Chapter 2
All about Software
In This Chapter
Understanding the roles of the software development tools
Selecting the version of Java that’s right for you
Preparing to write and run Java programs
The best way to get to know Java is to do Java. When you’re doing Java, you’re writing, testing, and running your own Java programs. This chapter gets you ready to do Java by describing the general software setup — the software that you must have on your computer whether you run Windows, Mac, Linux, or Joe’s Private Operating System. This chapter doesn’t describe the specific setup instructions for Windows, for a Mac, or for any other system.
For setup instructions that are specific to your system, visit this book’s website.
Quick-Start Instructions
If you’re a seasoned veteran of computers and computing (whatever that means), and if you’re too jumpy to get detailed instructions from this book’s website, you can try installing the required software by following this section’s general instructions. The instructions work for many computers, but not for all computers. And this section provides ...
