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Introduction
to Java
Java powers some of the most widely used software on the planet. Learn it from the ground up with structured, practical, credit-earning instruction.
What You'll Learn
A full semester of introduction to Java — completed at your own pace, with no deadlines or fixed class times.
What You'll Be Able to Do
- Master foundational programming concepts and Java syntax, enabling you to write, test, and debug programs effectively; learn user requirement-gathering techniques and set up a Java coding environment, control structures, and arrays in Java.
- Gain proficiency in conditional statements, loops, and object-oriented programming principles, fostering modular and reusable code design, algorithm analysis, sorting algorithms, and data structures such as arrays, linked lists, and trees.
- Apply input/output handling methods, including GUI development, to create user-friendly Java applications; and tackle advanced topics such as exception handling, recursion, and event-driven programming.
Major Course Topics
Course chapters and lessons
Introduction to Java has 12 chapters across 46 instructional hours, as listed in the course syllabus. Expand any chapter to see the lessons inside it.
- Chapters
- 12
- Lessons
- 119
- Instructional hours
- 46 hrs
- Semester hours
- 3
Chapter 1
Introduction to Programming and Java Basics
- 1.1 What Is Programming? A Beginner's Starting Point
- 1.2 Five Building Blocks Every Program Needs
- 1.3 Figuring Out What Users Need: Requirements Gathering
- 1.4 Reading Flowcharts: Symbols and Their Meanings
- 1.5 From Code to Working Software: Writing, Testing, and Debugging
- 1.6 Fixing and Compiling Your Code
- 1.7 Preparing Your Java Development Environment
- 1.8 Your First Java Program: Hello World
Chapter 2
Java Fundamentals and Data Types
- 2.1 Decoding 'public static void main' in Java
- 2.2 Java Statements: What They Are and How They Work
- 2.3 Data Types in Java: An Overview
- 2.4 Naming Rules for Java Variables and Constants
- 2.5 Working with Whole Numbers: Numeric Types in Java
- 2.6 Handling Decimal Values: Floating-Point Numbers in Java
- 2.7 The Character Data Type in Java
- 2.8 Storing Text: The String Data Type in Java
- 2.9 True or False: The Boolean Data Type in Java
- 2.10 Converting Between Data Types in Java
- 2.11 Math in Code: Arithmetic Operators in Java
Chapter 3
Operators, APIs, and Decision Structures
- 3.1 Comparing Values: Relational Operators in Java
- 3.2 Tapping Into Java's Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
- 3.3 Producing Random Numbers in Java
- 3.4 Java Mini-Projects: Coding Ideas to Practice
- 3.5 How Arithmetic Operators Drive Program Logic
- 3.6 Making Decisions with If Statements in Java
- 3.7 Choosing Between Options: The Switch Statement
- 3.8 Repeating Actions with While Loops
- 3.9 Counting Through Repetitions: For Loops in Java
Chapter 4
Loops, Iteration, and Control Flow
- 4.1 Loops Inside Loops: Nested For Loops
- 4.2 Nested While Loops: Layered Repetition
- 4.3 Controlling Loop Flow: Break, Continue, and Return
- 4.4 The Do-While Loop: Execute First, Check Later
- 4.5 When Loops Never Stop: Infinite While Loops
- 4.6 Hands-On Practice: Building with Switch Statements
- 4.7 Hands-On Practice: Building with Loop Statements
Chapter 5
Arrays and Collections
- 5.1 What Are Arrays? A Java Introduction
- 5.2 Setting Up Arrays: Initialization Techniques
- 5.3 Going Beyond One Dimension: Multidimensional Arrays
- 5.4 Arrays That Grow: Dynamic Arrays in Java
- 5.5 Inserting Elements into Arrays
- 5.6 Array Length vs. Size: What's the Difference?
- 5.7 Hands-On Practice: Working with Arrays in Java
- 5.8 Matrix Multiplication in Java
- 5.9 Adding Items with the ArrayList Add Method
- 5.10 Accessing Items with the ArrayList Get Method
Chapter 6
Input, Output, and Console Operations
- 6.1 Reading Input from the Command Line in Java
- 6.2 A Simple Exercise: Adding Two Numbers from User Input
- 6.3 Standard Input Techniques in Java
- 6.4 Sending Output to the Console in Java
- 6.5 Formatting Output with the printf Method
- 6.6 Getting Started with GUI Development in Java
- 6.7 Core GUI Components in Java
Chapter 7
Graphical User Interfaces and Event Handling
- 7.1 Hands-On Practice: Console and GUI Output Together
- 7.2 Drawing Lines and Shapes on Screen
- 7.3 Displaying Text with the JLabel Class
- 7.4 Arranging Components with Layout Managers
- 7.5 Text Fields, Buttons, and Tooltips in a JFrame
- 7.6 Responding to Actions: Event-Driven Programming
- 7.7 Checkboxes, Button Groups, and Combo Boxes in Java
- 7.8 Hands-On Practice: Building GUI Applets – Part 1
- 7.9 Going Deeper: Advanced Input and Output Handling
- 7.10 Exploring the Graphics2D Class for Rich Visuals
Chapter 8
Methods, Modularity, and Recursion
- 8.1 What Are Methods in Java?
- 8.2 The Main Method: Where Every Java Program Begins
- 8.3 Access Control Keywords: Protected, Public, and Private
- 8.4 Locking Values Down: The Final Keyword
- 8.5 Methods That Belong to the Class: Static Methods
- 8.6 Static vs. Non-Static Methods: When to Use Which
- 8.7 Hands-On Practice: Working with Static Methods
- 8.8 Breaking Programs into Pieces: Modular Programming
- 8.9 Passing Arrays as Arguments to Methods
- 8.10 When Methods Call Themselves: Recursion in Java
- 8.11 Recursion vs. Iteration: Choosing the Right Approach
- 8.12 Hands-On Practice: Recursion for Data Structures
Chapter 9
Object-Oriented Programming
- 9.1 What Is Object-Oriented Programming? Core Ideas
- 9.2 Key Principles of Object-Oriented Design
- 9.3 Defining Classes in Java
- 9.4 Objects as Data Types in Java
- 9.5 Creating Objects: Instantiation in Java
- 9.6 Setting Up Objects with Constructors
- 9.7 Same Name, Different Parameters: Overloading in Java
- 9.8 Redefining Behavior: Method Overriding in Java
- 9.9 Overloading vs. Overriding: A Clear Comparison
- 9.10 Building on Existing Code: Inheritance in Java
- 9.11 Handling Multiple Inheritance in Java
Chapter 10
Advanced OOP, Exceptions, and Algorithm Foundations
- 10.1 Inheritance and Polymorphism: How They Relate
- 10.2 Interfaces vs. Abstract Classes: Choosing the Right Tool
- 10.3 When Things Go Wrong: Exceptions in Java
- 10.4 Hands-On Practice: Applying Inheritance in Java
- 10.5 What Are Algorithms and Why Do They Matter?
- 10.6 Measuring Algorithm Performance: Analysis Basics
- 10.7 Testing Performance with Experimental Functions
- 10.8 Understanding Big-O Notation for Efficiency
- 10.9 How Java Arrays Use Memory and Affect Performance
- 10.10 Ordering Data: Sorting Arrays in Java
- 10.11 Bubble Sort: Simple Swapping Step by Step
- 10.12 Selection Sort: Finding the Minimum Each Pass
- 10.13 Merge Sort: Divide, Sort, and Combine
- 10.14 Quick Sort: Partitioning for Speed
Chapter 11
Searching, Stacks, and Linked Structures
- 11.1 Insertion Sort: Building a Sorted List One Item at a Time
- 11.2 Searching Efficiently with Binary Search
- 11.3 Recursive Binary Search in Java
- 11.4 Abstract Data Types: Concepts and Purpose
- 11.5 The Stack: Last In, First Out
- 11.6 Singly Linked Lists: Nodes in a Chain
- 11.7 Circularly Linked Lists: When the End Meets the Start
- 11.8 Doubly Linked Lists: Moving Forward and Backward
- 11.9 The Queue: First In, First Out
- 11.10 Double-Ended Queues: Flexibility at Both Ends
- 11.11 Priority Queues: Serving the Most Important First
- 11.12 Hands-On Practice: Building Data Structures in Java
Chapter 12
Maps, Trees, and Graph Algorithms
- 12.1 The Java Dictionary Class: What It Is and How to Use It
- 12.2 Iterating Through Sets in Java
- 12.3 Maps and Their Role in Data Structures
- 12.4 Hash Tables: How They Work Under the Hood
- 12.5 Binary Search Trees: Concepts and Practical Uses
- 12.6 Graph Theory Fundamentals: Principles and Core Ideas
- 12.7 Finding Shortest Paths: Dijkstra's Algorithm in Action
- 12.8 Hands-On Practice: Implementing Graphs in Java
These chapters come straight from the official course syllabus, which also sets out the graded assignment and the proctored final exam.
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