in Lesson 4.
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end.
Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course.
You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must
complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each
month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to
space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
| If you're curious about computer programming or
wondering what all the fuss is about, this course is a great place
to start. You'll learn the basics of programming and enough of the
Java programming language to start writing your own programs. You'll
also gain a foundation for further study and training in computer
programming or in Java. |
| Friday - Lesson 02 |
| Have you ever wondered exactly what a computer
program is? In this lesson, we'll go over how a program does what it
does, and then we'll examine the steps involved in designing and
writing a program. Since lack of preparation is the most common
cause of program problems (or almost any other undertaking!), we’ll
focus on the planning stages of designing a program. |
| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
| Even if you’re familiar with computers and have
done some programming, you may not be familiar with object-oriented
programming, which is what Java is all about. In today's lesson,
we'll discuss classes, objects, attributes, and methods, and how
they all work together to form programs that are both modular
and reusable. |
| Friday - Lesson 04 |
| Now that you’ve got some basic concepts under
your belt, it's time to get down to business. Today, you’ll download
and install all the software you need to write and test Java
programs. You’ll also test your installations by running your very
first program, and you'll learn what it means to compile a program
before running it. |
| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
| Now that you’ve installed all the software and
run your first program, you’re ready to actually write a
program of your own. In this lesson, you’ll start from scratch and
write your first program, which will duplicate the results of the
one you ran last time. Along the way, you’ll learn how to define a
class, the data it needs, and the methods that make it work. |
| Friday - Lesson 06 |
| This lesson will be a bit like peeling an onion.
We ran a program that we didn’t write (the whole onion) in Lesson 4.
In Lesson 5, we took one layer off the onion when we wrote a program
to do the same simple task. Today, we'll peel back another layer or
two as we start the process of writing a more complicated program,
one that will take us several lessons to finish. Hopefully, we'll be
able to avoid the tears as we begin our development and go over
basic program structure, data types, and calculations. |
| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
| In this lesson we’re going to continue developing
the program we started last time. We’ll add decision-making to our
programming repertoire, and we'll see how Java compares values. Then
we'll discuss how to use those comparisons to decide what course of
action to take in any given situation. |
| Friday - Lesson 08 |
| Round, and round, and round we go. . .where we
stop, nobody knows! Actually, you will know, because today's lesson
is all about using loops to repeat actions as many times as you
want. And if you write your loops well, you'll definitely stop where
you want! |
| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
| In today's lesson, you’re going to learn how to
write applets, which are small Java programs that run in
browser windows and use GUI (Graphical User Interface) tools. Just
like before, we’ll start out very simply, then dive into the deep
end in another lesson. |
| Friday - Lesson 10 |
| Ready to bring out your inner Picasso? Today,
we'll use Java’s 2-D graphical tools to draw simple shapes like
rectangles, ovals, arcs, and polygons. Along the way, you’ll also
learn some more programming techniques related to storing groups of
items in a single collection called an array. |
| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
| In this lesson, you’ll improve your graphics
capabilities by learning how to load an image and display it. If you
have any digital pictures of family or friends, now is the time to
get them out! You’ll also see how to enhance your text capabilities
using different font faces, styles, and sizes. |
| Friday - Lesson 12 |
| Wow! We’re down to the last lesson already! We’re
going to wrap up the course with a couple of final topics related to
graphics: animation and interactivity. You’ll see how to animate
simple shapes by moving them and redrawing them. Then you’ll learn
how to make your programs interact with the mouse so that a user can
make things happen using a simple click-and-drag interface. |
To enroll in this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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