Java for Beginners Online Course

Java for Beginners Online Course

Java is one of the most widely used programming languages, powering everything from software and web applications to cloud, big data, IoT, and AI projects. This beginner-friendly course focuses on the essential skills needed to learn Java quickly and effectively through easy-to-follow, bite-sized lessons. You’ll start by setting up your environment and learning the basics, then progress through key topics like variables, expressions, strings, conditionals, loops, methods, classes and objects, exceptions, and collections. The course wraps up with answers to common beginner questions, leaving you with a solid foundation to kickstart your journey as a Java programmer.

Who should take this course?

This course is ideal for beginners, students, and aspiring programmers who want to learn Java from scratch and develop a strong foundation for building applications and pursuing a career in software development.

What you will learn

• Understand the basics of programming
• Explore the tools you need to program with Java
• Learn how to set up your Java environment and start a new project
• Study about variables, types of data, and expressions
• Look at strings, conditionals, and loops in detail
• Learn methods, classes and objects, exceptions, and collections

Course Outline

Introduction to the Course

• Introduction
• What is Programming?
• The Tools You Need

Setting Up

• Section Introduction
• Installing the JDK on Windows
• Setting Up Environment Variables on Windows
• Installing IntelliJ IDEA on Windows
• Installing the JDK on Mac
• Setting Up Environment Variables on Mac
• Installing IntelliJ IDEA on Mac

First Steps

• Section Introduction
• Creating a New Project
• Creating and Loading a Template Project
• Welcome to Your Challenge!
• Challenge Part 1 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 1 - Solution

Variables

• Section Introduction
• What are Variables?
• Ints
• Doubles
• Booleans
• Strings
• Primitive Versus Class Types
• Conclusion
• Challenge Part 2 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 2 - Solution

Expressions

• Section Introduction
• Numeric Expressions
• Boolean Expressions
• Simplifying Boolean Expressions
• Logical Operators
• Challenge Part 3 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 3 - Solution

Strings

• Section Introduction
• String Concatenation
• String Operations
• Transforming Strings
• Boolean-Based String Checks
• Int-Based String Checks
• Creating New Strings
• Challenge Part 4 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 4 - Solution

Conditionals

• Section Introduction
• Logical Operators Recap
• The If Block
• The Else Block
• Alternate Flows with Elseif
• Thinking About Conditionals
• Dead Branches
• Refactoring to Simplify Conditionals
• Nested Conditionals
• Good Versus Bad Refactoring
• The Switch Statement
• Break Statements in Switches
• The Ternary Operator
• Challenge Part 5 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 5 - Solution

Loops

• Section Introduction
• What are Loops?
• The While Loop
• The Do While Loop
• The For Loop
• Esoteric Loops
• The For Each Loop with Collections
• Processing Collections with Streams
• Challenge Part 6 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 6 - Solution

Methods

• Section Introduction
• What are Methods?
• Creating a Method
• Calling a Method
• Passing Parameters
• Passing Multiple Parameters
• Returning Output from a Method
• Using a Returned Value
• Refactoring: Inlining
• Refactoring: Removing Unnecessary Variables
• Challenge Part 7 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 7 - Solution

Classes and Objects

• Section Introduction
• What are Objects?
• Creating a Class
• Visibility Modifiers
• Constructors
• The Default Constructor
• Instances and State
• Adding Methods to Classes
• Getters and Setters
• Why Encapsulation is Important
• Protecting the Integrity of Your Objects
• Composing Objects
• Referencing Other Objects
• Object References
• Stepping into an Object's Methods
• Concept of Inheritance
• Extending a Class
• Adding Custom Methods
• Creating Another Subclass
• Viewing the Type Hierarchy
• Superclass Variable References
• Concept of Polymorphism
• Abstract Methods
• Non-Instantiability of Abstract Classes
• Implementing Abstract Methods
• Custom Implementation of Superclass Methods
• Polymorphism in Action
• Recap of OO Concepts
• Challenge Part 8 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 8 - Solution

Exceptions

• Section Introduction
• Concept of an Exception
• Try Catch Blocks
• Scoping in Try Blocks
• Happy Path and Error Path
• Throwing Exceptions
• Creating and Throwing Your Own Exceptions
• Chaining Exceptions
• Checked Exceptions
• Non-Checked Exceptions
• Differences Between Checked and Non-Checked Exceptions
• Bubbling Exceptions Up the Call Stack
• Runtime Exception Handling in Nested Method Calls
• Checked Exception Handling in Nested Method Calls
• Exceptions and Non-Void Methods
• Multiple Catch Blocks
• Alternate Exceptions in a Catch Block
• Ordering of Catch Blocks
• Challenge Part 9 - Exercise
• Challenge Part 9 - Solution

Collections

• Section Introduction
• Lists
• The Collection Interface
• Sets
• Lists Versus Sets
• Maps
• Coding with Classes and Collections
• Using Your Own Classes with Collections
• The Equals Method with Collections
• Implementing Hash Code and Equals

Frequently Asked Questions for Java Beginners

• What is Java? And How Does It Differ from Other Programming Languages?
• Do I Need to Know How to Program in Other Languages to Learn Java?
• What Kind of Computer Do I Need to Code with Java?
• Do I Need to Know Math to Program with Java?
• What Can You Do with Java?
• What Tools Do You Need to Write Java Code/Create Apps?
• How Do You Get a Job Once you Know Java?

Wrapping Up

• Course Conclusion