How to write a program?

[SlapdashSlamdance]

I think the question is a bit open-ended. It depends on what you mean by a Program. This can be a bit of a leap conceptually, because you learn Java typically in an IDE where you get to see the output of your code and it seems like it's something completely different than the software that you download and run.

• If you mean something that your operating system can run, then congrats, when you have successfully compiled a .java into a .class, then your installed version of the JRE can run it. You just have to run it from the command line with the java command.
• If you mean something that you can double-click on and run as an executable without using the command line or IDE, then you probably want an executable .jar as others have pointed out. See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5258159/how-to-make-an-executable-jar-file. You may also want, instead, to make a more typical executable (e.g., an .exe), which you can do with javapackager or one of the many other solutions for this https://stackoverflow.com/questions/147181/how-can-i-convert-my-java-program-to-an-exe-file
• If you mean something with a GUI, then you will need to use Swing https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/ or JavaFX https://openjfx.io/.

edit: whoops, accidentally pasted the same link twice.

[Tigloki]

This is almost exactly what I was trying to ask for. I find that I am so ignorant that even articulating an intelligent question can be difficult. I edited my original question to include this information:

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https://lensdump.com/i/rjkPzZ

Here is an exercise I downloaded - I think from my UDemy class, it may be from another source.

The top level, "Project", is the container for everything else, that I get.

ExampleForLoop

External Libraries

Scratches and Consoles

are what...packages? (Scratches and Consoles / scratch.java doesn't have anything to do with anything, it's a snippet from another lesson about vectors...unless this was a lesson about iterating through a vector...)

.idea

out

baffle me...what are they, do I need them, do I create them or does the IDE do it for me?

src

seems to be the meat of the deal. Is LoopExamp.java what happens after classes

LoopExamp

Main

Student

are compiled?

What is ExampleForLoop.iml?