Well, I've decided to finally take the plunge and brush-up/relearn Java. It's been almost 9 years since I've even looked at anything Java, but it has become abhorrently apparent in recent months that I need to pick up the Java-cup and take a heaping slurp.
What prompted me to take on, yet another, language, you ask? Well, it seems that to have any kind of chance with large, corporate development you need to have Java on your resume. Sadly, since it's been so long, I can barely remember anything Java. I know I won't have an issue picking it back since I've been programming in some form of a C-language or C-derivative since I decided to leave the world of BASIC behind many, many years ago.
Also, since it has been so long, I've decided to just go back to basics. The bad thing about this is that I hate going back to basics. Even the phrase. But, go back to the beginning I must. Given that the language has most definitely evolved over the last decade warrants this, too. Even if I tried to jump in head-first, I'd most likely smack bottom and have a cracked skull.
A bad trait of mine is that I hate learning from a book. I've always had trouble with that. All the programming I've ever learned has been by doing and trial-and-error techniques. Thankfully, over the years, and through the trial-and-error, I've learned better programming techniques and practices which has helped me to better learn new languages. I've only recently tried to learn from a technology from a book. And that was my short foray into the world of 3D programming, but that's another post.
So, given my lack of patience to textbook-learning, I've done what I typically do and find some nice online sources. I love the internet, most likely the main reason why I'm in the business I am.
I've found a few Java IDEs that look to be nice, but until I actually get in them and play around, I won't know which one I'll be using from now on. The one that grabbed me as being the most familiar was NetBeans . That name just jumped out as something I remember from somewhere… but can't quite put my finger on what or where. We shall see.
Second, I found one that I couldn't tell if it was really a good IDE or not, but it seems to have some nice utilities and functionality that I will be able to use. It's from a company I've never heard of but, by the design of the site itself, looks to be made by good programmers. You can always tell how much of a back-end programmer someone is and how deep they are into coding by the lack of any creative design. I know, I know, that sounds harsh, and it is. It's from a company called JetBrains and the IDE is called IntelliJ IDEA . See what I mean by lack of creativity?
Now. I know you're thinking, "Man, saying that someone is a good coder by the lack of creativity is a really harsh statement." And, I agree with you. I, myself, have struggled for years (and still do) to have any kind of creative aspect to my site designs. My first designs were so devoid of creativity, they looked like Lego blocks stacked on a web page. So, when I say that, I'm not doing it without any personal experience.
Back on topic. Java development, yes.
I'm hoping to be able to find some decent examples, more tutorials and products to play with and learn more about Java as I go. If anyone has examples, links or just advice, please feel free to comment.
Tags: Programming
