Thread: Need java mentor

i am looking for a mentor to help me with my first java application and hopefully one for android. I am in between schools and i just finished the intro to programming on udacity.com and i am looking to build an application. i know how to do the specific things when solving problems (like for loops or interfaces or anything like that) but i just don't know where to begin on how to tie together a whole application as well as what design pattern i should go with. i work a 9 to 5 and i live on the east coast i'm just looking for someone to show me the way to be a good programmer.

Welcome to the Forum! Please read this topic to learn how to post code correctly and other useful tips for newcomers.

Rather than resurrecting old posts for your own purposes - known as hijacking - start your own. I've broken your post into its own thread.

What do you mean by "my first (J)ava application?" Did you have a specific application in mind? You must have already created several Java applications. If not, please describe what you've learned from the intro to programming that you've completed.

Originally Posted by GregBrannon

Welcome to the Forum! Please read this topic to learn how to post code correctly and other useful tips for newcomers.

Rather than resurrecting old posts for your own purposes - known as hijacking - start your own. I've broken your post into its own thread.

What do you mean by "my first (J)ava application?" Did you have a specific application in mind? You must have already created several Java applications. If not, please describe what you've learned from the intro to programming that you've completed.

Sorry i didn't mean to hijack. well i have learned a lot from the online class as well as me being in school (the online class taught me more about coding than my school) technically i probably have made a few programs but this one is the first one i am making on my own and i just need some guidance on how to go about it like where to start and good coding techniques. the application i want to do is something simple that takes a users input of hours and rates and calculates an approximate paycheck amount for the user. I am going to be using eclipse.

I recommend you get a start on it and post requests for help in the regular forum area - probably "What's Wrong With My Code" - and have access to several 'mentors' who are eager to help. The app you describe is pretty typical and most who help here have done and helped with similar apps several times.

If you're specifically looking for critiques related to your coding style and techniques, be sure to mention that in your posts. With the poster's permission, more critical but helpful input regarding style and technique will be offered than most might want. We can only recommend what we've learned either as it was taught to us or as we learned through our own experiences, so recognize that what we suggest may not align completely with what might be expected of you as you continue your formal education. In cases where what we suggest differs, always do as the instructor expects.

As for where to start, I recommend you read the requirements carefully, sketch out program steps that meet those requirements (I usually use comments in a barebones program structure), and then begin filling in the commented steps with code. Some ALWAYS start a program by creating an appropriately named class with a main() method that simply prints the message, "In main() method," or something similar. You might start with something like that until you outgrow it.