Running JAVA on a PC (Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000)

 

  1. Download JAVA 2 v1.3 Platform Standard Edition from SUN web site

 

According to SUN, JAVA 2 Platform requires a Pentium 166 MHz or faster processor with at least 32mb of RAM (48mb RAM for applets), 70mb of free disk space for Java Platform and 120mb of disk space for documentation bundle, if installed.

 

Note: also see the SUN step-by-step getting-started tutorial:

 

                http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/getStarted/cupojava/win32.html

 

Download: (34mb)

 

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/download-windows.html

 

Installation Instructions:

 

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/install-windows.html

 

Documentation: (optional)

 

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs.html

 

Notes:

a) These JAVA tools provide a DOS command line interface (not a windows GUI – Graphical User Interface), i.e., you run JAVA tools from a DOS window.

 

b) Make sure you update the PATH variable – see installation instructions above. Suggest you set the PATH variable permanently (not just for each use).

 

  1. Create (edit) your JAVA source file(s)

 

a) NOTEPAD  – save source as e.g., “FirstProgram.java” using quotes to avoid the automatic NOTEPAD  .txt extension (make sure you don’t get a .txt extension).

 

b) WORDPAD – save as text document

 

c) Other editors

 

                1) Programmers File Editor (Freeware)

http://www.lancs.ac.uk/people/cpaap/pfe/

 

2) UltraEdit (Shareware)

http://www.ultraedit.com

 

  1. Compile your JAVA source file

 

After saving your source file, e.g., FirstProgram.java and setting the PATH variable, compile JAVA with the command:

 

javac  FirstProgram.java      note that program name here is case sensitive

 

  1. Run (execute) your program

 

java  FirstProgram                note there is no .java extension here