

Show HN: Javvy – A fun way to learn Java on iOS and Android - hgllnt
http://javvy-app.com

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tixocloud
Interesting concept. I especially like that you've made it a little bit more
fun, which could make it more accessible. If I'm not mistaken, these are bite-
size tutorials? Will it lead eventually to a finished program? Building
something that worked and was function/moderately useful was what perked my
interest to dive further into development.

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hgllnt
Thanks! Accessibility is still a big issue and I think that, yes, bite-size
tutorials like ours are a great way to lower the "barriers to entry" \-
especially for non-technical people. The relatively small screen size of
phones has an impact on the functionality of the programs we can show in Javvy
but we're getting there!

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mrtimo
I teach a beginning Java course at the university. I told my students to
install your app... Apparently it's not free after a point... if you need
testers, I have 40 students that are available.

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arturadib
This is "Duolingo for programming languages". Well done.

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hgllnt
Thanks! We'd definitely love to see more people get "fluent" in Java.

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an4rchy
I like the simple design. I just noticed that you guys are also behind Swifty.
Which languages are you guys planning on next?

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hgllnt
Thanks! Now that we're into Java, we might delve into COBOL. I'm kidding,
we'll keep you posted on our future plans! It'll be something useful, that's
for sure. :)

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meekins
That's hilarious :D

Due to its status in the enterprise and the amount of existing business
critical codebases in various stages of rot I tend to think of Java as the
COBOL of tomorrow.

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hgllnt
That's a hot topic, haha! Anyway, I really like this quote: "I'm sure there
are still COBOL programmers out there, but I wouldn't want to be one of them."

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markdeloura
Great job with your app! I'm enjoying playing with it. Java was a wise
language choice given it is the language used by AP Computer Science A
courses. I hope you will consider Javascript next, the Github code rankings
show it as the most popular language: [http://www.wired.com/2015/08/github-
data-shows-changing-soft...](http://www.wired.com/2015/08/github-data-shows-
changing-software-landscape/)

~~~
hgllnt
Thanks so much for your feedback on Javvy! Yes, Javascript: it's going to
happen! By the way, in this article I cite Java as the most popular
programming language (based on the TIOBE index):
[https://medium.com/@hellocode/getting-javvy-or-how-we-re-
bri...](https://medium.com/@hellocode/getting-javvy-or-how-we-re-bringing-
some-fun-to-java-37082f3fe8aa)

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impostervt
What are some good sites for learning Java, as it's used inside of large
organizations? I already know how to code, but have run screaming from Java
whenever I started looking at it. But where I work, it's ubiquitous.

I'd rather not learn on my phone. I have this giant desktop sitting in front
of me...

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Karunamon
Java appears to be the _lingua franca_ of the enterprise world, for better or
worse, and that means there's going to be a lot of mediocre code out there.
Unfortunately, the only way around a lot of it is going to be to hold your
nose.

You'd do well to learn the extras provided by Java Enterprise Edition -
basically it bolts web services stuff onto the standard Java stack.

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mentos
Second example was a little confusing for me "A variable can only remember one
value at a time. If you want to change its value, simply use its name without
the type."

The 'simply use its name without the type' might be better worded?

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hgllnt
You might have a point there. Thanks for pointing it out!

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markbnj
I love how the first question is presented so the answer is the completion of
a string literal, which is then printed. Very interesting approach to getting
people engaged right up front. Nice job.

~~~
hgllnt
Thanks a ton! :)

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tylerpachal
Is this aimed mainly at beginners? I would be interested in brushing up on my
Java, and would like to skip over the basic stuff like variables and
conditional statements and stuff like that.

(Downloading now)

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hgllnt
You can totally skip over the basic chapters and polish up your knowledge
about OOP concepts and the like. Also, we'll keep adding more advanced stuff!

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kalatalabnik
Hi, looks good, interesting way to learn about Java. IMHO it would be nice, if
there were more space for user input (choosing from two options is not
enough). Questions at the end are good example for adding user interaction,
not just only revealing the answer.

There is something strange in 03-04, second line starts with "6 myBoolean
...". I don't understand it.

Also at 03-13 is incorrect result, it's false.

Anyway, looking forward for PHP. ;)

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hgllnt
Thank you for those suggestions; they're great! The tutorials are definitely
going to get more options and the questions at the end of each chapter will
become way more interactive in a future update! The 6 in 03-04 should be
"boolean" and you're right about 03-13. Again, thanks! :)

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ausjke
very interesting, what about do this to other languages too, say php, lua,
python, javascript...

Duolingo to "programming" languages that is.

~~~
hgllnt
At the moment, we've got one more app on Swift ([http://swifty-
app.com](http://swifty-app.com)) but, sure thing, other languages are going to
follow!

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sjdev
This looks great. I have a few friends involved in teaching K-12 education who
have been exploring ways to introduce some of the younger ones to programming
so I will be sure to pass this along.

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hgllnt
Great! The setting should definitely work with K-12 kids. Thanks a ton! :)

