Trail: Getting Started

This trail provides everything you'll need to know about getting started with the Java programming
language.

The Java Technology Phenomenon Provides an overview of Java technology as a whole. It

discusses both the Java programming language and platform, providing a broad overview of what this
technology can do and how it will make your life easier.

The "Hello World!" Application This hands-on approach describes what to download, what to
install, and what to type, for creating a simple "Hello World!" application. It provides separate
instructions for the NetBeans™ integrated development environment (NetBeans IDE), Microsoft
Windows, Solaris™ Operating System (Solaris OS), Linux, and Mac users.

A Closer Look at "Hello World!" Discusses the "Hello World!" application, describing each section
of code in detail. It covers source code comments, the HelloWorldApp class definition block, and
the main method.

Common Problems (and Their Solutions) This is the place to go if you have trouble compiling or
running the programs in this trail.
Lesson: The Java Technology Phenomenon
Talk about Java technology seems to be everywhere, but what exactly is it? The following sections
explain how Java technology is both a programming language and a platform, and provide an overview
of what this technology can do for you.

 About the Java Technology

 What Can Java Technology Do?
 How Will Java Technology Change My Life?
About the Java Technology
Java technology is both a programming language and a platform.

The Java Programming Language

The Java programming language is a high-level language that can be characterized by all of the
following buzzwords:

 Simple  Architecture neutral

 Object oriented  Portable
 Distributed  High performance
 Multithreaded  Robust
 Dynamic  Secure

Each of the preceding buzzwords is explained in The Java Language Environment , a white paper written
by James Gosling and Henry McGilton.

In the Java programming language, all source code is first written in plain text files ending with
the .java extension. Those source files are then compiled into .class files by the javac compiler.
A .class file does not contain code that is native to your processor; it instead contains bytecodes —
the machine language of the Java Virtual Machine1 (Java VM). The java launcher tool then runs your
application with an instance of the Java Virtual Machine.

An overview of the software development process.

Because the Java VM is available on many different operating systems, the same .class files are
capable of running on Microsoft Windows, the Solaris™ Operating System (Solaris OS), Linux, or Mac
OS. Some virtual machines, such as the Java SE HotSpot at a Glance, perform additional steps at
runtime to give your application a performance boost. This includes various tasks such as finding
performance bottlenecks and recompiling (to native code) frequently used sections of code.
 Through the Java VM, the same application is capable of running on multiple platforms.

The Java Platform

A platform is the hardware or software environment in which a program runs. We've already mentioned
some of the most popular platforms like Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris OS, and Mac OS. Most
platforms can be described as a combination of the operating system and underlying hardware. The Java
platform differs from most other platforms in that it's a software-only platform that runs on top of other
hardware-based platforms.

The Java platform has two components:

 The Java Virtual Machine

 The Java Application Programming Interface (API)

You've already been introduced to the Java Virtual Machine; it's the base for the Java platform and is
ported onto various hardware-based platforms.

The API is a large collection of ready-made software components that provide many useful capabilities. It
is grouped into libraries of related classes and interfaces; these libraries are known as packages. The
next section, What Can Java Technology Do? highlights some of the functionality provided by the API.
 The API and Java Virtual Machine insulate the program from the underlying hardware.

As a platform-independent environment, the Java platform can be a bit slower than native code.
However, advances in compiler and virtual machine technologies are bringing performance close to that
of native code without threatening portability.

The terms"Java Virtual Machine" and "JVM" mean a Virtual Machine for the Java platform.
What Can Java Technology Do?
The general-purpose, high-level Java programming language is a powerful software platform. Every full
implementation of the Java platform gives you the following features:

 Development Tools: The development tools provide everything you'll need for compiling,
running, monitoring, debugging, and documenting your applications. As a new developer, the
main tools you'll be using are the javac compiler, the java launcher, and
the javadoc documentation tool.
 Application Programming Interface (API): The API provides the core functionality of the
Java programming language. It offers a wide array of useful classes ready for use in your
own applications. It spans everything from basic objects, to networking and security, to XML
generation and database access, and more. The core API is very large; to get an overview of
what it contains, consult the Java Platform Standard Edition 8 Documentation.
 Deployment Technologies: The JDK software provides standard mechanisms such as the
Java Web Start software and Java Plug-In software for deploying your applications to end
users.
 User Interface Toolkits: The JavaFX, Swing, and Java 2D toolkits make it possible to
create sophisticated Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs).
 Integration Libraries: Integration libraries such as the Java IDL API, JDBC API, Java
Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) API, Java RMI, and Java Remote Method Invocation
over Internet Inter-ORB Protocol Technology (Java RMI-IIOP Technology) enable database
access and manipulation of remote objects.
How Will Java Technology Change My Life?
We can't promise you fame, fortune, or even a job if you learn the Java programming language. Still, it is
likely to make your programs better and requires less effort than other languages. We believe that Java
technology will help you do the following:

 Get started quickly: Although the Java programming language is a powerful object-oriented
language, it's easy to learn, especially for programmers already familiar with C or C++.
 Write less code: Comparisons of program metrics (class counts, method counts, and so on)
suggest that a program written in the Java programming language can be four times smaller
than the same program written in C++.
 Write better code: The Java programming language encourages good coding practices, and
automatic garbage collection helps you avoid memory leaks. Its object orientation, its
JavaBeans™ component architecture, and its wide-ranging, easily extendible API let you
reuse existing, tested code and introduce fewer bugs.
 Develop programs more quickly: The Java programming language is simpler than C++,
and as such, your development time could be up to twice as fast when writing in it. Your
programs will also require fewer lines of code.
 Avoid platform dependencies: You can keep your program portable by avoiding the use of
libraries written in other languages.
 Write once, run anywhere: Because applications written in the Java programming language
are compiled into machine-independent bytecodes, they run consistently on any Java
platform.
 Distribute software more easily: With Java Web Start software, users will be able to launch
your applications with a single click of the mouse. An automatic version check at startup
ensures that users are always up to date with the latest version of your software. If an update
is available, the Java Web Start software will automatically update their installation.
Lesson: The "Hello World!" Application
The sections listed below provide detailed instructions for compiling and running a simple "Hello World!"
application. The first section provides information on getting started with the NetBeans IDE, an integrated
development environment that greatly simplifies the software development process. The NetBeans IDE
runs on all of the platforms listed below. The remaining sections provide platform-specific instructions for
getting started without an integrated development environment. If you run into problems, be sure to
consult the common problems section; it provides solutions for many issues encountered by new users.

"Hello World!" for the NetBeans IDE These instructions are for users of the NetBeans IDE. The NetBeans
IDE runs on the Java platform, which means that you can use it with any operating system for which
there is a JDK 7 available. These operating systems include Microsoft Windows, Solaris OS, Linux, and
Mac OS X. We recommend using the NetBeans IDE instead of the command line whenever possible.

"Hello World!" for Microsoft Windows These command-line instructions are for users of Windows XP
Professional, Windows XP Home, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows
Vista.

"Hello World!" for Solaris OS and Linux These command-line instructions are for users of Solaris OS and
Linux. Common Problems (and Their Solutions) Consult this page if you have problems compiling or
running your application.