[Grim the Keeper]

Hello! I recently found two tutorials that I'll be learning Java from. I'd like some feedback on whether or not these are good enough resources.

Tutorial 1: math.hws.edu/javanotes/
Tutorial 2: https://www.youtube....h?v=3u1fu6f8Hto (I have the full video)

Also, would it be a good idea to combine these 2 and use them both to learn Java?

Thanks

[ndc85430]

The first one seems like it covers quite a lot of important stuff and is relatively up to date (it's using Java 7 and we're on 8 now), so that's good. You may also want to look at the Oracle Java Tutorials, too.

Out of interest, what is your reason for wanting to learn Java?

[DeveloperOfThings]

I looked at the first one (from hws.edu) and I don't really like it - it teaches great concepts but it doesn't teach them well. It does it in an overcomplicated way and it looks like a mess. If you take a look at this example from that site(or any of the pages..they're all the same way):

wtf is this guy talking about

He has knowledge of the subject but doesn't know how to explain it to a beginner. Only someone at an intermediate level would know wtf he is trying to get at.


There are some basic things that you should learn how to do before moving onto tougher concepts:
-how to declare, initialize, and use variables
-how to call methods from the api (e.g. System.out.println("hello")/>/>/>
-how to code and use if statements, while loop, for loop
-how to create and call methods, and how to pass variables as parameters to methods

Then you can move onto the object-oriented material like coding a class that you can create an object of, how to call methods using the object, etc.

You should really stick to the basics, and focus on memorizing syntax and how you can apply it to code your own statements.

Most of all you need to practice it over and over until you can write the code and apply it in different situations (e.g. one application of an if statement would be to check if an int variable is greater than 10, but another application of an if statement could be to check if one String equals another String).

I'm not sure on any resources that you could use online, but make sure it stays basic and easy to follow. I learned Java in college and I used a combination of listening to the professor, reading his slides (which had a lot of easy to follow example code - very important), reading the book (Murach's Java Programming 4th edition), and trying it on my own on his assignments.

I'd give the book a try if I were you, it's cheap (like $20 used, maybe cheaper if you look hard enough) and also easily obtainable as a pdf if you are so inclined. The book gives an explanation of the topic, then it gives syntax, then it gives examples, then it gives bullet points of the main points of the topic. It also gives practice exercises you can try at the end of each chapter. One thing I don't like about the book is that it doesn't really explain the concepts behind creating a good program, such as how to organize code (e.g. by putting it into a method) or when would you code a class that you would make an object from, or when would you make a method static or non-static and why, etc. But it does a great job (in my opinion) of teaching you how to actually code and get a working program, which I think is the first step to programming.

Learn one thing at a time, practice what you learn until you are confident with your knowledge of that topic, practice some more, and then practice some more.

I hope my post was helpful and clear, and good luck!

This post has been edited by DeveloperOfThings: 24 April 2015 - 01:10 AM

[Grim the Keeper]

@DeveloperOfThings, thanks for the informative answer. It was very helpful and clear. I have decided to change my learning plan and use MITOpenCourseWare instead to learn Java programming. Thanks again

[Grim the Keeper]

ndc85430, on 24 April 2015 - 07:11 AM, said:

The first one seems like it covers quite a lot of important stuff and is relatively up to date (it's using Java 7 and we're on 8 now), so that's good. You may also want to look at the Oracle Java Tutorials, too.

Out of interest, what is your reason for wanting to learn Java?

Thanks for your help!

My reason for wanting to learn Java is that I've always wanted to learn computer programming so that I could create programs as a hobby. I also wanted to create my own programs instead of asking others. Now I want to learn so that I could do it as a hobby AND create my own software/app to form a business.

[ndc85430]

Fair enough and there's nothing wrong with Java as a first language.