Book Image

Transitioning to Java

By : Ken Fogel
Book Image

Transitioning to Java

By: Ken Fogel

Overview of this book

This comprehensive guide will help non-Java developers already using different languages transition from their current language to all things Java. The chapters are designed in a way that re-enforces a developer’s existing knowledge of object-oriented methodologies as they apply to Java. This book has been divided into four sections, with each section touching upon different aspects that’ll enable your effective transition. The first section helps you get to grips with the Java development environment and the Maven build tool for modern Java applications. In the second section, you’ll learn about Java language fundamentals, along with exploring object-oriented programming (OOP) methodologies and functional programming and discovering how to implement software design patterns in Java. The third section shows you how to code in Java on different platforms and helps you get familiar with the challenges faced on these platforms. In the fourth section, you’ll find out how you can manage and package your Java code. By the end of this Java programming book, you’ll have learned the core concepts of Java that’ll help you successfully transition from a different language to Java.
Table of Contents (23 chapters)
1
Part 1:The Java Development Environment
5
Part 2:Language Fundamentals
15
Part 3:GUI and Web Coding in Java
19
Part 4:Packaging Java Code

Understanding Java Distributions

In this chapter, we will examine how the Java language came about and how it is managed. While the word Java is used throughout this book, please note that I am referring to the Java Standard Edition or Java SE. There are numerous versions and distributions of Java, and this sometimes leads to confusion over which one to use. Is Java free, or do I have to license it? Can I include a Java runtime with my software? Can I distribute my own version of Java? These and other questions will be answered in this chapter.

You will learn how to install Java on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The significant tools that are part of the Java installation are highlighted in this chapter and will be used in later chapters.

We will cover the following topics in this chapter:

  • A little history
  • What makes Java special?
  • Why are there many distributions of Java?
  • Which Java should you get?
  • How is Java licensed?
  • Why are there so many versions of Java?
  • Installing Java
  • What’s in the box?

Let’s begin with a quick history lesson.