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Greenhorn
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have very little Knowledge of C,c++ and now i want to study java and need to be an expert in 3 months. I cant join in any private courses. All i have to do is Sit at home and study. SO how do i start? Which book ?

I started Java with Complete Reference 4th edition couple of days back, i can understand the concepts and stuff but when it comes to writing my own programs , like solving a given problem, i dont even know how to start like , i dont know wat to import...........All i know is everything i write must be inside a class and that class must for sure have a method MAIN.

I am not a dumbo but this is wat i came to know after goin thru COMPLETE REFERENCE.
So now all i need to know is , Which material i can use which will teach me things practically like being in a classroom.

**I have a P4 desktop all for myself **
 
author and iconoclast
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Hi,

Welcome to JavaRanch!

I can tell you, without any reservation whatever, that you've set an absolutely impossible goal for yourself. There is no way on Earth that anyone can become an expert in a language like Java in just 3 months; don't even try, as you're doomed to failure. Why? Because one becomes an expert only through experience, and three months working alone at home is not sufficient experience.

Now, that said, I don't see any reason why you can't gain a working knowledge of the language in three months, if you've got a reasonable aptitude for programming. Here at the Ranch we're partial to the Head First books; Head First Java is a great introduction to Java and to programming in general. Over in the JavaRanch Bunkhouse, there's a whole shelf full of Beginning Java books, all with reviews from our staff and links to more info on Amazon. Have a look-see, pick something that appeals to you, and get to work.
 
Greenhorn
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I dunno about that... I'm a beginner who just spent at least 36 hours of the last 3 days writing code, debugging, and fixing a lot of identifiers and syntaxes. And I sure learned a lot about java. I bet someone could learn a heck of a lot about java in 3 months(assuming they had enough twinkies)
Anyway, any idea how I can cut down on the amount of time I spend fixing semantic issues other than JavaCodingStandards?
[ June 20, 2004: Message edited by: Joe Lank ]
 
Ranch Hand
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Joe - use an IDE like Eclipse that shows you syntactic errors as soon as you write them. It's basically like grammar-checking in M$ word, except that it only highlights things that are definitely wrong =).

Before we get into an IDE-war, I should also mention the other ones: NetBeans and IntelliJ are the two competitors. Of the three, Eclipse and NetBeans are free; IntelliJ is ~$400 but has a trial period.


Cheers,


--Tim
 
lowercase baba
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Originally posted by Joe Lank:
And I sure learned a lot about java. I bet someone could learn a heck of a lot about java in 3 months



I'm sure you did. and yes, someone can learn a lot about java in 3 months. but the OP said they wanted to be an EXPERT.

I'm no dummy either. In my job, i've been writing nothing but java for 2 years, and I certainly wouldn't consider myself an EXPERT - but that may depend on how you define that word. if it means "pass the certification exam", then i guess i am. if it means "understand every subtle nuance and idiosycracy of the language, and be able to explain it clearly and concisely to someone with no knowledge of programming", then no, i'm not. and, according to www.dictionary.com, and expert is

Having, involving, or demonstrating great skill, dexterity, or knowledge as the result of experience or training.



in three months, nobody is going to have much experience or training.
 
Sheriff
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Here is a list of free on-line Java tutorials and books that I have found useful:
  • Sun's Java Tutorial
  • Introduction to Computer Science using Java by Bradley Kjell
  • Introduction to Programming Using Java by David J. Eck
  • Dick Baldwin's Java Programming Tutorials
  • Interactive Programming In Java by Lynn Andrea Stein
  • Bruce Eckel's Thinking In Java
  • JavaRanch's own Campfire Stories
  • Allen B. Downey's How To Think Like A Computer Scientist
  • If you want to get good, write lots of programs. Also, to help learn a few topics, I'd recommend working your way through the JavaRanch Cattle Drive assignments.

    Don't forget to hang out around here, asking, reading and answering questions. That answering part can sure help to learn.
     
    Consider Paul's rocket mass heater.
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