Matthew Joseph wrote:i have the network admin password at work. a number of command line instructions require you to run cmd as administrator.
Start with things that don't require the admin password! Seriously, you don't want to be experimenting with a new language as an admin.
Matthew Joseph wrote:Also, a friend told me about swing for gui. would you say javafx is better?
According to Oracle, Java FX is replacing Swing.
This FAQ says:
6. Is JavaFX replacing Swing as the new client UI library for Java SE?
Yes. However, Swing will remain part of the Java SE specification for the foreseeable future, and therefore included in the JRE. While we recommend developers to leverage JavaFX APIs as much as possible when building new applications, it is possible to extend a Swing application with JavaFX, allowing for a smoother transition.
If the past is any indication, it will be a decade (or forever) before they actually remove Swing. But you are learning from scratch, so you might as well learn the new way first!