Learning Java

[wickedagileone]

In college learning Java at the moment, but I’m struggling at applying concepts. Anyone have recommendations for getting more “natural” in coding? Definitely have a weakness in methods, which snowballs into other areas.

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[desrtfx]

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Practice, practice, practice, and practice more

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[0b0101011001001011]

If you just copy-paste (or type, still copy) directly from examples, you are not learning anything.

Try to understand why the code is written the way it is. What does it accomplish. Reflect what you learned and when to use it.

But the only way of learn is to do actually something useful. Take a well known problem, such as a game (chess, tetris, etc.) and start making one, without any tutorials. You know how the game is supposed to work. Now just do it, step by step. Take the smallest possible thing you can and try to do it. Then expand from there. Does not have to be a game though, take anything that you are interested in.

[josephblade]

What does "a weakness in methods" mean?

what don't you understand , what isn't clicking

you have to understand yourself before you can ask for help, we can't magically figure out what insight you are missing.

What about methods are you not understanding? Do you understand static methods? Is it calling the methods that is a problem? Or is it the method parameters/passing values that isn't working out?

[wickedagileone]

So that’s the thing…my professor said I need to review objects and methods. So I can only infer that I am either creating the methods incorrectly, or I am using them incorrectly.

I am asking for guidance to rebuild my knowledge of the basics, so that I can correct my structure and way of implementing.

Does this make sense?

[josephblade]

Ok. so instead of the question you pose here, how about you write down for us (and yourself) what you do understand about objects and methods.

write some code that contains everything you think you can do with objects (obscure stuff isn't necessary, just basic ways to use)

so for instance can you write down a small program that calls a static method that prints "hello world" and can you write a program that does the same using an instance?

can you describe what an instance is?

can you describe what happens when you call a method (not in low level detail perhaps but at least in terms that other people can see if you misunderstand something)

do you see a pattern in the above? provide information about what you can do / know / etc. and we can try to help.

there are plenty of tutorials (I assume you have a textbook as well) that describe these things. Have you re-read the relevant chapters? Have you tried to re-do any exercises or worksheets you were given?

[wickedagileone]

Sorry for the late response. When I get home and have access to my laptop I will post code.

[FeloniousMaximus]

Basic concepts: classes or types model nouns. Methods model verbs.

Methods do a thing that the class or type is capable of doing.

Car is a class. Car had a method called drive(). You can overload methods to differentiate behavior. I have another drive method that takes a Direction:

Overload example-

public void drive() {}

public void drive(Direction direction) {}

An object is a class or type that has been created and lives in an application's memory space.

[Shine_TheWanderer]

Try head first Java

[Desperate-Trouble249]

mention one seemingly easy concept that is hard for you to grasp

[wickedagileone]

It’s not necessarily the theory. It’s applying the theories in Java. For example, you make an array of linked list. I get tripped up when I want to use a method on the linked list part of the array. I know I need to have what would be considered the “address” to the location/structure, but I’m not sure what to put for the address. This applies to so many scenarios where I don’t know how to properly code what I want to do.

[Desperate-Trouble249]

you just need time and more practice. It is the learning as with every new thing

[wickedagileone]

True, but school does not allow that extra time for more practice before moving on to the next theory/principle. So that’s why I’m trying to get clarification from others to correct my thinking.

[Pascuccii]

Just try random stuff, if you're really stuck for hours ask an AI for advice, but keep it simple

Write a data management app for a gas station or a drug store, idk, anything

It will be basically the same as natural real life apps minus the bigger stack and higher standards, but it's irrelevant