Programming tutorials

One of the difficult things about getting started with Java is installing everything you need. Even before you write a single line of code, the headaches begin! Hopefully, the following sections will make life easier for you.We're going to write all our code using a free piece of software called NetBeans. This is one of the most popular IDEs (Interface Development Environment) in the world for writing Java programmes. You'll see what it looks like shortly. But before NetBeans will work, it needs you to install the necessary Java components and files. First up is something called the Java Virtual Machine.



The Java Virtual Machine

Java is platform independent. This means that it will run on just about any operating system. So whether your computer runs Windows, Linux, Mac OS, it's all the same to Java! The reason it can run on any operating system is because of the Java Virtual Machine. The Virtual Machine is a programme that processes all your code correctly. So you need to install this programme (Virtual Machine) before you can run any Java code.

Java is owned by a company called Sun Microsystems, so you need to head over to Sun's website to get the Java Virtual Machine, also known as the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Try this page first:

http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp

You can check to see if you already have the JRE on your computer by clicking the link "Do I have Java?". You'll find this link under the big Download button at the top of the page. (Unless Sun have changed things around, again!) When you click the link, your computer will be scanned for the JRE. You will then be told whether you have it or not. If not, you'll be given the opportunity to download and install it.

Or you could just head over to this page:

http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

The "manual" in the above links means "manual download". The page gives you download links and instructions for a wide variety of operating systems.

After downloading and installing, you may n

www.java.com