MSc Java Workshop

Useful Links

Links that may be of use during the course.

  • Java Library Documentation: On this course, we use primarily use Java 1.6 SE. The API (Application Programming Interface) reference contains information about the built in Java SDK (Software Development Kit) library code. You will need this when you start to use library code. You will also learn how to create an API, like the java one, for your own code.
  • Java Style: Java is a High-Level, Object Oriented Language. Sun Microsystems set out programming style guidelines to increase human readability of code. You should follow the conventions at all times and be consistent in how you follow them.
  • Java Trails: The Java Trails are a set of tutorials maintained by Oracle, the current Java developers. They are designed to get you programming Java from scratch, including lots of worked examples. They have been updated to cover Java 7, the latest version of Java, which is slightly newer that the version we run in labs, so be warned that some features they describe are not available for use in the School (e.g. switch statements on Strings).
  • Common Java errors: When you compile code, you will often encounter errors, some of which you may find difficult to interpret. This page may help you understand what some of the common error messages mean, and how to fix your code to overcome these.
  • SVN: Later on in the course you will use SVN repositories for storing your code. Version control keeps a track of the changes that you make and allow a team of people to work a project or piece of code at the same time.
  • Downloading Java Software Development Kit: If you wish you can download the Java Software Development Kit for use on your own computer for free from the SUN Java website JDK Download, choose "Java SE Development Kit (JDK)". However, we can not answer question about getting Java working on your own computer and strongly recommend you use the lab computers to complete your exercises. Your code may not work if you create it in a different environment to where you expect to run it, some of your exercises may be demonstrated in the lab and must work on lab machines.
  • Linux: The lab machines use the open source Linux Operating System, as opposed to closed source operating systems such as Microsoft Windows or Apple OSX. If you are considering using Linux at home the distribution of Linux used in the labs is CentOS 5 but you might well find Ubuntu to be a more user friendly Linux Distribution. There is usually a Linux install party every year in the student common room, where other students will help you with all aspects of installing Linux on your own computer (we will let you know about this on the blog).