Choosing a Java Programming Tool
Before you can start writing Java programs, you need Java programming software. Several programs are available for Java, including the Java Development Kit, Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans. Whenever Oracle releases a new version of Java, the first tool that supports it is the Java Development Kit (JDK).
To create the programs in this book, you must use version 7 of the JDK or another programming tool that can work in conjunction with it. The JDK is a set of free command-line tools for creating Java software. The JDK lacks a graphical user interface, so if you have never worked in a nongraphical environment such as DOS or Linux, you’re going to be shocked—and not in a good way—when you start using the JDK.
Oracle offers another free tool, the NetBeans integrated development environment, that’s a much better way to write Java code. NetBeans offers a graphical user interface, source code editor, user interface designer, and project manager. It works in complement to the JDK, running it behind the scenes, so you must have both tools on your system when you begin developing Java programs.
Oracle offers comprehensive documentation for the Java language in web page format. You don’t need this information to use this book because each topic is discussed fully as it is introduced, but these pages come in handy when you write your own programs.
You can download the entire documentation, but it might be more convenient to browse it as needed from Oracle’s website. The most up-to-date Java documentation is available at http://download.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api.
The programs in this book were created with NetBeans, which you can download and install in a bundle with the JDK. You can use other Java tools as long as they support JDK 7.