Really beginner question

[Steve Grosz]

Ok, I am going through the O'Reilly Head First Java book, and am playing with the code sample below

class Shuffle1{
	public static void main(string [] args){
	int x=3;

	while (x>0){
		if (x>2)
		{
			system.out.print("a");
			x=x-1;
			system.out.print("-");
		}
	
		if (x==2)
		{
			system.out.print("b c");
			x=x-1
			system.out.print("-");
		}
		if (x==1)
		{
			system.out.print("d");
			x=x-1;
		}
}
}
}

When I try to run this from the command line I'm getting the error in the attached image.

Why is this?
Sorry for the basic question........

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

You need to run it as "java Shuffle1" rather than "java Shuffle". We pass .java when compiling; not when running.

And welcome to CodeRanch!

[Steve Grosz]

When doing just java Shuffle1 I'm getting the next attachment

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

OK, this suggests something has set a CLASSPATH environment variable on your machine, which is telling Java to look elsewhere than your current directory for class files. You need to tell Java, "No, look RIGHT HERE!" Which you can do by typing:

java -cp . Shuffle1

(That's java space dash cp space dot space Shuffle1).

P.S. Did you compile the code first? If not, then before typing the above, type

javac Shuffle1.java

You need to do this every time you change Shuffle1.java .

[Steve Grosz]

I appreciate all the help for this new Java guy, but I'm still having issues.......

I don't have a program called javac (searched Windows 7 and came up dry).......

[Christophe Verré]

Go through this tutorial first. It should help you getting started.

[Henry Wong]

Steve Grosz wrote:
I don't have a program called javac (searched Windows 7 and came up dry).......

Then there is a chance that you installed the JRE -- and not the JDK. The JRE is used only for running java programs, it isn't for development, and hence, doesn't include the compiler.

Henry

[Steve Grosz]

I did find it, had to modify the path.....

Now, now issue....... When I run javac Shuffle1.java, I'm getting:

[Christophe Verré]

Java is case-sensitive. String should be String, not string. System should be System, not system.

[Steve Grosz]

Wow, so thanks to EVERYONE who helped this newbie get his really exciting 1st program to work!!

So, Java is that picky that certain commands are case sensitive??? Wow........hopefully I get used to that!!
I'm just using Notepad right now, if I use something like Eclipse later on, will it make the change for me for those reserved words??

[Christophe Verré]

Steve Grosz wrote:if I use something like Eclipse later on, will it make the change for me for those reserved words??

It will tell you right away that it cannot find the symbol. It can help you fix it in most cases.

(by the way, in the previous case, these are not reserved words, but API classes)

[Jesper de Jong]

Steve Grosz wrote:So, Java is that picky that certain commands are case sensitive??? Wow........hopefully I get used to that!!
I'm just using Notepad right now, if I use something like Eclipse later on, will it make the change for me for those reserved words??

Yes, and fortunately it is case sensitive! Suppose that it wasn't, and people would start writing programs with the case of words differently each time. One time you'd write "System", the other time "system" or "SYSTEM", or "sYsTeM". It would make the program look very messy and make it really hard to understand.

IDEs like Eclipse have lots of built-in editing help features, like warning you if you make a typo.

The standard Windows Notepad is very basic. You could have a look at an editor such as Notepad++ (free), which has syntax color highlighting for Java (and lots of other languages) but not all the complication of a full IDE such as Eclipse.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Agree about Notepad++. Excellent product. Yes, Eclipse will help you correct such errors, but it is probably a good idea to stick to a text editor at this stage.
And in Java™, all commands are case-sensitive, except possibly the "L" or "F" you append to long and float numbers, and the "x" in hexdaecimal numbers.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Jay Hale,
Your post was moved to a new topic.