Downloading a Java compiler

Personally, I recommend using Forte, as that's the program you'll use in future CS courses also. But if you prefer BlueJ for this course (or you don't want to go through the bother of Forte's complicated process now), you can do that too.

Getting Forte

  1. Download and install Forte from Java's Web site: www.sun.com/forte/ffj.

  2. Download cs160.jar. (You may have to right-click the link and select `Save Link As...' from the pop-up menu.)

  3. After starting Forte, select `Mount Filesystem...' from the File menu. Select the `Add JAR File' radio button, click ``Browse...'' and navigate to the cs160.jar file. Click OK, then OK.

  4. From here on you can use Forte to develop your programs, using the csbsju.cs160 libraries as you like.

  5. Over the semester, I may periodically post new versions of cs160.jar, as we get into more advanced features. These updates will be announced on the Web page. To install a new version, quit Forte, download it on top of the old file, and start Forte again. The new version should be loaded.

Getting BlueJ

Any campus Windows installation should already have BlueJ available: It's in N:\CS160. But if that doesn't work, try the following.

  1. Download and install BlueJ from Java's Web site: www.bluej.org.

  2. Download cs160.jar. (You may have to right-click the link and select `Save Link As...' from the pop-up menu.)

  3. In BlueJ, choose Preferences from the Tools menu. Select the Libraries tab, and click the Add button. Navigate to the cs160.jar file and click OK. Click Ok to close the preferences window. BlueJ will want you to exit the program and restart to make the changes effective.

  4. From here on you can use BlueJ to develop your programs, as we have done in class.

  5. Over the semester, I may periodically post new versions of cs160.jar, as we get into more advanced features. These updates will be announced on the Web page. To install a new version, quit BlueJ, download it on top of the old file, and start BlueJ again. The new version should be loaded.