Copyright© 1998, Nelson L. Johnson, All Rights Reserved.
Go Java!
To get started learning Java you should first obtain a compiler. It's amazing how much can be learned just by experimentating with a good programming environment. There are many compilers out there. Sun Microsystems, the author of the language, provides the standard compiler for free. You should go to the Sun Java site and check out the options.
The other main source for an excellent Java compiler and project environment is, of course, Microsoft. In fact, the standard compiler used to prepare and test the examples in this cyberbook is Visual J++, Microsoft's version of Java. The reason for choosing the Microsoft product is that it has an excellent development environment, similar to the outstanding Visual C++ tool. Both languages are supported within the Microsoft Developer Studio, which is widely used and respected. So it will be easy to describe the Java language and to build working Java programs if we use Visual J++.
One of the major issues in the software industry is the reputed rivalry between Microsoft and everyone else. Of course, Java becomes a bone of contention because if Java is successful in its claim of 100% platform independence, Microsoft may not be able to control the marketplace as easily as at present. Some say that Microsoft's goal is to weave subtle inconsistencies into J++ in order to create dependancies on their products. At this writing, the Java standard appears to be adhered to in the Visual J++ product. An attempt by Microsoft to subvert the standard could easily backfire on them if the rest of the industry really does succeed in a coordinated effort at standardization. In that case, Microsoft would have gone down a path from which a return might be difficult and expensive.