Beginning with Java

I am curious what I need to begin programming with Java on the Windows OS.

Can I use Visual Studio's?
Do I need an SDK?
Java Platform download?
Any tutorial sites?

I am trying to get a heads up on my university class.

Thanks

I am not 100% sure, but I don't think you can use VS. VS doesn't have a java compiler. It has J#, but I have no idea what that is. But I am pretty sure it is not normal standard JAva.


What you need is a compiler, some sort of IDE, and a VM. I have always used the NetBeans IDE since it has everything that I need. If you go to netbeans home page then you can find a big download that contains everything you need.


Other IDE/compilers that people seems to like is Eclipse and JCreator. I have never tried Eclipse, but many people think it is better then NetBeans. JCreator is probably the lightest of the IDEs. But it lack stuff as Inteli Sense and so on, so if you like that, then stay clear.

Hope that helps.
- ØØ -

J# is a .Net language with Java syntax and a few compatibility classes, designed to lure programmers to .Net.

What you need is an editor and the JDK (which includes the VM). You get the JDK at java.sun.com, and my favourite editor is jEdit from www.jedit.org.

Sun's Java site also has a very good Java tutorial.

and for sample source codes there's the JAVA Tutorial in the sun site... which can be downloaded as well, the API is a must.

then there's the java almanac which contains a lot of code snippets of just about everything java. :D
http://javaalmanac.com/egs/?