Motif and Linux.

[James N McClatchey]

> Just curious, but how did you learn Java?  I was reading all the docs I
> could find this weekend.  Most of the tutorial pages are links to the
> elusive document "MissingPage.html". This includes the whole chapter on
> how to use the awt (Abstract Window Toolkit) class.  I'm really looking
> forward to learning it, but I haven't seen any 'real' applications (with
> or without source code) written in Java for examples.  That, and my X
> server on a regular basis when running Java enabled Netscape on my Linux
> box at home.   I was frustrated because the sample Spreadsheet
> application I wanted to model my application after didn't seem to work
> under Java Linux.

I guess it was a multipart process starting about a month ago.

1. I read a book - "Java!". Its reads well and I think is a good introduction.
Unfortunately, it's API is for the Alpha release and the Beta release was
very different.

2. I went to java.sun.com and downloaded all the documentation in
postscript format and printed it out. This is a little cumbersome (4 notebooks)
but the html documentation I couldn't make work.

3. I got the Linux port of the JDK (Java Development Kit) from 
java.blackdown.org. A guy named Randy Chapman is doing some nice work
porting the JDK to Linux. One difficulty is that your whole Linux
system must be ELF in order for it to work. This took a little effort.
I have it running now with kernel 1.3.45, libc.5.2.16.

4. I started writing code. 

5. Last week I went to the one day SunSoft Java Camp here 
in Atlanta. It cost about
$225 but was helpful in solidifying what I had already learned through
experience. There were a bunch of GaTech people there.

There are a lot of things I like about Java. I think it will be easier to
learn it in the future as there are several books due out in March.
Right now the documentation and tutorial are incomplete and hard to
understand, but if you are willing to make the time committment, it can
be done. I do believe it will be the dominant language in the future
for networking applications.

Incidentally, I don't know if it helped or hurt me, but I had never
programmed in C++ before (still haven't). I only knew C before Java so
there was (and is) a learning curve for me there may not be for others.
(On the other hand, maybe there was a bunch of stuff I did not have to
unlearn :-))

There is a JUG (Java Users Group) starting up here in Atlanta. It has
had one meeting. Don't know when the next one is.

Regards - Jim
-- 
James N. McClatchey (Southern Aluminum Finishing Co, Atlanta, GA, USA)
Architectural Aluminum. Custom Fabrication. Paint, Powder Coating, Anodizing.
jnm at saf.com  Compuserve: 76167,2535  Voice: 404-355-1560 Fax: 404-350-0581