Getting started

I'd like suggestions on what tool to use in learning Java programming. I had a beginners class a couple of years ago but I'm starting over with Core Java 2 vol 1 & 2.

My instructor was sold on JBuilder (free) but is it worth my time to use and learn NetBeans(Forte, free) instead? What is the predominent tool used in the industry today? I'd prefer to use free tools until I know what I'm doing here but I'm open to buy one if neccessary.

I'm an old mainframer with about forty languages under my belt and am current in a lot of PC technology, VB, HTML, etc.

Appreciate any direction you pros want to provide

Free ones.. humm...

JBuilder Personal is free, that's a good one. I've used NetBeans a coupl of years ago when I was in school. It was a very good IDE, came with tutorials and such, but I found it very slow. Of cource that was on a 450 Mhz computer. I hear IntelliJ is a good one, but I don't think it's free.

There's JRun by Macromedia, but I don't know anyone who uses it. (And I don't think it's free)

If you want something free to use, I'd either go with JBuilder Personal or NetBeans.

Appreciate the advice. Maybe the latest version is better than the one I used. I have a pretty fast box and the tutorials sound like a good thing with NetBeans.

Just my 2 cents... NetBeans has a bad rep with most professional Java programmers I know. IBM's Eclipse with Java plug-in is quite popular, but the pick of the bunch is IntelliJ IDEA - well worth paying for.

For tutorials, Sun's Java Tutorial is good, and Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java is also a good guide.

Well, if I called the wrong number,
why did you answer the phone?