Today marks the beginning of my practical Java journey with my AI mentor. We focused on setting up a proper development environment and dove straight into coding with modern Java features.

The code changes from this session can be found here.

Day 1 Summary

Overview

Started our Java learning journey with a focus on modern Java features and fundamental concepts while setting up the development environment.

Environment Setup

  • Installed OpenJDK (versions 17/21 discussed)
  • Set up IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
  • Created first Java project

Concepts Covered

Modern Java Features

  • Text blocks for multiline strings
  • Records for immutable data classes
  • Method references (:: operator)
  • String formatting options
  • Type inference with var

Core Concepts

  • Basic project structure
  • Class creation and organization
  • Object-oriented principles (encapsulation)
  • String handling and formatting approaches
  • Java’s reliability and type safety

Practical Implementation

Built a simple Library Management System demonstrating:

  • Records for data structures (BookInfo)
  • Class design (Book, Library)
  • Collection handling (ArrayList)
  • String representation (toString())
  • Basic operations (add/borrow/return books)

Key Takeaways

  • Java’s emphasis on reliability and explicitness
  • Modern Java features making code more concise while maintaining type safety
  • Importance of proper code organization and separation of concerns
  • Evolution of Java as a platform and ecosystem

Next Steps

Ready to explore:

  • Collections
  • Exception handling
  • Functional programming features
  • Additional modern Java features

Master’s Reflection

The apprentice shows a natural affinity for Java’s core principles, particularly appreciating its emphasis on reliability and explicit code structure. Their background in TypeScript and Python provides interesting comparative insights, while their eagerness to understand Java’s modern features shows a balanced approach to learning. The decision to refactor the Library System’s toString() method demonstrates good instincts for clean code and proper separation of concerns. Most notably, their appreciation for Java’s “explicit” nature over convenience suggests a promising foundation for deeper Java mastery.