As would be expected with a language that started on the Web, there are numerous Web pages devoted to Java. Here are some sites that I've found to be worth seeing.
This is Sun's home for Java on the Web. Because Sun developed Java, this is always the place to start for the latest and greatest information. When you want documentation on, for example, Java APIs, you know that here you're getting the word straight from the horse's mouth.
As described earlier, Gamelan is the repository of many of the best applets on the Web. This is where to start when you're looking for other people's applets to use on your pages (after getting their permission, of course!). Gamelan's categories include Arts and Entertainment, Business and Finance, Commercial Java, Educational, Games, How-To, JavaBeans, Multimedia, Network and Communications, Programming in Java, Publications, Sites, Special Effects, and Tools and Utilities.
If, after reading this book, you write an applet that is just so new and wonderful you want the world to know about it, submit your page to JARS for evaluation. Applets are judged on quality and innovation. If you make the grade, you'll get a link from their site to yours, and a badge you can display to show that you are now a Java wiz.
Then again, if you're still looking for examples to help you make your applets sing and dance, you can also check out other people's code here to see exactly how the wizards did it.
Every technology needs a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page; Java's is Café au Lait. While a little outdated (as of this writing), this site, maintained by author Elliotte Rusty Harold, still includes a great list of Java news and resources.
Early in Java's development, several of the usual magazine companies tried to start up new publications to serve the Java developer community. Most of them later fell victim to "Web time"--in the lag between when the articles being completed by the author and when the magazine arriving in the readers' hands, weeks had passed, and those Web-savvy Java developers had long since read the news online. While a few smaller Java publications are still trying to sell print subscriptions, all of the following also have active Web sites.
The last survivor of the big-time publishers' attempts at Java magazines, this is now an online-only publication from IDG. Monthly and bi-monthly columns include Java In Depth , Java Step by Step, JavaBeans, How-To Java, Design Techniques, Java Developer, Distributed Objects, Media Programming, and Java Tips.
A subscription to the print edition is $39 per year for individuals in the USA, but the online version has most of the same content.
An annual subscription to the Java Developer's Journal is $39.99, but you can sign up at the Web site to get a free trial issue. The digital edition is available to subscribers only, but many features and editorials are publicly available for viewing online.
Java Pro is another print magazine ($29.95 annual subscription) with its content available online.
For most languages they're called compilers, but Java isn't most languages. To do Java development, you're going to need a development environment. Here are the major players (in no particular order).
Metrowerks' CodeWarrior ProAlong with a Java IDE, this package includes compilers for C, C++, and Pascal. You can download CodeWarrior Lite from their site for free, and check it out before you buy the complete package. For Windows 95/NT and Macintosh.
Sun Microsystems' Java Workshop 2.0This is the IDE from the folks who brought you Java. For Windows 95/NT, Solaris, HP-UX, and Unixware.
IBM's VisualAge for JavaA recent Javaworld roundup labeled this as the best of the Windows visual Java tools. For Windows 95/NT and OS/2.
Inprise's Borland JBuilder 2While Borland has changed its name to Inprise, it's still been making good development tools for many years, including the Java IDE JBuilder 2. For Windows 95/NT.
Microsoft's Visual J++ 6.0Well, Sun won't let Microsoft call it Java, so they're calling thise package J++ to make it sound like C++. No matter what you call it, it's the MS-ized version of Java. This site includes links to resources such as developer programs and technical materials. For (surprise!) Windows 95/NT.
SuperCede was formed as a spin-off of Asymetrix, and the SuperCede for Java Standard Edition is a free download. For Windows 95/NT.
Symantec's Visual CaféVisual Café is a good visual tool for cross-platform Java development. A database edition is available, providing easy connectivity for your Java apps. For Windows 95/NT and Macintosh.
My book is just an introductory text--there's a lot more to this language! Here are a few of the best books to check out of you want to take the be your next step ondown the pathroad to Java expertise.
Everything you always wanted to know about Java but didn't even know where to begin to ask is in this book. Written by David Flanagan and published by O'Reilly and Associates, Java in a Nutshell is a great reference for when you need the exact syntax of that one method.
This book is a companion guide to the previous volume, and is again written by David Flanagan and published by O'Reilly and Associates. While "Java in a Nutshell" is an excellent reference, it has virtually no examples. This book makes up for that lack, although the examples given assume that you're starting with some programming background.
This SunSoft Press book by David M. Geary tells you everything you need to know about the AWT, including an in-depth look at each of the layout managers. If you're working with the AWT, you'll eventually need this book.
This is another SunSoft Press book, this time by Peter van der Linden. I'm not recommending this book because it's a good way to learn more about Java (although it is) or because the author knows his material inside and out (although he does). I recommend it because the index includes the following entry: "Recursion joke, old: see Recursion joke, old." The book (in my older edition) also contains references to Mr. Potato Head, rhino farts, and goobers. In other words, if you like excellent writing about Java mixed with a really wacky sense of humor, this may be the book for you, too.
In the far distant past, there was one comp.lang.java newsgroup, and virtually overnight it became extremely busy. Consequently, it was split up into many little Java newsgroups, most of which are carried by most news servers.
The following is a list of the newsgroups that my server carries. Your news server may not carry all of these following, but it may also carry some that aren't here.
The original promise of Java was "Write Once, Run Anywhere." Here are two sites that have little in common except a strong commitment to that philosophy.
If you're developing Java applets or applications where you want Mac compatibility, you need to check out this site. While Sun handles Java for UNIX systems, and both Sun and Microsoft try to handle Java for Wintel systems, Apple has the sole responsibility for updating Java on the Mac. Consequently, it always seems to be a little behind and a little slow. However, you should at least try out your programs on the Mac to be absolutely sure that you've handled all the cross-platform issues. This site includes links to the MRJ (Macintosh Runtime for Java) bug list and the MRJ-Dev e-mail list.
These are the folks fighting the good fight for an open and standard Java. For them, 99% pure Java just isn't quite good enough. This is an excellent resource site for finding out what all the fuss and lawsuits are about.