CECS-174: Getting Started

This site contains information to get students started with CECS 174.

Guide to CECS Windows Lab

  1. Setting up your CECS 174 programming environment in the CECS Windows Lab Computers
  2. Setting Preferences in DrJava
  3. Using Eclipse

Guide to CECS Linux Lab

    To use DrJava in the Linux lab, follow these instructions and those from the faculty member to setup your account for use with Linux and DrJava.

Download and install software on a personal computer

It is recommended that you download and install the following software to set up a computer that will reflect as much as possible the CECS Lab environment for your CECS 174 work. Follow the steps as listed.

Download and install the Java JDK (i.e. Java Compiler)

  1. Visit this page to download Java 1.6 JDK. You will need to click on the Download button for the most recent stable release (JDK 6 Update 7 as of September 2008). NOTE: In Spring 2008, MS Vista Users had problems using JDK 6, I'm unable to test this for myself this semester. So if you have problems, then download and install the Java 1.5 JDK
  2. From the drop-down menu, select Windows and check the box where you agree to the license agreement (read the agreement), and click Continue.
  3. Click on the first link that's underneath the label Windows Offline Installation, the link is jdk-6u7-windows-i586-p.exe. Note that this is a large file, so depending on the speed of your connection this may take a while to download. I recommend downloading it in the University network and saving it in a USB drive to take it to your home computer.
  4. When the download completes, you will be able to run the windows installer application. Find it in your file system (most likely in the Desktop) and double-click it to start the installation.
  5. To install it, just follow the steps as instructed, reading and accepting the license. The pre-selected program features to install is a complete set, so there is no need to change anything.

Download and Install DrJava (i.e. a Java IDE)

  1. Visit this web page: DrJava.
  2. I recommend downloading and installing the stable release (Beta releases are generally ok to download but may occasionally still have some problems). The most recent stable release is from September 4th 2008 (download drjava-stable-20080904-r4668.exe for Windows, drjava-stable-20080904-r4668-osx.tar.gz for the Mac OS X, and drjava-stable-20080904-r4668.jar for Linux).
  3. The downloaded file is the application itself, so as soon as you download it, you've also installed it, just move it to a convenient place in your file system (Program Files for Windows and then create shortcuts to it. Save it in the Applications folder for Macintosh and then add it to the Dock).

Download the book's Java classes

The authors of the book provide a CD with the purchase of a new textbook. The CD contains Java code that is used throughout the book to learn programming in Java. As is typical with many supplements that come on CD's, the code has been improved and thus you should avoid using the code in the CD and instead download the copy of the code provided here.

  1. Download and unzip the bookClasses directory (ZIP archive). Keep it in a place similar to where you will have it in the CECS Labs -- that is, inside of the directory C:\Documents and Settings\monge\My Documents\My Projects\cecs174
  2. You may also want to download and unzip the mediasources directory (ZIP archive). Again, place this in the cecs174 folder inside of your My Projects directory.
  3. Now, configure the preferences in DrJava to have the classpath include the bookClasses directory
  4. You're now ready to program in Java with Turtles, Pictures, and Sound using DrJava!!!

Programming Resources