Chapter 2. The Java Programming Environment

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• Installing the Java Development Kit

• Choosing a Development Environment

• Using the Command-Line Tools

• Using an Integrated Development Environment

• Compiling and Running Programs from a Text Editor

• Running a Graphical Application

• Building and Running Applets

In this chapter, you will learn how to install the Java Development Kit (JDK) and how to compile and run various types of programs: console programs, graphical applications, and applets. You run the JDK tools by typing commands in a shell window. However, many programmers prefer the comfort of an integrated development environment. We show you how to use a freely available development environment to compile and run Java programs. Although easier to learn, integrated development environments can be resource-hungry and tedious to use for small programs. As a middle ground, we show you how to use a text editor that can call the Java compiler and run Java programs. Once you have mastered the techniques in this chapter and picked your development tools, you are ready to move on to Chapter 3, where you will begin exploring the Java programming language.

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