Java, Java, Java Object-Oriented Problem Solving

Welcome

Welcome to Java, Java, Java, a book that introduces you to object-oriented programming using the Java language. When considering the purpose of this text, three important questions might come to mind: Why study programming? Why study Java? What is object-oriented programming? This chapter will address these questions. First, we provide a brief introduction to computers and the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW). Then, we address why someone would study programming and we examine types of programming languages. We introduce the Java programming language and conclude the chapter by exploring object-oriented programming principles and how Java is an object-oriented programming language.

What Is a Computer?

A computer is a machine that performs calculations and processes information. A computer works under the control of a computer program, a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do. Hardware refers to the electronic and mechanical components of a computer. Software refers to the programs that control the hardware.

A general-purpose computer of the sort that we will be programming can store many different programs in its memory. That is what gives it the ability to perform a wide variety of functions, from word processing to browsing the Internet. This is in contrast to a special-purpose computer, such as the one that resides in your microwave oven or the one that controls your digital watch or calculator. These types of computers contain control programs that are fixed and cannot be changed.