Getting Started with Java

Whether this is your first foray into high-level object-oriented programming languages, such as Java, or if you've been programming for some time and you're just looking to add Java to your repertoire, or even if you've never touched a line of code in your life, this book is designed to accommodate you. We're going to move quickly, and we're not going to shy away from heavy subjects; however, we're going to begin this book from the very ground up and learn about the concepts behind object-oriented programming as we go.

In this chapter, we'll understand what Java is and also look at its features. We'll then follow a step-by-step process to set up a development environment to enable us to write and execute Java programs. Once we accomplish this, we'll write our very first Java program and run it. Lastly, we'll look at what to do when we get an error.

Specifically, we'll cover the following topics:

• What is Java
• Features and applications of Java
• Installing JDK
• Installing the NetBeans IDE
• Writing HelloWorld.java
• NetBeans' error detection capabilities