What is Java?
I don't know about you, but when someone says the word "java" the first thing I think about is a nice hot cup of coffee. Yum! In the technology world "Java" is one of the most popular object oriented programming languages. The reasoning for this is because unlike many other programming languages, when we finish writing our programs it doesn't need to be compiled for every different operating system. Instead, it compiles into bytecode. Then each operating system is able to use the Java Runtime Environment to run the same bytecode. Therefore, you don't have to write a program multiple times for different operating systems. This is what sets Java apart from many other operating systems.
How do I install Java?
Java is very easy to install. The current version is JDK 13. You can easily install it by going to Oracle and downloading their current version. Don't forget that you also need to download an IDE. IDE stands for integrated development environment. It's basically a fancy text editor. They help programmers write code better and faster by highlighting syntax, autocompleting code, and giving hints and suggestions for cleaning code up. Also included in an IDE is generally a compiler and debugger. All of this is bundled into one environment. There are hundreds of Java IDE's out there and most of it comes down to preference.
Here is a youtube tutorial that will guide you through downloading Java JDK 13.
What is Object Oriented Programming?
It was previously stated that Java is an object oriented programming language. Now that Java is installed, we should define what object oriented programming is. Early programs used to be written line by line as a very long list of instructions. For simple programs and applications this is fine. However, as programs became more complex, it just becomes impractical.
Object Oriented Programming allows programmers to define objects with their own attributes and code and then these objects are able to interact with each other. For instance, you might be able to define a button as an object and it would have its own code with its attributes and methods that could then interact with other code within a program. This allows us to write complex programs without having to duplicate mass amounts of code.
The following youtube video is a great source for understanding what Object Oriented Programming is:
I hope this blog helps you to get started with your Java Programming Journey!
Happy Coding,
-Megan
References:
Java OOPs concepts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.javatpoint.com/java-oops-concepts
Programming with Mosh. (2018, March 29). Object-oriented Programming in 7 minutes. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTB0EiLXUC8&t=24s.
Tubemint. (2019, September 21). How to Download & Install Java JDK 13 on Windows 10. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIl48gbFiEc&t=32s.
