Java confusion

[Deleted]

I don't usually ask any help on this forum but I've seen some posts on programming where this community helped each other out. So here I go, hoping the same.

First some of my background: I am a first year student. I have a course called Object-Oriented-Programming. At start I've been to every class. After 10 minutes of class I really didn't understand a lot of it. When we made exercises in class I just took some of the syntax of previous exercises we did and hoping it would work fine (which it rarely did). If the teacher asked me a question, I just didn't know.

After 6 weeks, missing a couple of lessons because I didn't understand anything and the teacher refused to give additional information, we had a test. At my surprise I didn't fail that hard (still did however). Which gave me some motivation so I returned to class. And there I was, still confused what he was saying. I decided to study it on my own with the course notes he gave us at the start of the year. I asked him on which book or whatever his course notes were based on and he said it weren't his but from a colleague, so yeah, besides his course notes I had nothing.

Now, 2 weeks later we had a project we had to make. We had to draw stuff with Java and make it interactive. The drawing stuff went okay-ish. But the interactive part was just a disaster. Resulting in a 0/5 for that task (I should have made someone else do this task so I had good grades like everyone else did but yeah, I'm too honest).

Now, tomorrow I have the exam of Java. And I just don't understand it. I think about Java as a language. I understand the vocabulary, if I look at a code I can tell which does what and why. I am having problems with the grammar. I don't know why I have to import libraries or why I have to make different classes instead of writing it all in one class. These are just a couple of examples. So I guess tomorrow will be catastrophic.

Anyway, what I want to ask is: How did you learn to program in Java? Which book did you use? Did you look for youtube tutorials? Do you have course notes you could share? I am desperate for more information, I just don't know the right and good places to find it.

[teddytous]

Practice practice practice. The only was you learn the syntax - thats the word your looking for fyi not grammar - is by taking fucked up code and finding the problem/correcting it, then store it in your brain for later.

If you don't feel like writing the code yourself - offer to go over your classmates code when their stuck - learning to find problems/correct them is key. In terms of how - break down whatever isn't working to its basest elements, then examine each portion separately, then work up from there.

[Grimboozer]

It sounds to me that it isn't Java you don't get, it's object oriented programming that you don't get. If I were you, I'd google "Object Oriented Programming Concepts" and just start clicking and reading. There are several good books on programming that you could read, but seeing as how your test is coming up, you might not be able to get them in time and read them. I'll list some though, just in case you do decide to pursue this as a career.

- Code Complete
- Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable code
- Clean Code: A handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
- The Pragmatic Programmer
- Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices

[Deatheryn]

http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/concepts/ <-Here you go!

[Deleted]

Thanks for all the responses. Going to check the library and looking for a tutor as well.

[Iamanerd]

Practice makes perfect, so try to code or just take some open source code and play with it. Take a look here, this guy does awesome video tutorials But message me and I'll give you some of my projects I have to help ya out so you can edit some code etc.

[Cows For Life]

Now, tomorrow I have the exam of Java. And I just don't understand it. I think about Java as a language. I understand the vocabulary, if I look at a code I can tell which does what and why. I am having problems with the grammar. I don't know why I have to import libraries or why I have to make different classes instead of writing it all in one class. These are just a couple of examples. So I guess tomorrow will be catastrophic.

Is Java the first language that you are learning?

[Badpaladin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-...s_and_concepts

Also, doesn't your class come with a textbook? 10 times out of 10 the concepts covered in class are taken from the book you're supposed to read. In short, your troubles aren't with the Java language. Java is just a tool to solve problems with. If you're this far along in the class and still don't get it, it's in your best interest to retake the course.

[Yohassakura]

My first hands on with Java was in a first year of a HND course. Basically it was either making basic (typically numerical) programs, or "fix this program".

You had a copy of the working one to see how it worked (but unable to access the code ofc) and then you had to replicate it.

I thought it was a fairly good exercise to learn the methodology of programming. I did think that it was too easy, but everyone else in my class seemed to struggle. - They would be doing the exercises (to learn basic programming) whereas I would finish the assignment during a lesson. ( I ended up getting 98% over 5 assignments ). I had some prior experience with programming (some VBS, html and VB.NET) so it was straight forward to me.

Unfortunately I didn't get to do a lot with UI an actual, only CLI based (except for "fixing" assignments).

I thought that this video explains quite a bit of OOP-Java well:

[Deleted]

Is Java the first language that you are learning?

It is. Although I've seen some JavaScript now as well.

Badpaladin: No, we have no text book, just course notes. Retaking class is no option. I'm not the only one who has a bad time with Java (it's a common excuse but we do have a fairly bad teacher).

[Twoddle]

No point learning Java now unless it's for personal use, experts have advised us to uninstall it completely, the vulnerabilities in the Java runtimes aren't likely to be completely fixed for at least another 2 years.

[Nemo]

No point learning Java now unless it's for personal use, experts have advised us to uninstall it completely, the vulnerabilities in the Java runtimes aren't likely to be completely fixed for at least another 2 years.

you don't know anything you're talking about do you? java's server and desktop sides are fine. the recent security alerts were for java applets (small codes that run on internet browsers) , and that is a very old and deprecated stuff , i have yet stumbled upon a website using java applets.
and java's strength resides on server side programming, not to mention that android is java as well, so java is here to stay.

[Twoddle]

you don't know anything you're talking about do you?

Probably not, I'm a C# man .

[majinsnake]

Pray you get a teacher who can teach. If you are not committed to learning it, you will not learn it.

I had C++ in school and, I am not majoring in programming. I had no choice, but to take it.

If you are in usa...google ratemyprofessor...and search your school, teacher and, and check their reviews.