[nickand]

The reason I never used Java is that every time I tried to learn it I would get type errors. So in order for my programs to work I needed to constantly define what type things were. The other big problem I had was whenever I tried to follow examples they didn't work because there is an arcane system of importing libraries or knowing some long function name. The language doesn't seem to have any universal functions. You have to import everything. If this changes any of that then I might use it. I really like the idea of programs being able to run on any operating system. Oh one more thing is the eclipse IDE seems to have so many different set ups and ways to download it how can you know which is the right one?

[Sandman]

1. Java is a statically typed language so yes, the types need to be defined and known at compile time. Some people like static typing, others not so much. If you fall into the second group, there's a whole lot of dinamically typed languages you can try out.

2. Java is also object-oriented. This means that, in java, all the functions are methods of objects. There are no 'universal' functions which are not attached to objects in any way. Again, some people think that the object-oriented approach is a good thing which more accurately describes the world we live in, and some don't [1]. It's up to you to decide whether you think OO is a good or a bad thing.

3. Regarding Eclipse.. Go to http://eclipse.org/downloads/, choose the installation which suits you best (if you're going to do some standard java development, then obviously you'll choose the first installation, 'Eclipse IDE for Java developers'). If you later wish to develop for other languages (or write enterprise java apps), no problem, Eclipse is very extensible so you can always include the appropriate plugin in your current Eclipse installation.

[1] http://www.google.com/search?q=object-oriented+programming+s...