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Learning Java - Resources

New to programming with Java technologies? The NetBeans IDE is a tool that makes software development easier. In this document, the NetBeans community has gathered resources to help you get started with Java Technology.

What is Java? Java is a platform-independent object-oriented programming language. You write a Java program once, compile it once, and it will run on Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Solaris.

  • Start with Java SE (Standard Edition) and develop stand-alone desktop applications including tools and games.
  • Then learn Java ME (Micro Edition) if you want to develop compact mobile applications that run on PDAs or mobile phones.
  • Or learn Java EE (Enterprise Edition) if you want to develop extensive enterprise and web applications such as online-shops.

With the free Java Development Kit and a free tool like NetBeans IDE, this is all in your hands.

Free Java Classes (Beginners)

No programming experience? Start here! These free clases teach you all you need to know to begin writing Java applications.
  1. Young Developers page - Learning trail overview
  2. Wombat Object Basics (Class 1)
  3. Wombat Classes Basics (Class 2)
This bootcamp is for anyone who wants to learn Java programming for the first time. In this free course, students will learn how to write, compile, and run Java programs. They will also learn essential object oriented programming concepts such as inheritance and polymorphism.
  1. Have a look at the Java Intro Course Schedule.
  2. Join the Java Intro Mailing List for more information.

Free Java Classes (Intermediate)

This online book is a practical guide for programmers with hundreds of complete, working examples and dozens of trails. There are groups of lessons on each particular subject like Basic Java, Constructing GUIs, and an advanced Specialised Trail. It also offers individual entrypoints for users of MS Windows, Linux or Apple MacOS.
Gain hands-on experience with Sun's technologies through a variety of online tutorials and training classes: Here you learn the various Java technologies from the fundamentals of the Java programming language to web services and the J2EE platform.

These courses are free to take for anyone who wants to enhance their knowledge and programming skill on Java technologies. The usage of the course contents are free to use for non-profit organizations, which include schools, colleges, JUG's, and so on.

Hands-On Labs (Advanced)

A hands-on lab is a tutorial that walks you through implementing an actual Java project. Download the course materials (including sample projects) and start today.

Check the webpage for the latest free Java Hands-On Labs

Professional Java Training and Certification

What are Sun's Training classes like?

Read the Java training report for the SL-275 course and hear what a participant says.

NetBeans IDE is included in several of Sun's most popular instructor-led classes on Java technology. Sun Microsystems provides training for individual developers, small groups, or entire IT teams. Classes cover Java Standard Edition, Java Enterprise Edition, and Web Services.

Sun Microsystems's comprehensive offerings enable rapid development of applications and Web services. Get trained and certified in the Java API's, learn to use the power of Java to create Web services.

If you are based outside the United States, Java Global Training offers courses near your location in your language.

Most of the above classes help developers prepare for Sun's industry-recognized certifications in Java technology.

International Resources and Forums

Talk to fellow Java developers online to learn more - in your mother tongue.

The right place to share ideas with other Java developers. Choose from a wide range of active forums dedicated to discussing the use of Java technology for your projects.

java.developpez.com (in French / en français)
Extensive French Java developer forum.

javahispano.org (in Spanish / en castellano)
Articles, FAQs, and Forums for Spanish-speaking Java developers.

Andrei Dmitriev's Java SE Course (in Russian / по-русский)
This free course introduces a series of topics related to Java SE in Russian. The course material was created by Andrei Dmitriev, a Java instructor in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Java and NetBeans Forum (in German / auf deutsch)
German-language discussion forum dedicated to Java, NetBeans, SJSAS and Glassfish.
Must-have: Galileo Computing's Free eBook Java ist auch eine Insel!

About one hundred NetBeans tutorials and video demos are now available in Chinese. NetBeans 5.0 教程、操作练习、文章、常见问题解答、Flash 动画演示、论坛、最新信息.

More international communities...

NetBeans in Education

The NetBeans in Education Community brings together people dealing with teaching Java, Computer Science or just interested in new ways of using the internet in the classroom. As of today, the NetBeans IDE is being used as a teaching tool at many universities and secondary schools.

The NetBeans IDE BlueJ edition is a special version of the NetBeans IDE targeted at teachers and students familiar with the popular BlueJ tool. NetBeans BlueJ Edition helps your students to "make the jump" from BlueJ to a full-featured IDE. Learn more about using NetBeans IDE for Java classes here.

Next Steps

Ready for action?

  1. Download NetBeans IDE, a free open-source developer tool that assists programmers in writing and compiling code, as well as debugging and running applications.
  2. How can NetBeans IDE help you develop applications? Have a look at our IDE guides, demos and tutorials!
  3. Do you have questions? Join the NetBeans community and sign up for the mailing list to get answers.

If you hear of a good source that helps you learn Java, let us know and we add it to the list.

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