Follow the instructions below to install Java 8:

1. Go to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk8-downloads-2133151.html and click on the appropriate version. I have selected the 64-bit Windows version since mine is a Windows machine.
2. Once the file has downloaded, run the .exe file. Java will start installing it onto your machine. Next, we have to set two environment variables in order to use Java.
3. Go to Control Panel and click Advanced System Settings.
4. Click on Environment variables and add two system variables:
   • One is JAVA_HOME. Provide the path of the root folder where Java is installed. In this case, this will be C:Program FilesJavajdk1.8.0_152.
   • The second is the Path variable. Remember that this variable has to be appended after adding a ;. Here, the path of the bin folder has to be specified. In this case, this will be C:Program FilesJavajdk1.8.0_152in.
5. The next step is to check our configuration. Open the Command Prompt and type java –version:

If you get an output similar to the one shown in the preceding screenshot, you are all set to start coding.

Now, let's get our hands dirty!