Learning Java

There are a variety of websites that are useful for learning Java.

If you've never programmed before in your life or only understand it a little, Codecademy's Java tutorial is a great resource. It explains what programming is and goes through the basics of Java with opportunities for you to practice. Make sure that you know how to write (not just read) code with methods, variables, if-else statements, conditionals, objects, arrays, and loops. It would also be really, really helpful for your understanding if you learned about classes and static variables. (You may need to do some independent web-searching for some of these. Or just ask a lead or mentor!)

If you have experience with another programming language or programming in general, W3Schools's Java reference is a quicker way to learn Java. It's also valuable to reference when you forget the syntax for something. Again, make sure you're comfortable with the topics listed above, as some of these work differently in Java.

Lastly, the WPILib API Docs are a completely comprehensive resource of packages, classes, methods, and functions relating to robot interaction. If you're just starting out with Java, it's best not to read these unless you know what you're looking for, since the vast amount of material can be overwhelming at first. We'll explain what you need to know to get started in the following articles.