Beginner Java Concepts

Java

Before we get into the specifics of Java programming, it's important to understand what it is you're really doing. All computer programming is translating something that we can read into something computers can read. Computers operate all in 1's and 0's. They will do exactly what you tell them to do, no more, no less.

You need to be very specific when telling a computer what to do. You can't assume that the computer will know what you're talking about. Take packing for a trip as an example. If you were telling a person how to pack luggage, you could just list some items and be done. However, if you were telling a computer, you would need to provide all the information. What piece of luggage should you use? How many pieces of luggage? Are we bringing liquids? What happens when we fill the first piece of luggage?

This is an intentionally vague example. To relate this to something you would actually do for a job in the tech industry, think about preparing reports based on certain data. You would need to tell the computer where to find the data, how to format the report, where to send the output, and plenty in between. Maybe you also need to calculate some values based on some data for the presentation.

Or, maybe you're building an app for a company. Or maybe you're building a video game. Regardless of what you want to do with Computer Science, you'll need to start at the basics.

Programming Concepts in a Nutshell

All computer programming languages require you to know a few certain concepts. These are concepts like Input / Output, Primitive Variables, Comments, Control Flow, Loops, and Objects. Then, it's a matter of tying it all together into a functioning piece of code!