On March 15, 2001, I gave the following talk at the IEEE Virginia Mountain Section's meeting:
Java: What's It Good For?
A No-Hype Tour Through a Hype-Filled Language
When Java first came on the scene in the early 90's, it quickly attracted attention from both the programming and academic communities. Now that the heat has worn off of its introduction, Java has settled into a mature language with a huge user base. It's focus on internet computing, support for "write once, run anywhere" deployment, and embrace of object-oriented techniques continue to attract practitioners steadily. But is there really anything new and different in this language? Is it worth learning? What can you do with it, and what problems is it inappropriate for?
This presentation provides a gentle introduction to Java for the casual programmer, web page designer, or internet junkie. It cuts through the marketing hype, hearsay, and popular press hyperbole to discuss the facts about this powerful and popular language. Java's design goals and its most important features will be discussed, as will its relationship with programming web-based applications, scripting for HTML, and even creating commercial-quality stand-alone applications. Java's relationship with its little brother, JavaScript, will also be clarified.
A printable copy of the talk slides (PDF, 9 pp., 851K)
java.sun.com is the official source for free java distributions, documentation, training, and more
The Java Tutorial is Sun's official (and comprehensive) language introduction
Java Developer Connection is Sun's resource for Java programmers, and provides a wealth of tutorials, articles, samples, and more on all aspects of Java (registration is free)
Getting Started With Java is a beginner's tutorial from Java Coffe Break
Introduction to Programming Using Java is a free on-line textbook for teaching or learning Java
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