Java Updates - News about Java and Java Made EasyWelcome to the Java Made Easy blog! Here you'll find news about Java and Java updates, as well as new information about this site. If you have a suggestion to make about the blog/site or a piece of news you'd like reported, please contact us through the contact page. Thanks for stopping by! Note: Don't forget to sign up to the blog by right-clicking on the RSS button on the sidebar, clicking on copy shortcut, and then putting the URL into your RSS reader. Or, click on Google, Yahoo, MSN, or Bloglines to add this site to your subscriptions from there!
Nov 20, 2009, Java 7 Changes AnnouncedFor more advanced Java users, the possible features for the next version of Java, Java 7, has been announced! Here is a quick rundown of some of the proposed features: Modularization: Sun wanted Java to be more flexible and more modular. They wanted the ability to not install the whole Java runtime environment if they didn't have to on the user's machine. The mechanism they've introduced to do is is called module. You can specify a module which is a group of packages. It kind of works like import: module java.coolPackages; That's just an example, but this could go on the top of your code and imports all packages from the coolPackages module. Improved compatibility with other languages - Java will have better support for programming languages like Ruby or Python. G1 Garbage Collector - For those who don't know, the Java garbage collector simply cleans up objects that are no longer being used whatsoever. It happens periodically when it decides to clean it up. This new garbage collector will apparently be more predictable and far more efficient, speeding up your Java code! These are just some of the proposed new features; you can get an official list here. Nov 19, 2009, Broken Links FixedThe links found in the previous blog update, Quick Tip: How To Make a For Loop Run Backwards, are now fixed. Also, the link leading to Sun's Java webpage in the tutorial Java Access Modifiers has now also been fixed. I apologize if any of those links caused you any inconvenience. Stay tuned for further site and Java updates! Nov 16, 2009, Java Access Modifiers - Private, Public, ProtectedLearn how to use Java access modifiers to improve code readability. Learn how the Java Protected modifier differs from other languages. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Java Access Modifiers - Private, Public, Protected" Nov 15, 2009, Quick Tip: How To Make a For Loop Run BackwardsHere's a quick tip on how to make a for loop go backwards in Java. Normally, a for loop is written like this: for (int x = 0; x < 10; x++) { //your code}
This means we start at 0, keep looping while x is less than 10, and add one to x each time we loop. So, how can we make this for loop go backwards? for (int x = 10; x > 0; x--) { //your code}
This makes x start at 10, keep looping while x is greater than zero, and subtract one from x each time we loop. There, now our we made our for loop go backwards! For a tutorial on how to use a for loop in Java visit the looping tutorial, and take a look at this Java pyramid example to see a cool for loop example! Nov 15, 2009, Java Variables Tutorial Fixed + UpdatesIt was brought to my attention through the contact forms that the Java Variables tutorial in the Beginners Tutorials section was incorrect. I'd like to thank those who brought up the errors as that page hasn't been updated for over a year! The page has now been fixed and you can see the changes by clicking on the title of this blog post. The Advanced Tutorials are coming along well and the newest one, Access Modifiers should go up by the end of the weekend. Stay tuned! Permalink -- click for full blog post "Java Variables Tutorial Fixed + Updates" Nov 12, 2009, Eclipse Tips - Fix Your Bugs With Debug Mode!Did you know that Eclipse has a button next to the run button in the toolbar that looks like a bug? That would be debug mode. Debug mode is a great mode to run your Java code in because it allows you to stop at specific lines of code and check the values of all variables set before that line is executed. You can even modify code while your program is running, and if your changes cause no errors the program will continue to run with the changes! If you want to stop your code at a certain line, right-click on the thin brown bar on the far left of the code editor part of the screen next to the line of code you want to stop at, and click on Toggle Breakpoint. Now, when you run in debug, the program will stop at that line. There are several things you can do from there. You can hit F5 on your keyboard to execute the line. This will execute the line of code, and go into any methods it might call. You can now keep hitting F5 to go one line at a time. You can also hit F6, which sort of executes code one line at a time, except it will not go into any methods you call. Continue to hit F6 to keep the code running. Lastly you can hit F8 which just lets the code run on its own until it encounters another breakpoint. Try this technique out the next time you have a bug in your Java code - it could save you a ton of time and effort! If you have any questions about using the debug mode in Eclipse, feel free to ask for help using the contact form. Nov 11, 2009, Access Modifiers + Future Advanced TutorialsNew tutorials are coming soon to the Advanced Tutorials section. In the next few days expect to see a tutorial on Access Modifiers that talks about the uses of public, private, and protected. There will be links in the appropriate beginners tutorials for those who would like to see what those are about. Here's the tentative order for the rest of the Advanced Tutorials:
That should end the basic tutorial series on the site which starts with Java for Beginners. By reading all of the tutorials starting from Installing Java all the way to Interfaces in the Advanced section, you should have all of the basics necessary to understand what the Java programming language is all about. Stay tuned for these tutorials in the upcoming weeks! Nov 10, 2009, YouDevise Ltd. Hiring a Java DeveloperYouDevise Ltd. is a web development shop that creates applications for businesses dealing with finance. This includes brokers and investment managers. They are based in London, UK and are looking for someone with web experience who definitely knows Java! Those of you who are more experienced at Java and are looking for employment should check these guys out. For those who still need to work up your Java skills, do not fret. There are plenty of other job opportunities for those who know how to program in Java. Read on about reasons to learn Java. Stay tuned for other job opportunities as well as other exciting news from the Java world on Java Made Easy! Nov 10, 2009, Making a fun Java game - 21 Sticks GameWe're going to make a fun Java game that you can play yourself against the computer called 21 sticks. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Making a fun Java game - 21 Sticks Game" Nov 9, 2009, Java Updates Now Live!Java Made Easy now has a Java updates blog! Stay tuned to get the latest Java news and updates as well as news and information about future features to this site. This will also be a way to let everyone know that the site is not inactive and that work is being done to add tons more helpful resources to help you with Java. Until next time!
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