Introduction to Java

Java is a class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to be platform-independent. It follows the “Write Once, Run Anywhere” (WORA) philosophy, meaning that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need for recompilation.

What is Java?

Java is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is a general-purpose programming language intended to let programmers write once, run anywhere (WORA).

Key Features of Java

• Platform Independent: Java code can run on any platform that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
• Object-Oriented: Everything in Java is an object, which helps in organizing code
• Secure: Java’s security features help protect against viruses and malicious code
• Robust: Strong type checking and exception handling make Java programs reliable
• Multithreaded: Java supports multithreading, allowing concurrent execution of two or more threads

Getting Started with Java

To start programming in Java, you need to:

1. Install the Java Development Kit (JDK)
2. Set up your environment variables
3. Write your first Java program

Here’s a simple “Hello, World!” program in Java:

public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, World!");
    }
}

Java Development Tools

• JDK (Java Development Kit): Contains tools for developing Java applications
• JRE (Java Runtime Environment): Contains the JVM and libraries needed to run Java applications
• IDEs: Popular IDEs for Java development include IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, and VS Code

Next Steps

In the next sections, we’ll cover:

• Variables and Data Types
• Control Structures
• Classes and Objects
• Inheritance and Polymorphism
• Exception Handling
• Collections Framework