Re: IBM's Java Course

Art--

>Would like to know if I should take Object Oriented Programming with Java
(m2034) and Java Programming (N1980) first?

Assuming what you want right now is a conversational understanding of Java
territory, save your money!

You can learn Java basics by May Day, 1999 and do it by spending less than
$250.

First six weeks Spend your first six weeks with Java unencumbered with fancy
IDEs or AS/400 data access. Spend this period of time focusing exclusively
on learning the basics of Java. The fancy stuff comes later.
1. Buy Java for RPG programmers by Phil Coulthard and George Farr. ($70,
Advice Press)
2. Download the Sun JDK 1.2 and documentation (36mb download total, free)
(www.java.sun.com)
3. Download a good Windows text editor (www.ping.be/jg provides a great one
for the cost of a postcard!)
4. Start playing with examples, writing code and dabbling with Java with the
editor and free JDK.

After you've acquired a basic understanding of Java and its syntax, jump to
step two.
5. Download the AS/400 for Java Toolbox (about 20mb, free). This lets you
write Java apps that do interesting things with the AS/400.
6. Buy Core Java by Cornell and Hortsmann, 2nd edition ($45, O'Reilly). A
great book once you get beyond Java basics.
7. Buy Inprise's JBuilder standard ($89). This is a great Java learning tool
for _after_ you have mastered a few of Java's basics (which you did in step
1).
8. Buy Java Swing by Eckstein, Loy and Wood ($45, O'Reilly). Swing is Java's
new user interface components and are key to any Java application with a
user interface. And, besides, writing Java that uses Swing is a great way to
learn Java anyway.


One potential prerequisite:
If you have spent _no_ time with any other development languages and
environments except the AS/400 and its green screen tools, consider charting
a 6-12 week course spending time with MS's Visual Basic. It teaches many
important concepts (such as events, methods and properties, component-based
application development, how an integrated IDE works, how block structured
lanuages work, the value of functions that return values, and, if you push
yourself a little, you can even learn OO in VB). The "Learning" edition of
VB is about $95.


rp

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