Embla Tingeling wrote:
I think this is a waste of time really. You don't need to use development tools favoured by your grandpa to get a grip on Java. It's enougth to know that you can develop Java programs from the OS shell using a text editor. You don't have to go through all the pain and actually do it. It won't give you a better understanding of "how Java really works". It's because Java works in different ways depending on which tools you use and no tool-set is closer to the truth than any other. I'd say skip Sun's ancient tools and start using a modern IDE tomorrow.
IMHO, a good reason for this is because we have a large number of people going for their certification here at the ranch. And unfortunately, the
SCJP does
test using how the command line compiler behaves.
In my case, I do use an IDE most of the time, but I also do on-site consulting quite a bit. When you are on-site, you may not get to choose your developement environment, and the command line is the lowest common denominator.
Henry