How to Install Java Programming Free

Java is the most pervasive programming environment on the planet. So how do you get started writing code that could run on billions of devices world-wide? This article will help you quickly find and install a complete Java development environment. These are highly professional developer resources and they are all free of charge.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Modern computer (Apple, PC, Sparc, Linux, etc) Internet connection Integrated Developer Environment (IDE) Java Developer's Kit (JDK)

1. These instructions require access to the Internet. Because the Java development environment is feature-rich, a high-speed connection is strongly recommended to facilitate the download of large files.

2. 
    
   Java was created by Sun Microsystems, Inc.

   Go to the source of Java. Sun Microsystems not only invented Java, it keeps refining Java and provides free developer tools, tutorials and code examples to help you learn the language. From the system you intend to use for Java development, point a browser to http://developers.sun.com.

3. 
    

   Consider how you intend to write and test your developed code. If you are already comfortable with an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) you could simply pull down the Java Developer's Kit (JDK) and start working from within your familiar IDE. If you aren't yet wedded to a specific developer's tool set, you might want to use NetBeans, which is free from Sun, and available on Mac X, Solaris, Windows 2000/XP & Vista.

4. Select the NetBeans link from the Download menu at the top of the screen. This will present you with a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 1. If you are not interested in using the free NetBeans IDE, you may select Java EE or a related link from this menu and download the JDK of your choice.

5. 
    
   Figure 1. OS support and availlable NetBeans programming bundles

   Select the operating system on which you will do your development by using the drop-down box to the upper-right of the screen, as shown in Figure 1. The combination of tools packaged with the NetBeans IDE varies with your choice of Operating System, so this can be a very important step.

6. Double-click the downloaded file and simply follow the instructions. Installation instructions may vary a bit from one platform to another, but they're not complicated on any platform.

7. 
    
   Advantages of registering

   Register your installation to obtain benefits. Responding positively to the request to register will launch a browser window and take you to Sun's website, where you, in doing so, gain access to a wide range of developer resources. As shown in Figure 3, at the time of this writing, those benefits include not just access to free tutorials and sample code, but a discount of 40% on technical books published by SMI Press.

8. 
    
   NetBeans start page

   Take the tour to get the basics about this new IDE. Returning to your new installation of NetBeans, you'll see a welcome screen that's full of resources for new and established developers. New users should note the links for the Tour, and the Learn More About section.

9. 
    
   Auto Updates help keep your new IDE current

   Install AutoUpdate to keep your tools up-to-date. Select "Add Plugins" from the "Extend Your IDE" section of the NetBeans Start Page. The top-most section of this screen has buttons, like tabs, that change the focus of the content for the window. The default content is "Updates" and in that screen, you'll see the Auto Update Services plugin. By selecting this plugin, you'll automatically be informed of any updates to the IDE as they are released.

10. Enrich your IDE with additional programing tools incorporated as plugins. The next view of this window is the Available Plugins view. There are literally scores of available plugins with notes about whether they are officially certified, or considered Beta, what type of category they fit in, and for each plugin there are notes and links to additional information in the panel on the right-hand side of the window. The Settings view allows you to control how often the IDE checks for updates, and provides for Internet Proxy settings.

11. Select a sample project. Now that you have tweaked the IDE to update automatically, and pulled interesting plugins, it's time to get started with Java programming. From the IDE Start page, you may select any of several sample projects which are available under the categories such as Java Web, Web Services, Java EE, and Groovy. The sample projects in each category are designed to offer simple and more complex examples of the types of scenarios a developer may need to tackle in Java, such as forms-based data interaction, graphics manipulation, JavaScript examples, and some using the Java Persistence Specification.

Tips & Warnings

• It's difficult to learn programming without a purpose in mind for the exercise. A friend of mine taught himself Visual Basic because he wanted to develop a catalog for his literally thousands of CD's. To learn more about graphics, he extended his catalog capabilities to produce album and song titles in a jewel-case format, and learned to author self-adhesive CD labels as well. Though the world might not have needed another CD cataloging system, my friend did need a good topic around which he could learn the language. If you're not new to programming, but want to learn and contribute, try out the SourceForge website. At SourceForge, you can learn from the source code of others, and work out how to extend that code in ways the community might find helpful.
• Putting in the Java environment with NetBeans is easy, but Java is seldom the first programming language people choose when learning how to write code. People will often start with a more simplistic interpreted language such as BASIC, UNIX Shell scripting, Perl, or a Macro language such as found in Excel or in Open Office. Novice programmers are strongly suggested to take advantage of tutorials and such guides as may be available online or in a local library to keep start-up costs low.

Resources

• Java.Net Development Community
• Sun Microsystem's Developer's Network
• SourceForge.Net Open Source Software