How to Learn Java: A Beginner’s Guide

Java is one of the most popular and versatile programming languages in the world. Java was created by accident. In 1991, James Gosling and his team at Sun Microsystems were working on a set-top box project and decided to “clean up” C++. They ended up with a new language that they initially called Oak, but later renamed to Java. They found out that Oak was already taken by another company.

Table of Content: How to learn Java

• Can I learn Java on my own?
• Is Java easy to learn or difficult?
• How long will it take to learn Java?
• What do I need to learn Java?
• Some more topics to learn Java
• Roadmap for learning Java

In our previous article, we learned about how to learn coding. Now we will try to find the answer about how to learn java. As java is second most popular language in world, it can benefits one in many way.

As a newbie, you might wondering where to start learning Java and how much time it will take to cover basics and advance concepts in java. In this unique article, we will try to cover some of your most asked questions about how to learn java and will share some tips and tricks to cover java. We will also share a roadmap with you that will help you to understand the whole game. So lets start.

Can I learn Java on my own?

The simple answer is Yes, you can learn java on your own. For this purpose, there are many available tools that will help you to cover Java in better way. Some best online java learning resources are:

·        W3Schools:

It is one of the best resource to learn java online. It covers easy to follow and comprehensive Java tutorials. It covers many basic concepts such as basics of java language, data types, syntax, java data types, operators in java, concepts related to control flow such if-else structures and loops, arrays, classes and their objects, polymorphism, inheritance, interfaces, exceptions in Java, file handling, threads, and more. You can also try out the examples in an online editor and test your knowledge with exercises and quizzes.

·        Codecademy:

If you want to learn Java in interactive way, this website will help you a lot. It will cover the fundamentals of Java programming. It will teach you how to create variables, use data types, write methods that accept parameters and return value, use conditionals and loops.

It will also teach you how to work with arrays and ArrayLists, manipulate strings, implement object-oriented concepts, and finally build Java projects. You will also get amazing feedback and hints as you code along.

·        The Java™ Tutorials:

One of the best and most authentic resource to learn java as it is the official tutorial from Oracle, the company that develops and maintains Java. It provides a detailed guide to the core features and concepts of the Java language and platform.

You will learn about the essential Java classes, objects, and collections. It will also provide advance concepts of Java like concurrency, generics, lambda expressions, annotations, modules, networking, security, database access, internationalization, GUI development, and more.

Is Java easy to learn or difficult?

Java is not a difficult language to learn if you have some basic programming knowledge or experience. However, it is not the easiest language either. It has some features and concepts that might be challenging for beginners, such as:

·        Syntax:

Java has a well-defined and strict syntax. It requires you to follow certain rules and conventions. For example, it is necessary to use semicolons (;) at the end of each statement and curly braces ({}) to enclose blocks of code. Each and every variable will be declared with its data type.

·        Memory management:

Java uses a premium feature known as garbage collection. It refers to automatically manage memory allocation and deallocation of objects. This will give you ease about freeing up memory when you are done with an object.

However, it gives you have less control over how memory is used and when objects are destroyed. This leads to issues such as memory leaks or performance degradation if you don’t understand how garbage collection works.

·        Object-oriented programming:

Java is an object-oriented language that relies on the concepts of classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, and interfaces. These concepts allow you to create reusable and modular code that can model real-world entities and behaviors. However, they also introduce complexity and require you to think in terms of objects and their relationships.

How long will it take to learn Java?

The answer to this question depends on several factors, such as your previous programming experience, your learning style, your goals, and your motivation. However, a general estimate is that it will take you anywhere from 3 to 12 months to learn the basics of Java and be able to write simple programs.

Of course, learning Java is not a one-time event. You will need to keep practicing and updating your skills as you progress to more advanced topics and projects. Java is a vast and evolving language, so there is always something new to learn.

What do I need to learn Java?

To learn Java, you need the following:

·        A computer:

You can use any computer that can run Java, such as Windows, Mac, or Linux.

·        A Java Development Kit (JDK):

This is a software package that contains the tools and libraries that you need to compile and run Java programs. You can download the latest version of JDK from Oracle’s website.

·        An Integrated Development Environment (IDE):

This is a software application that provides a user-friendly interface for writing, editing, debugging, and testing Java code. Some of the popular IDEs for Java are Eclipse, NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA, and Visual Studio Code.

·        A text editor:

If you prefer a simpler and lighter option than an IDE, you can use a text editor to write Java code. Some of the popular text editors for Java are Notepad++, Sublime Text, Atom, and Vim.

Roadmap: How to learn Java

If you want to learn Java and become a successful Java developer, you might be wondering what steps you should take and what topics you should cover. In this section, we will provide you with a roadmap for learning Java that will guide you from the basics to the advanced level of Java programming.

Step 1: Learn the fundamentals of Java

The first step is to learn the fundamentals of Java, such as:

• Basic syntax, data types, variables, operators, etc.
• Object-oriented programming concepts, such as classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, interfaces, etc.
• Control flow statements, such as if-else, switch-case, for, while, do-while, etc.
• Arrays and ArrayLists, which are data structures that can store multiple values of the same or different types.
• Strings and string manipulation methods, such as concatenation, substring, split, replace, etc.
• Exceptions and exception handling techniques, such as try-catch-finally blocks and throw and throws keywords.
• File handling and input/output streams, which are used to read and write data from and to files and other sources.

You can use any of the online resources that we mentioned in the previous section to learn these topics. You can also practice your skills by solving exercises and quizzes on websites like GeeksforGeeks, HackerRank, CodeChef, etc.

Step 2: Learn the advanced features of Java

The next step in how to learn is to learn the advanced features of Java that will help you to write more efficient and elegant code. Some of these features are:

• Generics, which are a way of creating generic classes and methods that can work with different types of objects without requiring type casting or type checking.
• Collections framework, which is a set of classes and interfaces that provide various data structures and algorithms for storing and manipulating data, such as lists, sets, maps, queues, stacks, etc.
• Lambda expressions, which are a way of creating anonymous functions that can be passed as arguments to other methods or used as variables.
• Streams API, which is a way of processing collections of data in a declarative and functional way using operations such as filter, map, reduce, etc.
• Concurrency and multithreading, which are ways of executing multiple tasks simultaneously or in parallel using threads and thread pools.
• Modules, which are a way of organizing code into reusable and self-contained units that can be compiled and run independently or together.

You can use the official Java Tutorials from Oracle to learn these topics in detail. You can also refer to books like Effective Java by Joshua Bloch or Java: The Complete Reference by Herbert Schildt for more tips and best practices.

Step 3: Learn the Java development tools

The third step in how to learn java is to learn the Java development tools that will help you to write, compile, debug, test, and run your Java programs. Some of these tools are:

• JDK (Java Development Kit), which is a software package that contains the tools and libraries that you need to compile and run Java programs. You can download the latest version of JDK from Oracle’s website.
• IDE (Integrated Development Environment), which is a software application that provides a user-friendly interface for writing, editing, debugging, and testing Java code. Some of the popular IDEs for Java are Eclipse, NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA, and Visual Studio Code.
• Build tools, which are tools that automate the process of compiling, testing, and packaging your Java projects. Some of the popular build tools for Java are Gradle, Maven, and Ant.
• Testing tools, which are tools that help you to write and run unit tests, integration tests, and behavior tests for your Java code. Some of the popular testing tools for Java are JUnit, TestNG, Mockito, Cucumber-JVM, REST Assured, and JMeter.

You can use any of these tools or a combination of them depending on your preference and project requirements. You can also learn how to use them by following their official documentation or online tutorials.

Step 4: Learn the Java frameworks and libraries

The fourth step is to learn the Java frameworks and libraries that will help you to create various types of applications using Java. Some of these frameworks and libraries are:

• Web frameworks, which are frameworks that help you to create web applications using Java. Some of the popular web frameworks for Java are Spring, Spring Boot, Play, Spark, etc.
• ORM (Object Relational Mapping) frameworks, which are frameworks that help you to connect your Java program with a database system such as MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, etc. Some of the popular ORM frameworks for Java are JPA (Java Persistence API), Hibernate, Spring Data JPA, EBean, etc.
• Logging frameworks, which are frameworks that help you to record and manage the log messages generated by your Java program. Some of the popular logging frameworks for Java are Logback, TinyLog, SLF4J (Simple Logging Facade for Java), etc.
• JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) libraries, which are libraries that help you to execute SQL queries and manipulate data in a database using Java. Some of the popular JDBC libraries for Java are JDBI3, JDBC Template, etc.

You can use any of these frameworks or libraries or a combination of them depending on your preference and project requirements. You can also learn how to use them by following their official documentation or online tutorials.

Step 5: Apply your knowledge and skills to real-world projects

The final step in how to learn Java is to apply your knowledge and skills to real-world projects that interest you or challenge you. This will help you to gain practical experience, improve your problem-solving skills, showcase your portfolio, and prepare for interviews. Some of the examples of real-world projects that you can create using Java are:

• A calculator app that can perform basic arithmetic operations and display the result.
• A chat app that can send and receive messages between multiple users using sockets and threads.
• A tic-tac-toe game that can be played by two players on a graphical user interface using Swing or JavaFX.
• A to-do app that can store and manage tasks using a database and a web framework.
• A blog app that can create, read, update, and delete blog posts using a database, a web framework, and an ORM framework.
• A weather app that can fetch and display the current weather information of a given location using an API and a web framework.
• A quiz app that can generate and display multiple-choice questions and evaluate the answers using a database and a web framework.

You can find more ideas for projects on websites like Project Euler, CodinGame, Kaggle, etc.

More topics to learn Java

If you want to learn more about Java and expand your knowledge and skills, here are some more topics that you can explore:

·        Data structures and algorithms:

These are the fundamental concepts that every programmer should know. They help you to organize, store, manipulate, and process data efficiently and effectively. You will learn how to use various data structures such as arrays, lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs, hash tables, etc. and how to implement common algorithms such as sorting, searching, recursion, dynamic programming, etc.

·        Design patterns:

These are the best practices and solutions for common design problems in software development. They help you to write clean, reusable, and maintainable code that follows the principles of object-oriented design. You will learn how to use various design patterns such as singleton, factory, builder, observer, strategy, decorator, etc.

·        Database connectivity:

This is the ability to connect your Java program with a database system such as MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, etc. You will learn how to use various technologies such as JDBC (Java Database Connectivity), JPA (Java Persistence API), Hibernate (an ORM framework), etc. to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on data.

·        Web development:

This is the process of creating web applications using Java technologies such as Servlets, JSP (Java Server Pages), JSF (Java Server Faces), Struts, Spring, Spring Boot, etc. You will learn how to create dynamic web pages, handle user requests, manage sessions, implement MVC (Model View Controller) architecture, use RESTful web services, etc.

·        Mobile development:

This is the process of creating mobile applications using Java technologies such as Android, Java ME (Micro Edition), etc. You will learn how to create user interfaces, access device features, use sensors, store data, etc.

In this comprehensive and detailed aritlce, we have tried to answer the question about to learn Java. We have also covered many sub-questions about learning Java. Remember, to learn Java or any other computer language is not a one day task. It takes time and a lot of practice. As it is said practice makes a man/woman perfect. You should focus on learning basics and then applying it to some real world projects. Happy coding 😊.