Computer People: Java

[MarNav1]

Simple question. Exactly what is Java and what is it used for? Also, I need somebody to explain to me how to load pictures into the B/S/T forums. I can't figure it out. I can get the pics from the camera into my pictures folder, after that I'm clueless. Thanks.

 

[Sigman]

Posting pictures

Java

 

[MarNav1]

Thanks for your help, however both of these are over my head as far as computer knowledge goes. Would a book like Windows for dummies help?

 

[IlluminatingBikr]

Erm...that link is for a JavaScript page, which is very different from Java.

Java is a programming language developed by Sun MicroSystems, Inc. You might find yourself loading Java Applets from web pages....miniature programs written in Java, that load onto your computer. Java can also be used to make applications for mobile devices.

As far as posting pictures go, you need to first "upload" the pictures to the web. This can be done using sites like imageshack or photobucket. These sites "host" image files, meaning that they store them on their computers, for the purpose of allowing other people to view them.

Once you have uploaded the pictures, you need a way to reference them. This is done by way of URLs or links, that in one way or another a photo site will make you aware of. Usually it's something like http://www.[somewebsite].com/[a bunch of numbers].jpg

You take that address (http://...) and put "

" after it when writing your post (without the quotes of course). You can also click the button of what looks like a mountain with a moon over it, and copy/paste the link into the text field that pops up. It will automatically put in the "

"

Please keep asking questions if this doesn't make sense.

 

[chesterqw]

yea... those coffee are good when playing computer games late at night~!

oh wait...

 

[Mike Painter]

Simple question. Exactly what is Java and what is it used for? Also, I need somebody to explain to me how to load pictures into the B/S/T forums. I can't figure it out. I can get the pics from the camera into my pictures folder, after that I'm clueless. Thanks.

Java is a computer language.
It's main claim to fame is that Netscapes scripting language was renamed Javascript to sound like Java.

It is a cross platform language. The idea is that you can write it once and it will run on all platforms/ CPU's. It does, but it is slow.

The idea has been tried before with the P system from the days when Pascal was going to rule the world of computer languages. (Another story for another time.)
Sun Micro seemed to think that if everybody wrote in Java, then all the MSFT products would run on any computer and people would flock to their expensive systems rather than buy cheap PC's running Windows.

 

[MarNav1]

Erm...that link is for a JavaScript page, which is very different from Java.

Java is a programming language developed by Sun MicroSystems, Inc. You might find yourself loading Java Applets from web pages....miniature programs written in Java, that load onto your computer. Java can also be used to make applications for mobile devices.

As far as posting pictures go, you need to first "upload" the pictures to the web. This can be done using sites like imageshack or photobucket. These sites "host" image files, meaning that they store them on their computers, for the purpose of allowing other people to view them.

Once you have uploaded the pictures, you need a way to reference them. This is done by way of URLs or links, that in one way or another a photo site will make you aware of. Usually it's something like http://www.[somewebsite].com/[a bunch of numbers].jpg

You take that address (http://...) and put "

" after it when writing your post (without the quotes of course). You can also click the button of what looks like a mountain with a moon over it, and copy/paste the link into the text field that pops up. It will automatically put in the "

"

Please keep asking questions if this doesn't make sense.

Yes, this helps me a bit more. What is a URL? How do I copy/paste? Then I think I can figure this out. Thanks everybody for your help. :laughing:

 

[carrot]

Java is often touted as "C++ done right" -- it extends the C language in a less clumsy, more logical manner, while allowing a program to be compiled once and run on almost any operating system, as long as a suitable VM (virtual machine) exists for it. The upside is that the compiled/interpreted VM-based model allows for better security and safer execution of applications, but the downside is that it is slow.

 

[James S]

And there is the additional downside that it doesn't quite work the way that it is advertised. What runs on one computer may not actually run, or at least run right, on another computer. It's incredibly difficult to make the user interface elements behave properly on the various OS's as they are all a little different in the implementation of that. And under the hood the implementation of the UI elements programming is a nightmare.

It can be made to work, but there are other cross platform compilation tools now that work better

 

[IlluminatingBikr]

Yes, this helps me a bit more. What is a URL? How do I copy/paste? Then I think I can figure this out. Thanks everybody for your help. :laughing:

A URL is a bit of a technical term for what amounts to basically the same thing as a link. Example: www.google.com

Copying and pasting can be accessed by using the "Edit" menu, commonly found on most programs (it's usually next to the "File" menu). You highlight the text you want to copy (by holding down the mouse button by dragging over it), and then go to the edit menu, and click on "copy". To paste the copied text, simply click in the text field where you want the text to go, and then go back to the edit menu and click "paste". It should take a snapshot of what you highlighted, and put it in the new text field of your choice.

Similarly, you can use keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste (as well as many other operations). Rather than going to the edit menu, simply highlight the text you want, and hold the control key. Tap the "c" key while you are holding down the control key, and then release both at the same time to perform the "copy" operation. To paste, click where you want the text to go, and this time press the "v" key while holding down control. It should work exactly the same as before, but it allows you to not have to go to the edit menu.

 

[geepondy]

A couple of the business programs I use at work (one of them called Agile if you've ever heard of it) run on Java. It's the slowest running OS I've ever seen. Slow to open, slow to run and very annoying if you leave it alone and come back and then click on something, it seems to take a good 10-15 seconds for it to "wake up" and allow you to do anything. It must still be pretty active because every once in a while I will get an auto update notification which says will improve my java experience and run faster but it never does.