Tutorial Needed

[ShadowDragon]

Hi,
I have recently developed a thing for programming and i would like to get into it.
From what i have seen on this forum Java 1.4 would prob be the best to start off with. not?
This would also be good because i would like to get into Java programming.

So the main reason i posted this is to ask if anyone knows where i can find a good tutorial on Java 1.4
Because i searched google and could not find anything.

So i hoped to find some links and info here.

Thanks,
ShadowDragon

[sealfin]

It is not as terse of as focused as a tutorial, but you might want to take a look at Bruce Eckel's book Thinking in Java; it is available as a full, free ebook from his web-site (http://www.mindview.net/)...

[OneSadCookie]

So the main reason i posted this is to ask if anyone knows where i can find a good tutorial on Java 1.4
Because i searched google and could not find anything.

Funny, when I search for "Java Tutorial" (http://www.google.com/search?q=java+tutorial) I get hundreds of results... maybe you're using a different Google to me?

[ShadowDragon]

Thank you sealfin.

Also thank you OneSadCookie for that link..but the sarcasm was not needed..

Yes i do know how to use google..
I was hoping someone could give me a direct link to a good tutorial.
Since im new to java i do not know what is good to learn first and what is bad.

But anyway thanks,
ShadowDragon

[Steven]

If you're not set on Java, you could look at SICP (http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/book/book.html)

From what I've heard, it's often held to be one of the best introductory books out there...

If you become interested, MIT and Berkeley both have webcasts of lecturers teaching 61a (Berkeley) and 6.001 (MIT), the courses that go with this book. (http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses/archive.php?seriesid=1906978342) You won't get into the "gee whiz" stuff as fast as you will with Java, but you'll learn the fundamentals much better than if you self-teach a C-like language. Hopefully it will pay off later :)

[ShadowDragon]

Thanks Steven :)

[unknown]

I was hoping someone could give me a direct link to a good tutorial.
Since im new to java i do not know what is good to learn first and what is bad.

Obviously what is good is a matter of opinion and personal choice, and you will have to read several tutorials and documents AND attempt programming before you can make an informed decision for yourself about whats good and whats not.

[Tools10]

Java 1.4 isn't a very good place to start since
1: There is huge difference betwen 1.3 and 1.4 which means 1.4 won't help you create backwards compatible software(compared to 1.3 at least).
2: 1.5 is way better(better API).

Since I've never read a good Java tutorial I can't really recommend one.
However, if you'r not easily bored, read SAMS Teach Yourself Java in 21 days, covers the basics but suffers the same thing as most other books, the topics covered in the book should've been written on 300 pages instead of 700.

Otherwise, try to learn from examples or forums(planet-source-code.com, forum.java.sun.com/index.jspa, www.javagaming.org or other).

[OneSadCookie]

Java 1.4 is an excellent place to start, because
1: Everyone has 1.4 these days, so you can guarantee compatibility.
2: The language is about 10x simpler than Java 1.5

... and believe me, even the people who know Java well still get confused by the type inference (or lack thereof), and results of erasure, in 1.5. It's *nearly* as bad as C++, and a whole lot less logical in many ways.

[PowerMacX]

Er...
http://www.osnews.com/story.php/16455/Java-SE-6.0-Release-Candidate-Now-Available/

(ducks)

[Tools10]

I just checked through Apples home-page and it seems like 1.5 actually only is available for tiger, quite a drawback, however, the basics in 1.4 and 1.5 is almost identical (through my experience) except for generics which in any case isn't necessary for compiling.
1.6 is still under development for OS X and I doubt it will be released soon(considering the time it took for 1.5(which isn't the same thing but apples is slow with the Java updates)).

[ShadowDragon]

Thanks a lot guys :)