What’s the best way to begin learning JAVA?

December 4th, 2009 | by admin |

I want to learn JAVA to become a risk manager on a trading floor. What’s the best way to get started on my own? No stupid answers please. Thanks.

Go to http://www.javabat.com/
It’s an excellent site (developed by a Stanford lecturer) with hundreds of Java problems - from really simple to complex. It gives you tasks, tells you if you’re right/wrong, and also offers solutions. I believe this is a great way to develop many basic (yet crucial) coding skills.

Then, when you want to write programs:

1. Download a Java IDE (I’d recommend NetBeans - it’s free), and follow instructions to get it set up on your computer.

2. Buy a book (at university, we used "Big Java" by Cay S. Horstmann - it’s comprehensive and good to start off with).

3. This book has lots of worked exercises. Copy out the code, and then play around with it (this is the best way to learn.

It’s really hard at the beginning (if you haven’t programmed before), but then you’ll enjoy it. Also, afterwards, you’d need to buy books that are specifically about applying Java to Finance - where you learn some more things. I’m not sure which books are good for this (because I think currently there seem to be a lot more books with C++ and Trading, rather than Java and Trading, though this is of course debatable).

  1. 5 Responses to “What’s the best way to begin learning JAVA?”

  2. By Mercuri on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

    Buy a book or take a class.
    References :

  3. By kyle on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

    Research and read, take some courses at your local community college
    References :

  4. By trp_wakawaka on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

    A class is the best way. As you have no experience with Java, you really wouldn’t know the best place to start. Although, you could learn yourself if you have knowledge of C++ or C# as they have many similarities, I would recommend learning VB also.
    References :

  5. By valley9 on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

    Go to http://www.javabat.com/
    It’s an excellent site (developed by a Stanford lecturer) with hundreds of Java problems - from really simple to complex. It gives you tasks, tells you if you’re right/wrong, and also offers solutions. I believe this is a great way to develop many basic (yet crucial) coding skills.

    Then, when you want to write programs:

    1. Download a Java IDE (I’d recommend NetBeans - it’s free), and follow instructions to get it set up on your computer.

    2. Buy a book (at university, we used "Big Java" by Cay S. Horstmann - it’s comprehensive and good to start off with).

    3. This book has lots of worked exercises. Copy out the code, and then play around with it (this is the best way to learn.

    It’s really hard at the beginning (if you haven’t programmed before), but then you’ll enjoy it. Also, afterwards, you’d need to buy books that are specifically about applying Java to Finance - where you learn some more things. I’m not sure which books are good for this (because I think currently there seem to be a lot more books with C++ and Trading, rather than Java and Trading, though this is of course debatable).
    References :

  6. By Tony RB on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

    Risk management is a huge field. JAVA is merely a programming language. You can learn JAVA on your own or through classwork at a college.

    But to learn risk management you have to study accounting practices and procedures so that you will be able to understand the terminology used in analysis, and you will have learn to program accounting procedures. That kind of programming is incredibly difficult, because accounting software has to keep track of a vast number of details as well as perform calculations.

    And you will have to fully understand all the activities that happen on the trading floor.

    So start today, take notes, ask more questions in the future. Just as if you are taking a class but you are self-directed. Learn the terms - buzzwords - so that they become second nature to you.

    You can do a search for Online Trading Classes through any search engine.

    TonyRB
    Monday, November 30, 2009
    .
    References :
    .
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_manager

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_trading#Cost
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_trading_software
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithmic_trading
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retail_forex_platform

    .

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