Grokking Java Basics
Learn Java from your first program: data types, operators, conditionals, loops, methods, arrays, strings, and exception handling, with runnable code.
Course Overview
Grokking Java Basics teaches the Java programming language from your first program. You will learn how Java code is compiled and run, and then work with variables, data types, input, and output. Next come operators, conditional statements, loops, and methods. The course then covers arrays, strings, and exception handling. It closes with short practice programs like linear search and prime checking. Every lesson includes code that you can edit and run in the browser. The course is for people who are new to programming and for developers who want to learn Java syntax and its core rules. No programming experience is required. It focuses on the core language and does not cover object-oriented programming or the collections framework. By the end, you will be able to read and write small Java programs on your own.
What you'll learn in Grokking Java Basics
- Write, compile, and run Java programs, and understand what the JVM, JDK, and JRE each do.
- Print output and read user input, the two building blocks of every interactive program.
- Make decisions with if, else, nested conditions, the ternary operator, and the switch statement.
- Write methods with parameters and return values, use built-in methods, and understand variable scope.
- Work with strings, learn why they are immutable, and build text efficiently with StringBuilder.
- Practice with classic beginner problems: swapping values, linear search, prime checks, and digit sums.
- Declare variables, use the eight primitive types, and convert between types with casting.
- Use arithmetic, relational, logical, bitwise, and shift operators, and apply operator precedence correctly.
- Repeat work with for, while, do-while, and for-each loops, and control them with break and continue.
- Store and process data in one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays with the Arrays utility methods.
- Handle errors with try, catch, finally, multiple catch blocks, and the throw keyword.
- Edit and run every code example in the browser, and test yourself with a quiz at the end of each chapter.
Course Content
Data Types and Variables in Java
Conditional Statements in Java
Loops and Other Control Flow Statements in Java
Methods and Variable Scope in Java
Java Arrays
Java Strings
Java Exception Handling
Basic Algorithms to Practice Java
What people say about our courses
About the Author
Arslan Ahmad
Industry Expertise & Leadership
Arslan Ahmad is the lead author of Grokking Java Basics. As the founder of Design Gurus and a former FAANG hiring manager, he has worked at industry giants like Facebook (now Meta) and Microsoft.
He has conducted hundreds of system design interviews, giving him unique insight into what top tech companies look for in candidates.
The course also incorporates expertise from senior engineers at Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Uber, ensuring you learn system design best practices from professionals who have built and scaled real-world systems.
500+
Interviews Conducted
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Students Taught
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FAQs
What is Grokking Java Basics?
It is a beginner course on the Java programming language. It starts with your first program and covers data types, operators, conditional statements, loops, methods, arrays, strings, and exception handling, and it closes with a set of short practice programs.
Who is this course for?
It is for people who are new to programming, for students and recent graduates who need a solid start in Java, and for developers who know another language and want to learn Java syntax and its core rules.
Do I need any programming experience?
No. The course explains every concept from the beginning. If you already program in another language, you will move through the early chapters quickly, and the lessons comparing Java with C++ and Python will help you map what you already know.
Do I need to install Java?
No. The code examples run in the browser, so you can start immediately. The course also explains the JDK, JRE, and JVM, so you will understand what to install when you are ready to set up Java on your own computer.
Does the course cover object-oriented programming?
No. This course covers the core language that every Java program is built from. Object-oriented topics like constructors, inheritance, and interfaces, and the collections framework with classes like ArrayList and HashMap, are not covered here.
Is this an interview preparation course?
No. It teaches the language. Once you are comfortable with Java, the Design Gurus coding interview courses offer their solutions in Java, so this course is the step that makes those usable rather than a substitute for them.
Is there any practice, or is it only reading?
Every lesson includes code examples that you can edit and run in the browser, most chapters end with a quiz, and the last chapter works through short practice programs like linear search and prime checking.
Is the course text-based or video-based?
It is text-based, with runnable code in the lessons. You read an explanation, change the example, run it, and see the result without pausing or rewinding anything.
Do I get a certificate of completion?
Yes. Design Gurus issues a certificate once you have completed the course, and you can share the link directly or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
