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Need a mentor

 
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Hi everyone,

I have been coming to the forum and have seen great individuals sharing their ideas, helping pple n etc...I am genuinely in need of help....I have been a developer for sometime but I dun c my skills in java progressing. I picked up java here n there and am finding ways to brush up my fundamentals and concepts. I need to get the basics thorough before I can move to other platforms....I c Java growing tremendously and I am keen to learn more but it saddens me even more when I come across some basic qns n my mind goes blank....

I urged to take the SCJP so that in that way, I can read up and brush my skills...but....work caught up and I lost some touch.....I need some idea as to how I can learn up the basics....

Please assist me.....

Thanks & Best Regards
SK
 
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- First, download and install the JDK

- Follow the online tutorials from Sun (link below in my signature)

- Get a book about Java and study it

- Practice, practice, practice: write small programs to learn how concepts work and how to use them

- Find a local guru to help you if you get stuck

- If you get stuck at something specific, post in the forums here and there will be lots of people willing to point you in the right direction
 
Shafian Kisna
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Hi Jesper,

Thanks a great deal for this guide...will get started from here...
I have downloaded the sdk...will get a book....is there any that you can recommend me? I have been using the sources online and etc....Got mixed up in the midst...
I tend to forget the concepts is there any way to help me out in here...memory work?!

Thanks
SK
 
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memory work?!


Practice.
 
Jesper de Jong
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I agree with Satou, practice. You learn much more by writing programs and trying things out than by only trying to read about and remember the concepts.

There are so many books about Java... it's probably best to just go to a book store and have a look what they've got on Java programming. These are probably good:

Thinking in Java (4th Edition) - note, you can download an older version (the 3rd edition) for free!

Head First Java, 2nd Edition
 
Marshal
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There are so many books about Java... it's probably best to just go to a book store



Or if you have a College library near to you, try to borrow a few books. Or sit in there for a few hours with a laptop computer and copy the examples in the books, until you find a book you like.

CR
 
Shafian Kisna
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Thanks so much for your guidance...
I will do as follows...
I heard the Head First Java is a real good book.....Unfortunately, the library is always unavailable and the book is real hot over here....
Will try to get other sources of books and keep the practice going...
I do trust that I can get help from here too...

Once again, thanks a lot and if any of you out there are willing to be my mentor...please do come forward as I really do need such help.

Thanks!
 
Sheriff
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You can also learn a lot from the online Java Tutorial.
 
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These are a few things that I am currently finding helpful as a beginner:

-Read though the forums on a daily basis.

-Don't start writing a script at the keyboard. Write pseudocode out on paper in layman's terms. This helps me stay focused and not get overwhelmed.

-Practice(as stated above). Just like a speaking language you must work on it everyday.

-Write your own little scripts. Most of the examples in books aren't something that you would normally do so they can be uninteresting. Find things that you are compassionate about and write some code about them. Work off your pseudocode and address the easy things first and then work your way to the harder things. Figure out WHAT you need to do and then figure out HOW to do it.

Anyways, I hope this helps. This is NOT an easy language to learn so it takes a lot of time, persistence, and patience. GL
 
Campbell Ritchie
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CJ Thorno: welcome to the Ranch.

I would add another suggestion to yours.

Whenever you find anything you are not sure about, write out an app to test it. The last time I did that it was to find out what happens when you cast an "NaN" (not a number) to an int. I ended up posting it here, so you can see the sort of thing I mean.
You remember far more of what you have done yourself than of what you have read.

I would disagree about the examples in the books being all uninteresting. I found myself that I could understand them a lot better when I copied them onto the screen. And even more so when I changed them. But then different people work differently.
I would disagree about Java not being an easy language. Obviously any language which is not restricted to trivia will requrie you to learns lots and lots, but I think Java easier to learn than some other languages.
 
CJ Thorno
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Originally posted by Campbell Ritchie:
CJ Thorno: welcome to the Ranch.


I would disagree about Java not being an easy language. Obviously any language which is not restricted to trivia will requrie you to learns lots and lots, but I think Java easier to learn than some other languages.



Thanks! Nice to be here.

True. =)
[ June 20, 2006: Message edited by: CJ Thorno ]
 
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