Target Audience

This course covers all major aspects of programming with Java. It is essentially a condensed version of courses EC21 (Java Primer) and EC22 (Java Programming) but excludes topics on Threads and Networking.

Pre-requisites

The student should be familiar with the Windows host environment. Knowledge of any programming language is advantageous but not essential.

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is to give students a fully rounded general knowledge of programming with Java providing not just basic skills but moving onto more advanced topics including Collections, Threads, I/O and Networking. During the course the student will write many applications, classes and applets ensuring that the statements taught are fully understood and practical experience is gained. On completion of this course the student will be able to:

• use the major concepts of a modern, block-structured, high-level language, such as control flow, method calls and modular programming
• structure programs using classes and other essential object-oriented features
• take advantage of and understand Interfaces
• use the Collections Framework (both Java 1.1 and Java 1.2 implementations)
• create and handle Exceptions
• use the Java Input/Output classes
• understand and use Serialization to achieve persistence

Course Environment

Development will be performed using:

•    Eclipse
•    NetBeans
•    Websphere Studio Application Developer
•    Rational Application Developer
•    JBuilder
•    the Java Development Kit (JDK) plus a text editor

Course Details

INTRODUCTION TO JAVA

What is Java?

The Java Programming Language

The Java Platform, the ClassPath

What Can Java Do?

Overview of the many subjects covered by Java

Advantages of using Java

Creating a java class

Running Simple Applications

A simple first example - The "Hello World" Application

OBJECT-ORIENTED CONCEPTS

An introduction to Objects

What is an Object?, Encapsulation

Communicating between objects

What are Messages?, the benefits of Messages

Classes

What are Classes?, Objects vs. Classes, instantiation, the benefits of Classes

Inheritance

What is Inheritance?, the benefits of Inheritance

THE JAVA LANGUAGE

Variables

Usage Types, Data Types, Literal Values, Naming Standards, Scope, Initialisation, Constants, Escape Characters

Arrays & Multi-Dimentional Arrays

Strings

Strings are objects!, Concatenation, Testing for String equality, Manipulation

Operators

Arithmetic, Unary, Relational, Conditional, Bitwise, Assignment, Expressions

Primitive Casting & Data Type Conversion

Control Flow Statements

if-else, switch, For, While, Do-while, break and continue, Labeled Loops

The return Statement

Enums (Java 5)

Passing Arguments to JAVA Programs

OBJECTS, METHODS AND CLASSES

Introduction to Classes and Objects

Methods, Applications & Object Code

Creating & Manipulating Objects, Calling Methods, Passing Arguments and Method Overloading, Returning Values from Methods

Constructors, Static Code

Varargs (Java 5)

Inheritance - Extending a Class

What does a Subclass Inherit?

Methods in java.lang.Object

Garbage Collection & Finalization

PACKAGES

Packages, Using Package Members, Importing

JAVA KEYWORD SUMMARY

Accessibility Modifiers

Declaration Parameters

Class modifiers, Variable modifiers, Method modifiers

CONVERSION, FORMATTING AND PRECISION

Data Type Conversion, Wrapper Classes

Autoboxing (Java 5)

Decimal Precision and the BigDecimal class

Numeric Formatting, Date Formatting

Formatting (Java 5)

CASTING

Literal Values, Implicit & Explicit Casting, Casting With Operators

Casting Objects, Narrowing & Widening

ABSTRACT CLASSES AND INTERFACES

Abstract Classes and Methods

Interfaces

Defining An Interface, Implementing An Interface

Coding To Interfaces - Polymorphism

COLLECTIONS

Collection Interfaces And Implementations

Summary & Comparison Of Collection Implementations

Lists: ArrayList, Vector, LinkedList

Maps: HashMap, Hashtable, TreeMap, LinkedHashMap

Sets: HashSet, TreeSet, LinkedHashSet

Iterator And Enumeration Interfaces

Other Collections: Stacks, Properties

Sorting Objects

The Comparable Interface, Comparators

More ways to Sort Objects:

      java.util.Collections, java.util.Arrays

Collections Method Reference

GENERICS

Parameterised Collections

Parameterised Types And Iterators

Parameterised Maps

Passing Parameterised Types As Method Arguments

Sorting Data With Generics

THE FOR-IN STATEMENT

What the for-in statement can be used with

Writing Your Own Iterable Classes

ERROR HANDLING

Java Exceptions

Runtime and Checked Exceptions, Try / Catch Processing, The Finally Block

Passing Exceptions up the Stack

The throws statement

Creating new Exceptions

The Throw Statement, Error and Exception Classes, User Defined Exceptions

Exceptions And Object Hierarchies

JAVA I/O

The Java I/O API

The File class, Input and Output Streams, Readers and Writers

Reading from System Input, Reading from Files

Standard Output Stream - System.out

Types of I/O classes

Buffering input/output, ByteArrays, CharArrays, DataStreams

Serialization - Persistence of Objects

THE ECLIPSE/RAD/WSAD DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT (if applicable)

The Workbench

Perspectives, Views, Toolbars, Editors

Importing and exporting, Searching

Rearranging Views, Fast Views

Working With Java

Working with buildpaths and classpaths

Fixing Problems, Creating new Classes and Interfaces

The Java Editor

Editing code and elements, Content/Code Assist, Code Formatter

Managing Imports, Local History, Refactoring

Other Views

The Type Hierarchy, Using the Outline View

Running and Debugging apps

Course Format

Practical sessions make up a large part of the course, allowing delegates to demonstrate and reinforce the lectures given. During these sessions the delegate will build a simple but complete application. Examples are used extensively, ranging from simple code 'snippets' to full applications with complete ‘real world’ functionality. These are supplied at the start of the course and it is encouraged that the delegates execute and ‘experiment’ with these under the instructor’s guidance as they are introduced. These examples are available to take away, along with the delegate’s own work. The comprehensive Student Guide supplied is fully indexed serving as a useful reference tool long after the course has finished. Delegates will also be able to access a free help-line with technical questions relating to topics covered on the course.