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The objective for the first chapter is to get a basic Java application entered, compiled and executed. You will be shown how to obtain and install Java. You will then be shown how to enter your source code. Finally, I will show you how to compile and execute your application. These basic steps will be repeated through this book as you create and test applications of your own. So it is very important that you understand this process. To summarize, the primary topics of Chapter 1 are:

• Introduction to the Java Language
• Compiling a Java Application
• Running a Java Application
• What is Java

Java is a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. The Java programming language can be obtained free-of-charge from Sun Microsystems’s website http://java.sun.com. Java syntax builds upon C/C++ syntax. If you are familiar with the C/C++ programming languages, Java will seem very familiar.

However, unlike C/C++, Java is very cross-platform. By cross-platform, I mean that a Java program will run on many different operating systems. You could easily take a Java application and run it on a Windows, Mac OS-X, or a Linux based computer. This often requires no change to the program or even recompiling.

Java is also Object Oriented. If you have never programmed an object-oriented language before, this will probably be one of the most difficult aspects of Java for you to learn. Object Oriented programming will be discussed in Chapter 13. In essence, Object Oriented programs are broken up into reusable objects.

Java provides several different application types to fit different programming needs. Next, I will explain the different types of Java applications.