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A Few Java Factoids – Part 1

A few basic facts about Java.

I’m taking a Java class right now and sometimes just looking at code is really great to get the learning started.

Meant for beginners, I’ve come up with a few basic code samples to showcase as a convenient way of getting to know Java. You and me are going to explore the bare surface of the digital hieroglyphics of Java and its all wonderful ciphers! 😀

Let’s look at comments first.

class CommentOutCode {
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        System.out.println("Haha!");
        System.out.println("That was awesome!"); // No doubt!
        // System.out.println("Harharhar");
        /*
        System.out.println("I had tears rolling down my eyes..for real tho");
        System.out.println("Zoo-wee-MAMA!");
        */
}

single line comments

// stuff

multi-line comments

/*
more
stuff
*/

Okay, so that was super easy…

Go ahead, press the button! 😀 Virtually…

So moving on…to the main method!

class MainMethodShizz {
    public static void main (String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Gotta use it!");
    }
}

This is the main method that you’re going to use every time you run a Java program, unless you’re making just a class file, in which case you will not need the whole public static void main (String[] args), but you will still need [class] with the class name next to it.

Brackets or the curly braces (what have you) that look like this { } are required at the beginning and end of each method you’ve used to indicate when you’ve finished the programming statements for that particular method.

Finally, for each System.out.println("Text"); that you have there always needs to be a ; at the end. Always! So get used to it!

If you decide NOT to put the stupid ; at the end of your output statements, you WILL get an ERROR.

Also, in case you were wondering, with most IDEs or Integrated Development Environments, there is syntax highlighting which makes it easier to understand what’s going on by adding color to the types of different texts.

For example, with the Strings involved in the program, they are the color [red]. With the comments involved in the program, they are the color [gray]. Different methods are highlighted in [blue].

So that’s pretty much it for the super duper basics of any Java program.

Remember, you gotta have your:\

  1. main method public static void main (String[] args)\
  2. curly braces {}\
  3. semi-colons ;\
  4. comments to explain what the heck you’re doing in the program such as [//single-line stuff] or [/*multi-line stuff*/]

Get it? Got it? Good.