Home Setup

Downloading

Download and execute the jdk and jre files. Add the doc file as described. Then add the editors.

Softwareexact file nameLinkRemarks

java sdk

6 update 16

jdk-6u16-windows-i586.exe http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp Assuming you're using a windows comp.
Java SE Runtime Evironment (JRE) jre-6u16-windows-i586.exe Same page as above This apparently isn't already installed automagically with the jdk as I thought it was...
java sdk docsjdk-6-doc.zip Same page as above. zip file. See remarks below.
jcreator LE 4.5 jcrea450_setup.exehttp://www.jcreator.com/download.htm Do this AFTER Jdk and documents.
DrJava Stable Release 20090821 drjava-stable- ... etc.http://www.drjava.org/ Download windows app. Not an installer. Just an executable. put it somewhere convenient and make a desktop link.

Remarks

Vista Users: log on with your admin password to do these things. Make them available to all users, if it happens to ask.

Installing the Java Software Development Kit (or "JDK") will install a java folder in the "Program Files" area. This will contain the home folder, named something like jdk1.6.0 This is the "home folder".

Unzip the document file into this "home folder". Success is when you have a folder called "docs" on the same level with the "bin" folder and so forth.

There will be a folder called Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0\docs\api with a file in it called index.html. Create a desktop link to this file. We will use these documents pretty often.

Now do JCreator. It needs the jdk "home folder" location at one point. Usually it does it right, but you may have to "help" it a little bit to find the "home folder". That's about the only hang up in installing JCreator.

DrJava is just a windows program. Put it somewhere and make a nice desktop link to it.