Introduction
Essentials
Structure
Keywords
Primitive Types
Comments
Literals
Expressions
Operators
Statements
Casts & Mixing
Strings
Console Output 
   Demo
Exercises

    Supplements
Conditional: if-else
Repetitions
Flow Control
Java vs C/C++
JVM Instructions 1

The biggest challenge of learning a new computer language deals with the fact that to do anything you must understand a number of new things all at once; but humans normally only learn one thing at a time.

You overcome this conundrum by just diving in and starting to write programs without understanding all the parts. You must use examples as guides until you get your arms fully wrapped around what is going on.

In this chapter we present many different elements of the language. However, you don't need to understand all of them now but can pick up the general aspects of the topics enough to write some simple programs. You will then come back to these topics again and again as your gain experience and familiarity with the language deepens.

Topics

Java

• Essential Elements and Structures
• Keywords and symbols
• Primitive types describe integers, floating point and boolean data.
• Comments to describe the code.
• Expressions built from the keywords, symbols and primitives types.
• Operators - descriptions and tables.
• Statements combine keywords, symbols, primitive types and expressions in to complete sentences.
• Casts & Mixing discusses the rules for mixing different data types.
• Strings are introduced since they are very useful even in simple programs.
• Simple applet and application illustrate how to send numerical output to the console with the System.out.println() method.
  

Supplements:

• if-else conditional statments
• Repetitions
• Flow control
  
• Java and C & C++ differences
• JVM Instruction Set, part 1
  
  

Tech presents the basic mathematical and numerical aspects of Java. Much of the detailed material here is for later reference:

• Arithmetic operators include +,-,*,/,%
• The Math class provides a number of basic math functions.
• More about integers in Java
• Floating point overview
• Floating point types in Java.
• More about mixing/casting types
• Exercises
  
  

Physics uses ordinary differential equations to illustrate some basics of numerical methods and simulation:

• Ordinary Differential Equations - a review.
  
• Euler Method for solving ODE
  
• Demonstration program using Euler to solve for the motion of an object falling in a constant gravitational field
  
• Predictor-Corrector method that improves on the Euler method
  
• Demonstration of the predictor-corrector method for solving the motion of a mass attached to a spring.
  
• Exercises

Latest update: Oct. 14, 2004

            Tech
Arithmetic Ops
Math Class
More on Integers
FP : Overview
FP : Java  
  Demo 1
More Mix/Cast
  Demo 2
Exercises

           Physics
Differential Eq.
Euler Method
  Demo 1
Predictor-Corrector
  Demo 2
Exercises