Java Updates - News about Java and Java Made Easy

Feb 13, Install Java

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:37:29 -0500

Have you ever given up on trying to program because you couldn't figure out how to set it up? This tutorial will show you how to install Java and Eclipse.

Feb 3, Java Updates - News about Java and Java Made Easy

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 03:27:35 -0500

The Java Made Easy blog provides Java updates and news as well as updates and news about the site itself. Readers may make suggestions about Java news by going to the Contact Us link in the sidebar.

Feb 3, Fresh Cup of Java Newsletter

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 03:00:07 -0500

Fresh Cup of Java is a free Java Newsletter full of valuable Java tips and samples!

Feb 3, New Site Design

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 02:33:34 -0500

Java Made Easy is going through a redesign! The site is quite old and could use a freshening up. As such, we will slowly be rolling out a new site design. Until all of the pages have been converted, you will see the old style on those pages that have not been touched yet. Not to worry though! None of the content will be missing and the redesign should still be just as easy to navigate! Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

Feb 1, Java JFrame - Making Main Windows

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 18:37:46 -0500

In Java JFrame lets your programs have a main window just like other graphical programs. Learn how to use them easily today!

Jan 29, Java Graphics Tutorials

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:06:58 -0500

These Java graphics tutorials will teach you how to make windows, buttons, and dialogs in Java with Java Swing!

Jan 12, A New Year, A New Beginning!

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:23:51 -0500

First of all, I would like to apologize for the complete lack of updates to this website. The past year has been a rather busy one and all of the things that were going to start getting rolled out last year didn't. This includes the Fresh Cup of Java newsletter, of which only a SINGLE edition ever came out! So, there are going to be a couple of changes in the next few weeks. First of all, the Fresh Cup of Java newsletter will not be monthly. It will be more like 1 every 3 months. Also, its content will consist more of updates to the site and answers to submitted questions than anything else. I have removed the Java programming jobs section because that's really no the point of the site. The point of the site is to have beginners and others learn Java in a way that's easy to understand. Maybe in the future that can return, but for now this site will stick to awesome tutorials. Java graphics and GUI tutorials are coming soon! There will be a new section on the site called Java Swing that will deal with Java graphical user interfaces. That has been highly requested and will show up soon enough! ALSO, I have been writing an e-book about making real Java applications. The book is for beginners and assumes that you have at least done the Hello World tutorial on the site. But even if you haven't, the book has tons of links back to Java Made Easy for if you need to refresh your memory about some topics. The book is not out yet but I will continue to update about it and may even release a preview to the newsletter subscribers. If I haven't gotten around to answering your question(s) via email, I apologize. I simply get too many emails to answer them all! That's all for now. Happy new year and good luck in your Java learning adventures!

Oct 6, Java Programming Jobs

Wed, 6 Oct 2010 03:20:55 -0400

Looking for Java Programming Jobs? Find part time and full time Java jobs or advertise your Java programming projects here!

Oct 2, First Issue of Fresh Cup of Java Newsletter Live + Coming Soon!

Sat, 2 Oct 2010 15:59:56 -0400

For those who have signed up for the newsletter, the first issue has gone out! If you are signed up for the newsletter and did not receive your copy for whatever reason, please email us on our Contact Us Page and let us know so we can try to resolve this problem! For those of you who have not signed up, don't worry, you can still sign up and get all of the future editions of Fresh Cup of Java! You can sign up to the newsletter by clicking here. The next issue of our newsletter will include answers to frequently asked questions, sneak previews of site updates, an article on how to better think like a programmer, and new Java job opportunities. This list isn't set in stone, but these are at least the features that will be in the next issue. The Advanced Java tutorials section is almost complete. There is one last tutorial on Generics that has to be covered and then the core set of tutorials will be complete! So, what's next? There will definitely be more tutorials coming up in an entirely new section! Those who have subscribed to the newsletter know all about it (a sneak preview :D ), but I will keep everyone else updated as more progress is made towards the new set of tutorials. That's all for now. Again, remember you can sign up to our free Java newsletter by clicking here, and please stay tuned for future updates. Thanks!

Sep 30, Sign Up To Our Java Newsletter Before It's Too Late!

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:48:20 -0400

Our first issue of our Java Newsletter - Fresh Cup of Java is soon to be released! Don't miss out on the content of the first issue because you signed up too late! It's 100% free to sign up and receive great stuff such as answers to frequently asked questions, sample Java programs, bonus tutorials, and much more! So, don't miss out on our first issue and sign up today! Click here to sign up. Thanks!

Sep 23, Variable Scope

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:06:45 -0400

Knowing when you can use a variable gets confusing if you don't understand variable scope.

Sep 23, Mistake with Java Polymorphism Tutorial

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:38:16 -0400

Earlier you saw a blog post showing that the new Java Polymorphism tutorial is finally up on the site! While this is true, it was only half-finished when published! This means the tutorial just ended abruptly without finishing the whole thing! In any case, you can now view the whole tutorial by clicking here or at the permalink below. Enjoy!

Sep 22, Polymorphism In Java

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:47:49 -0400

In this tutorial we're going to find out what polymorphism in Java is, why it is so useful, and then show how to use it to create elegant programs.

Sep 5, Quick Java Recursion Example

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 20:50:25 -0400

In this update we're going to look at how to write a recursive function. The whole point of recursion is that you want to do something over and over again until you arrive at the answer (or figure out that there is no answer!) For this example we will write the factorial function. In math this is what a factorial is: 5! = 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 120 This is a simple problem without recursion, but we can also write it simply with recursion: public int factorial(int n) {
if (n == 1) {
return n;
}
else {
return n * factorial(n-1);
}
}
Then elsewhere in the code: System.out.println(factorial(5)); So, how does this method work? Essentially you pass it the number you want to calculate. Then, you need a condition that breaks the cycle. In this case, when n is 1, we want the loop to stop, so we added the condition to return 1. If not, then we multiply the current number by the factorial function of 4. Why does this work? Because of this: 5! = 5*4*3*2*1 4! = 4*3*2*1 So 5! can equal 5! = 5 * 4! If you were to keep going you could see that 4! = 4 * 3!, etc. You could have made this recursive function with just a for loop, but this was a simple example that I hope you can use for any future recursive functions you may need! If you enjoy these tips, you should sign up to our free brand new Java Newsletter! It'll have tons more tips, sample programs, and other cool bonus content.

Sep 5, Quick Java Recursion Example

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 20:50:25 -0400

Sep 1, Java Primitive types vs Java Classes (int vs Integer)

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 21:49:16 -0400

In Java you have what are called primitive types. In very simplistic terms, these are keywords that help to identify a variable. For example, let's say I want a variable that can store an integer, a number with no decimal: int x = 5; In Java I just created a variable x that is of type int, a primitive type which stands for integer. It happens to store the number 5. This is pretty easy to understand and beginners using Java can easily use and understand this Java code. Did you know that Java also has a class called Integer? The Integer class starts with a capitalized I (because it's a class) and can be used to create variables that store integers. This is just like using the primitive type int, but a lot more powerful. Here are a couple of reasons why: If you know about collections, you will have come across certain kinds such as the ArrayList. An ArrayList can store objects without bounds (unlike an array which has a fixed size). However, a variable with the int type is not an object, and cannot be stored this way. So, using our example, change: int x = 5; to Integer x = 5; It's that easy, and because Java knows you're talking about integers, it knows how to set a number to the Integer object x. Another thing you can do with Integer that you can't with int, is serialize it on its own. Serializing objects is a very advanced topic that has to do with networking, and I don't want to get into it here, but basically to pass data over a network in Java such as with RMI (Remote Method Invocation), you cannot send the int by itself. It needs to belong to a class which can be serialized. With an Integer, because it already is a class, can potentially be sent over the network as a serialized object. There are advantages to using just the primitive type int, speed being one of the important points, but it's nice to know you can have an object version of it as well. And int is not the only primitive type to have a class equivalent! You can do the same with byte, double, boolean, float, long, and char! The equivalents are Double, Boolean, Float, Long, and Character, respectively. I hope this little tidbit was useful to you. If you'd like to receive more short and sweet tidbits please make sure to sign up to the RSS feed by clicking here! ALSO, for whole bundles of Java tips, sample programs, answers to questions, and more bonus content and free stuff please sign up to the newsletter by clicking here. It is delivered spam free monthly to your email!

Aug 29, Java Interface

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:15:17 -0400

A Java Interface defines a blueprint for creating a class that implements the interface. Learn about Java interfaces here.

Aug 28, Java Made Easy Updates

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:49:05 -0400

After a long hiatus, Java Made Easy has come back with some updates! Here are a few of the features that have been released and are planned for the future: * About Me section live
* New Java Newsletter - Fresh Cup of Java The About Me section is now live! Now you can read a little bit about the author who delivers the content on this site! We will be releasing a brand new newsletter Fresh Cup of Java that you can now sign up for! This newsletter will have tons of free content such as sample Java programs, Java tips, answers to your frequently asked questions, feedback from other users of the site, other free goodies, and much much more! If you haven't seen the subscription boxes around the site, make sure to check out the Java newsletter page to see all the benefits of signing up. You won't want to miss any awesome information so sign up as soon as possible! A new tutorial should be coming to the Advanced Tutorials section of the site about Java Interfaces. It will have what you need to use and understand interfaces in Java. You should see the rest of the tutorials for the Advanced Tutorials section coming in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

Nov 20, Java 7 Changes Announced

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:09:31 -0500

For more advanced Java users, the possible features for the next version of Java, Java 7, has been announced! Here is a quick rundown of some of the proposed features: Modularization: Sun wanted Java to be more flexible and more modular. They wanted the ability to not install the whole Java runtime environment if they didn't have to on the user's machine. The mechanism they've introduced to do is is called module. You can specify a module which is a group of packages. It kind of works like import: module java.coolPackages; That's just an example, but this could go on the top of your code and imports all packages from the coolPackages module. Improved compatibility with other languages - Java will have better support for programming languages like Ruby or Python. G1 Garbage Collector - For those who don't know, the Java garbage collector simply cleans up objects that are no longer being used whatsoever. It happens periodically when it decides to clean it up. This new garbage collector will apparently be more predictable and far more efficient, speeding up your Java code! These are just some of the proposed new features; you can get an official list here.

Nov 19, Broken Links Fixed

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:26:50 -0500

The links found in the previous blog update, Quick Tip: How To Make a For Loop Run Backwards, are now fixed. Also, the link leading to Sun's Java webpage in the tutorial Java Access Modifiers has now also been fixed. I apologize if any of those links caused you any inconvenience. Stay tuned for further site and Java updates!

Nov 15, Java Access Modifiers - Private, Public, Protected

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:49:39 -0500

Learn how to use Java access modifiers to improve code readability. Learn how the Java Protected modifier differs from other languages.

Nov 15, Quick Tip: How To Make a For Loop Run Backwards

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:47:56 -0500

Here's a quick tip on how to make a for loop go backwards in Java. Normally, a for loop is written like this: for (int x = 0; x < 10; x++) { //your code } This means we start at 0, keep looping while x is less than 10, and add one to x each time we loop. So, how can we make this for loop go backwards? for (int x = 10; x > 0; x--) { //your code } This makes x start at 10, keep looping while x is greater than zero, and subtract one from x each time we loop. There, now our we made our for loop go backwards! For a tutorial on how to use a for loop in Java visit the looping tutorial, and take a look at this Java pyramid example to see a cool for loop example!

Nov 14, Java Variables Tutorial Fixed + Updates

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:46:16 -0500

It was brought to my attention through the contact forms that the Java Variables tutorial in the Beginners Tutorials section was incorrect. I'd like to thank those who brought up the errors as that page hasn't been updated for over a year! The page has now been fixed and you can see the changes by clicking on the title of this blog post. The Advanced Tutorials are coming along well and the newest one, Access Modifiers should go up by the end of the weekend. Stay tuned!

Nov 12, Eclipse Tips - Fix Your Bugs With Debug Mode!

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:43:59 -0500

Did you know that Eclipse has a button next to the run button in the toolbar that looks like a bug? That would be debug mode. Debug mode is a great mode to run your Java code in because it allows you to stop at specific lines of code and check the values of all variables set before that line is executed. You can even modify code while your program is running, and if your changes cause no errors the program will continue to run with the changes! If you want to stop your code at a certain line, right-click on the thin brown bar on the far left of the code editor part of the screen next to the line of code you want to stop at, and click on Toggle Breakpoint. Now, when you run in debug, the program will stop at that line. There are several things you can do from there. You can hit F5 on your keyboard to execute the line. This will execute the line of code, and go into any methods it might call. You can now keep hitting F5 to go one line at a time. You can also hit F6, which sort of executes code one line at a time, except it will not go into any methods you call. Continue to hit F6 to keep the code running. Lastly you can hit F8 which just lets the code run on its own until it encounters another breakpoint. Try this technique out the next time you have a bug in your Java code - it could save you a ton of time and effort! If you have any questions about using the debug mode in Eclipse, feel free to ask for help using the contact form.

Nov 11, Access Modifiers + Future Advanced Tutorials

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:31:32 -0500

New tutorials are coming soon to the Advanced Tutorials section. In the next few days expect to see a tutorial on Access Modifiers that talks about the uses of public, private, and protected. There will be links in the appropriate beginners tutorials for those who would like to see what those are about. Here's the tentative order for the rest of the Advanced Tutorials:

Access Modifers
Polymorphism - Method overriding and overloading
Variable Scope
Interfaces

That should end the basic tutorial series on the site which starts with Java for Beginners. By reading all of the tutorials starting from Installing Java all the way to Interfaces in the Advanced section, you should have all of the basics necessary to understand what the Java programming language is all about. Stay tuned for these tutorials in the upcoming weeks!

Nov 10, YouDevise Ltd. Hiring a Java Developer

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:40:22 -0500

YouDevise Ltd. is a web development shop that creates applications for businesses dealing with finance. This includes brokers and investment managers. They are based in London, UK and are looking for someone with web experience who definitely knows Java! Those of you who are more experienced at Java and are looking for employment should check these guys out. For those who still need to work up your Java skills, do not fret. There are plenty of other job opportunities for those who know how to program in Java. Read on about reasons to learn Java. Stay tuned for other job opportunities as well as other exciting news from the Java world on Java Made Easy!

Nov 9, Java Updates Now Live!

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 01:23:14 -0500

Java Made Easy now has a Java updates blog! Stay tuned to get the latest Java news and updates as well as news and information about future features to this site. This will also be a way to let everyone know that the site is not inactive and that work is being done to add tons more helpful resources to help you with Java. Until next time!