The Java Tutorials have been written for JDK 8. Examples and practices described in this page don't take advantage of improvements introduced in later releases and might use technology no longer available.
See Java Language Changes for a summary of updated language features in Java SE 9 and subsequent releases.
See JDK Release Notes for information about new features, enhancements, and removed or deprecated options for all JDK releases.
Trail: Getting Started
This trail provides everything you'll need to know about getting started with the Java programming language.
The Java Technology Phenomenon Provides an overview of Java technology as a whole. It discusses both the Java programming language and platform, providing a broad overview of what this technology can do and how it will make your life easier.
The "Hello World!" Application This hands-on approach describes what to download, what to install, and what to type, for creating a simple "Hello World!" application. It provides separate instructions for the NetBeans™ integrated development environment (NetBeans IDE), Microsoft Windows, Solaris™ Operating System (Solaris OS), Linux, and Mac users.
A Closer Look at "Hello World!" Discusses the "Hello World!" application, describing each section of code in detail. It covers source code comments, the HelloWorldApp class definition block, and the main method.
Common Problems (and Their Solutions) This is the place to go if you have trouble compiling or running the programs in this trail.