OS and Software > No, I Will Not Fix Your #@$!! Computer > Learning Java - online or in a classroom?

Learning Java - online or in a classroom?

If you haven't done any production-grade programming, Java can be quite daunting. I would have a quick romance with ASP.NET C# programming. You can get all the stuff free from Microsoft. Put together a few simple, object-oriented web apps that do middle-tier processing from the tutorials. That will give you enough of an understanding of the fundamentals.

Don't get into using JavaScript...its only relationship to Java is having the word in its name. Concepts are similar to C# and Java, but also a world of its own.
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"Dance like the photo isn't being tagged; love like you've never been unfriended; and tweet like nobody is following."

reply to Ellexa
Depends on how far the class goes into it. Java is way easier on some things than say C++ but also depends on how far the course is going into stuff. Do you have a course description?

The course description is, unfortunately, not that extensive:

"Teaches fundamentals of object-oriented programming using Java. This course emphasizes program construction, algorithm development, coding, debugging, and documentation of console and graphical user interface applications."

reply to Ellexa
It depends.

Java is a professional programming language, like most are. You may fall right into it or not. It's no different than learning C# despite what was said and it's no different than learning Python or Ruby or JavaScript or any other language.

It is all encompassing and can get very deep if you take it that far. If you don't get an instructor to work with online then you'll have to find other resources. Will that work for you? Don't know. Can't advise.

reply to Ellexa
C++ once past a point has no garbage pickup and you can program it and a few different ways to do the same thing. Plus c++ digs way more down into OS than java.
Depends on teacher and classmates. if teacher is good and have decent classmates to talk to after class or online in class room is better than online.

reply to howardfine
The fact that Java is not much different than C# is the same impression I'm getting from other, in person sources. I doubt that we will be going too far into the subject in light of the fact that this is an introductory class.

I'm getting the impression that the decision to take Java online (on my own) or in the classroom, should based upon my own inherent knack for picking up such skills. Is this correct?

Um. Yes. Unless it's not. Then no.

reply to Ellexa
I always recommend learning C++ before learning any other language. You will learn a lot more getting your hands dirty with C++ and other languages would be easier to learn as well.

I started with C++ during college years 2002-2006 and after that i had work projects that were on C#, Java, PHP, JavaScript and it was easier to grasp them because of the solid foundation on C++.

This is just my opinion. It was easier for me to learn the other languages having a strong C++ foundation.

Now, if time, job or money are involved, just learn whatever the requirement is, you dont want to make your client wait while you learn C++ to learn whatever language they need you to write the application on.

The problem with that is most colleges now use Java as the introductory programming course*. IOW you have to take Java before you'd be allowed to take C++.

(*I remember back in the day when it was Pascal, but I'm dating myself...)

Thanks for that - not too often anyone refers to me as "young". When I worked on Burroughs I wasn't doing any programming, but I know their system was coded in COBOL - I saw the printout on greenbar paper.

In the early 80s, I made fun of a friend of mine for taking COBOL in school and wanting to make it his language of choice cause he worked at a bank. To this day, he's still a COBOL programmer at a financial institution.

More like: $$$$$$ (6 $ signs.. )

reply to Wily_One

FORTRAN was my first also, but 30 or 31 blanks? I think the only place that the difference would be significant (well, not very, but visible) would be in a FORMAT statement.

Almost bingo.

Hint: He wanted 30 blanks on paper.

Because the first character in a record is the unprinted carriage-control character.

Blank = advance one line before printing.
'0' = advance two lines (i.e. one blank line)
'1' = advance to new page (or 'skip to channel 1' if you had a custom carriage-control tape)
etc.

Bingo!