If you're ready to take the plunge into programming, Java is a wonderful place to start.

You can write Java code for any operating system. A cool device called the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) will translate your code so it can be understood by your Windows system, your neighbor's Mac, or your nerdy cousin's Unix box.  Java is a good place to begin learning programming. And not only can programming be fun, it can also be a lucrative career.

Author Barry Burd breaks down Java programming into fun and manageable bites - or bytes. He walks you through downloading and setting up the Java compiler, JVM, and Java API, and then away you go!  You'll be able to

• Explore the parts of a program
• Discover methods, variables, values, and types
• Find out how the computer turns your program into the zeros and ones it understands
• See how your computer makes decisions and how your program directs its choices
• Create loops, use arrays, and program with objects and classes
• Translate the mysteries of some common error messages - and fix the problems they reveal

Once you discover the joys of Java programming, you just might find you're hooked. You'll be able to make that machine do your bidding, at least some of the time. You may find yourself thinking of programming like a game of strategy, in which it's up to you to find the secret passageway, decipher the magic words, and save the princess. Sound like fun?  Here's the place to start.