Sample Java Program

Here is an example Java program. It is about as small a program as is possible. Some of its details will be explained later.

class Hello
{
  public static void main ( String[] args )
  {
    System.out.println("Hello World!");
  }
}

This program will be created as a text file using a text editor such as the "NotePad" editor (details on how to do this will come later.) The important thing for now is to note that it is a file that is saved on the hard disk. The file should be named Hello.java. This file is called a source program.

Since the file contains characters (stored as bytes) it can not be directly executed (run) by the computer system. As a file containing text, all that can be done with it is to print it, display it on the monitor, or alter it with a text editor.