new to J2EE, and would like to learn

[Wilson Mui]

I am really new to J2EE and am desparately trying to learn by setting up an environment and doing some tutorials. I am in that really really newbie stage that is most difficult. I just need to get on my feet. I downloaded the J2EE SDK and am running the server app that came with the package. I was wondering if people would suggest i start with that, or if there are other programs I should download and run like Tomcat or Apache (which I know nothing of either). I really just need a good starting point, and I'm actually having a real difficult time figuring out how to start...literally the first steps.

[Maximilian Trenks]

installing the reference implementation is the easiest step with je2ee :-)
what you need now is to understand the myths of j2ee. there is a j2ee tutorial on java.sun.com. take a look at it. then i would suggest to download and read through the ejb spec, this is the source where you can rule out an doubts you could have during developing. for more professional information look at theserverside.com, especially the patterns and best practise articles.
hope i could help, but be aware there is much reading ahead for you :-)

[Wilson Mui]

Thanks for the info. I am going through the J2EE tutorial right now. I think a lot of what I am reading right now though is just rote instructions, and they don't really say, what each command is doing, or what they are doing (the big picture, at least I don't see it). As for reading the specs on EJBs, I honestly can't see how that can help. For somebody who is just trying to figure out how all these components interact with each other, I think the specs will just be way over my head. I honestly don't think it is realistic. I will see what I can dig up in terms of other reading materials, but honestly, there aren't many beginners type guides out there. If you have any idea of what other types of reading materials there are, I appreciate knowing what they are. I've always felt a different perspective on the same material really bolsters understanding.