Newbie to Newbie - Introduction to Java and Object Oriented Programming

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is programming built around data and objects rather than using functions and logic. Object-Oriented Programming has four main types of blocks: Classes, objects, methods, and attributes. Classes define the nature of an object. Objects are data fields with unique attributes. Methods are the behaviors of the objects, or the actions that the object can perform. Attributes are additional characteristics that the object has besides the class of the object. This makes the object more unique and identifiable.

As an Information Technology student with little programming experience, many of these terms and concepts are new to me. My experience with programming languages is limited to taking a course on Python a few months ago. This week I am beginning to learn another programming language, Java.

To begin my learning experiences with Java, I found the benefits of OOPs and Java here. After reading about some of the advantages of Java, I went on to download Java. The download can be found here (Java downloads)

After downloading Java successfully, the window above appeared on my screen. Next, the tutorials on the website walked me through creating a brief “HelloWorldApp.java” program. This is a brand new programming language for me so I appreciated this help. 

In addition to downloading Java, you will need to download an ILE. It is recommended that we use Apache NetBeans 15 for this class. This tutorial on Oracle's website will walk you through how to use Java on the NetBeans ILE. They recommend using this version of Java (jdk1.8.0_181). 

Now with the installation complete, you are set to begin learning how to write code in Java. There are many tutorials out there to help. Remember, Java and JavaScript are two different languages. Make sure you are learning the correct language. 

Good luck learning this new language, Newbie.

References

Bradshaw, R. (2022, January 27). Why Object-Oriented Programming Matters. Apollo Technical LLC. https://www.apollotechnical.com/why-object-oriented-programming-matters/

Java OOPs Concepts - Javatpoint. (n.d.). www.javatpoint.com. https://www.javatpoint.com/java-oops-concepts