Foundations of Java Programming

This unit introduces core Java programming fundamentals including environment setup, basic data types and collections, control structures, methods and classes, simple file I/O, and introductory GUI components. Students will write, run, debug, and refactor small Java programs to build a foundation for more advanced object-oriented design and software development in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate the ability to install and configure a Java development environment, compile and execute Java programs (IDE and command-line), and trace program execution from source to runtime.
• Apply Java primitive and reference data types, variables, String operations, and ArrayList to design programs that store, process, and persist data using basic file I/O.
• Construct and evaluate control flow logic by implementing boolean expressions, if/else and switch statements, and loops (for, while, do-while) to produce correct outputs for specified test cases.
• Design, implement, and refactor classes and methods (including simple Swing-based interfaces), employing basic debugging and performance-awareness practices to produce modular, readable code.