Code, Compile, and Execute

With Java installed, we are almost ready to look at coding. Before we get to that, though, we need to learn how to code, compile, and execute Java applications. While an integrated development environment (IDE) will likely be what you will use for most of your work, understanding how to code without the hand-holding of an IDE is what makes the difference between a Java tinkerer and a Java professional.

In this chapter, we will look at working from the command line and then from some of the most widely used IDEs. This chapter will not be a tutorial on IDEs but rather a review of what they offer to a programmer. The fundamental operation of any IDE is very similar to that of the most commonly used IDEs. Before we examine the various ways to use Java, we will look at a small program that we will use. This book is a Hello World! free zone, which means that example number one does something useful.

The goal of this chapter is to make you familiar with the...