Java Tutorial » Chapter 1

Chapter 1 — Java Overview

A simple and clear introduction to Java, history, tools and how to try a small example.

1. Overview

What is Java?

Java is a popular, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is used for building cross-platform applications — from desktop to web, mobile, and server-side apps.

  • Platform-independent via the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
  • Strongly typed and memory-managed (automatic garbage collection).
  • Large ecosystem: libraries, frameworks and tooling.
2. History

History of Java

Here are the key milestones in Java's history (short and simple):

  1. 1991: Java started as the Green Project at Sun Microsystems.
  2. 1995: Officially released as Java 1.0.
  3. 2006: Sun released core Java under the GPL license.
  4. 2010+: Oracle continued Java development; Java has regular feature releases (e.g., Java 8, 11, 17 LTS versions).
3. Tools

Tools You Will Need

To write, compile and run Java programs you commonly need:

  • JDK — Java Development Kit (e.g., OpenJDK 17 or 21). Install from Adoptium/Oracle.
  • IDE — IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse or Visual Studio Code with Java extension.
  • Terminal — Command prompt or PowerShell to run javac and java.
  • Optional — Build tools: Maven or Gradle for larger projects.
4. Try It

Quick Try — Hello World

Copy and paste the following into a file called HelloWorld.java, then compile and run it:

public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, Java!");
    }
}

Local commands (PowerShell):
Copy the Hello World snippet into a file named HelloWorld.java and run:
javac HelloWorld.java — compile
java HelloWorld — run

Or try it online with:

5. What is Next

What's Next (Suggested Learning Path)

After this overview, continue with the following topics for a smooth learning journey:

  1. Basic syntax: variables, data types and operators.
  2. Control flow: if/else, loops (for, while), switch-case.
  3. Methods and modular programming.
  4. Classes & objects, constructors and access modifiers.
  5. Collections and arrays — start with the Arrays Chapter.
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