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Java Basics: Getting Started

2026-04-15 · By Saurabh Editorial · Java

Set up Java, understand the syntax and tooling, and write your first real programs.

Why Java still matters

JDK, JRE, and JVM

Data types

Control flow

Collections framework

Build tools

Java powers banks, telecoms, Android, and most of the Fortune 500 backend. It is statically typed, runs on the JVM, and has an enormous ecosystem — Spring, Hibernate, Kafka, Jenkins, Elasticsearch — all built on it.

Maven and Gradle handle dependencies, builds, and packaging. Most modern teams use Gradle for speed and Kotlin DSL ergonomics.

JDK — the Java Development Kit. Compiler, tools, and the JRE.
JRE — Java Runtime Environment. Runs compiled .class files.
JVM — Java Virtual Machine. Executes bytecode and manages memory.

if / else and switch (with modern arrow-style cases).
for, enhanced for-each, while, do-while.
Streams for declarative iteration over collections.

List — ArrayList, LinkedList for ordered data.
Set — HashSet, TreeSet for uniqueness.
Map — HashMap, LinkedHashMap, TreeMap for key-value.
Queue / Deque — ArrayDeque, PriorityQueue.