|
This is a quick guide to installing Java on your Windows machine. This tutorial assumes you are running Windows
XP, if you are running some other version of windows the steps should be similar. If you have trouble email me
<naps AT cs DOT umn DOT edu> or, if possible, you can bring your laptop to office hours and we can try to
get it working there.
Step 1
Go to the Java Download Page and download "JDK
6 Update 7". This was the most recent stable update of the JDK as of September 6th, so hopefully it sill is
now.
Step 2
Run the .exe that you just downloaded and go through the complete installation process.
Step 3
You will know need to edit the PATH variable in Windows. The basic role of this variable is to tell Windows
were to look when you issue commands at a command line. In order to run and compile Java code you will need to
inform Windows as to where these programs are.
To change you PATH variable right-click and "My Computer" and go to properties. Click the "Advanced"
tab and then on the "Environment Variables" button. Under "System Variables" find the variable
named "PATH". Select "PATH" and then click "Edit". You now need to add the location
of your Java binary files. If you downloaded then version above and followed the default installation procedures
they should be located in...
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_07\bin
To add this to you PATH variable paste the following line to the end of the variable value..
;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_07\bin
The semicolon is NOT a typo, it is needed to delimit directory paths in the PATH variable.
If this is not where you installed your Java files that is fine, just find the bin directory and add to the
PATH variable.
Step 4
To verify that everything has worked correctly find the "Run" command that should be in your start
menu. Run the command "cmd", this will open up a command line that you can use to compile and run your
Java programs. Once at a command line type...
java -version
You should get basic output about the version of Java that you just installed. If you see this then you are
ready to compile and run Java programs.
Step 5
Now you'll need to find something to write your code in. You can use a text editor and then manually compile/run
you programs or you can use an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). I tend to lean towards to text editor
approach as I think it is easier/faster once you get the hang of it and IDEs have a learning curve to them. IDEs
are more appropriate for large scale projects, not the kind of work you will doing in this class. You'll find it
easier to manage your files when you can manually move them around. This can be tricky in IDEs as the files are
often tied to projects that makes manipulating them difficult by comparison.
List of various Text Editors and IDEs (all credit
goes to the site's owner)
See also Linux for Windows for a console and a text editor you can install
that is very similar to the arrangement used in the classroom.
|
