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PROGRAMMING BY DOING



“THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS TO DO.” - P.R. HALMOS

 

If you've ever tried to teach yourself programming and couldn't quite get going,
then these assignments are for you. Refined over fifteen years, these are the
assignments I have used to teach the basics of Java to nearly 2,000 ordinary
public school students over my career.

Buy My Books!

If you are having trouble figuring out how to do these assignments without help,
then my book with videos “Learn Java the Hard Way” will explain things a lot
better. (Especially if you have never coded before!)

Or if you have finished most of these assignments and are ready for the
object-oriented side of Java, “Learn Object-Oriented Java the Hard Way” is the
book for you!

If you have any questions about these assignments, please read the
Frequently-Asked Questions at the bottom of this page.

Happy coding!
- Graham Mitchell

Last updated: Saturday, 2015-11-28

  Basics and Printing - 9 assignments, 58 points 0Basics and PrintingInstalling
the Java Development Kit (JDK)20 points 1Basics and PrintingCompiler Check3
points 2Basics and PrintingCompiling Practice 3 points 3Basics and PrintingAn
Important Message 5 points 4Basics and PrintingA Good First Program by Zed Shaw4
points 5Basics and PrintingComments and Slashes by Zed Shaw3 points 6Basics and
PrintingA Letter to Yourself7 points 7Basics and PrintingYour Initials6 points
8Basics and PrintingNumbers and Math by Zed Shaw7 points   Variables - 5
assignments, 48 points 9VariablesVariables and Names by Zed Shaw7 points
10VariablesMore Variables and Printing by Zed Shaw7 points 11VariablesUsing
Variables9 points 12VariablesStill Using Variables10 points 13VariablesYour
Schedule15 points   Keyboard Input - 7 assignments, 106 points 14Keyboard
InputAsking Questions by Zed Shaw10 points 15Keyboard InputThe Forgetful
Machine12 points 16Keyboard InputName, Age, and Salary15 points 17Keyboard
InputMore User Input of Data16 points 18Keyboard InputAge in Five Years18 points
19Keyboard InputA Dumb Calculator20 points 20Keyboard InputBMI Calculator15-28
points   If Statements - 17 assignments, 505 points 21If StatementsWhat If by
Zed Shaw15 points 22If StatementsHow Old Are You?25 points 23If StatementsElse
And If by Zed Shaw20 points 24If StatementsWeekday Name 15 points 25If
StatementsHow Old Are You, Specifically?20 points 26If StatementsSpace Boxing30
points 27If StatementsA Little Quiz40 points 28If StatementsModulus Animation 20
points   GUIs - 3 assignments, 55 points 29GUIsUsing Swing for Input 25 points
30GUIsA Boring Window 10 points 31GUIsA Frame with a Panel with Writing on It 20
points 32If StatementsTwenty Questions... well, actually just Two35 points 33If
StatementsChoose Your Own Short Adventure!60 points 34If StatementsAge Messages
325 points 35If StatementsTwo More Questions35 points 36If StatementsBMI
Categories35-45 points 37If StatementsGender Game50 points 38If
StatementscompareTo() Challenge35 points 39If StatementsAlphabetical Order30
points 40If StatementsThe Worst Number-Guessing Game Ever15 points   Random
Numbers - 8 assignments, 160 points 41Random NumbersRandomness 15 points
42Random NumbersMagic 8-Ball™ 10 points 43Random NumbersA Number-Guessing Game20
points 44Random NumbersFortune Cookie15-25 points 45Random NumbersDice25 points
46Random NumbersOne Shot Hi-Lo35 points 47Random NumbersThree-Card Monte20
points   While Loops - 12 assignments, 500 points 48While LoopsEnter Your PIN 15
points 49While LoopsKeep Guessing50 points 50While LoopsDice Doubles45 points
51While LoopsCounting with a While Loop 30 points 52While LoopsPIN Lockout 10
points 53While LoopsNumber-Guessing with a Counter40 points 54While LoopsHi-Lo
with Limited Tries55 points 55While LoopsAdding Values in a Loop30 points  
Do-While Loops - 5 assignments, 130 points 56Do-While LoopsDo-While Swimming 15
points 57Do-While LoopsFlip Again? 20 points 58Do-While LoopsShorter Double
Dice40 points 59Do-While LoopsAgain with the Number-Guessing35 points 60While
LoopsSafe Square Root55 points 61While LoopsRight Triangle Checker65 points
62While LoopsCollatz Sequence30-60 points 63While LoopsShort Adventure 2: With a
Loop75 points 63bWhile Loops Baby Nim60 points 63cWhile Loops Nim70-185 points  
For Loops - 14 assignments, 335 points 64For LoopsCounting with a For Loop 10
points 65For LoopsTen Times15 points 66For LoopsCounting Machine20 points 67For
LoopsCounting Machine Revisited25 points 68For LoopsCounting by Halves20 points
69For LoopsXs and Ys15 points 70For LoopsNoticing Even Numbers30 points 71For
LoopsFizz Buzz40 points 72For LoopsLetter at a Time 20 points 73For LoopsFor
Loop Challenge40 points 74For LoopsAdding Values with a For Loop30 points
75Random NumbersBaby Blackjack20 points   Projects - 5 assignments, 860 points
76ProjectsProject: Blackjack80-200 points   Graphics - 31 assignments, 1441
points 77GraphicsGraphics Demo 1: Basics 20 points 78GraphicsGraphics Demo 2:
Arcs and Custom Colors 20 points 79GraphicsGraphics Demo 3: Fonts and Lines 15
points 80GraphicsA Circle20 points 81GraphicsA Smiling Face40 points 82GraphicsA
Clock Face50-70 points 83GraphicsGraphing Lines 40 points 84GraphicsGraphing
Parabolas 40 points 85GraphicsGraphics Demo 4: Polygons 40 points
86GraphicsDrawing a Boring Triangle30 points 87GraphicsDrawing Random
Triangles60 points 88GraphicsDrawing Random Right Triangles80-140 points
89GraphicsSierpinski Triangle150 points 90GraphicsBoxy 1 50 points
91GraphicsBoxy 2 40 points 92GraphicsBoxy 3 60 points 93GraphicsSmiling Face
Function 80 points 94GraphicsForest and Trees 150 points 95GraphicsImage Demo -
Showing Images on the Screen 20 points 96GraphicsMotivational Poster50-80 points
  Functions - 17 assignments, 1070 points 97FunctionsPicture Menu 10 points
98FunctionsFlicker Phrase 15 points 99FunctionsHeron's Formula 15 points
100FunctionsDistance Formula 50 points 101FunctionsMonth Name60 points
102FunctionsMonth Offset60 points 103FunctionsWeekday Calculator90 points
104FunctionsArea Calculator110 points 105FunctionsFunction Call Alphabet90
points 106FunctionsFill-In Functions100 points 107FunctionsMore Fill-In
Functions100 points 108FunctionsKeychains for Saleby Aaron Gadberry40 points
109FunctionsKeychains for Sale, for real this timeby Aaron Gadberry65 points
110FunctionsKeychains for Sale, real ultimate powerby Aaron Gadberry80 points
111FunctionsCalling Functions from Other Files40 points 112FunctionsEvenness
Function60 points 113FunctionsFinding Prime Numbers85 points 114Do-While
LoopsBaby Calculator 20 points 115ProjectsProject: Calculator80-300 points
116For LoopsA Refresher20 points 117For LoopsRefresher Challenge20 points 118For
LoopsDisplaying Some Multiples30 points   Nested Loops - 9 assignments, 580
points 119Nested LoopsNesting Loops 20 points 120Nested LoopsOdometer Loops 25
points 121Nested LoopsBasic Nested Loops50 points 122Nested LoopsMultiplication
Table65 points 123Nested LoopsNumber Puzzle I60 points 124Nested LoopsGetting
Individual Digits80 points 125Nested LoopsMore Number Puzzles100 points
126Nested LoopsNumber Puzzles III: Armstrong Numbers90 points 127Nested
LoopsNumber Puzzles IV: A New Hope90 points   File Input and Output - 10
assignments, 535 points 128File Input and OutputLetter Revisited40 points
129File Input and OutputHigh Score50 points 130File Input and OutputSimple File
Input40 points 131File Input and OutputSumming Three Numbers from a File50
points 132File Input and OutputSumming Three Numbers from Any File65 points
133File Input and OutputDisplaying a File60 points 134File Input and
OutputSumming Several Numbers from Any File60 points 135File Input and
OutputSimple Web Input 15 points 136File Input and OutputA Little Puzzle75
points 137File Input and OutputVowel Capitalization80 points   Arrays - 16
assignments, 1245 points 138ArraysBasic Arrays 020 points 139ArraysBasic Arrays
130 points 140ArraysBasic Arrays 240 points 141ArraysBasic Arrays 325 points
142ArraysCopying Arrays55 points 143ArraysGrades in an Array and a File90 points
144ArraysFinding a Value in an Array80 points 145ArraysHow Many Times?40 points
146ArraysIs It There or Not?85 points 147ArraysWhere Is It?90 points
148ArraysFinding the Largest Value in an Array100 points 149ArraysLocating the
Largest Value in an Array110 points 150ArraysGiving an Array a Bunch of Values
at Once 30 points 151ArraysParallel Arrays100 points 152ArraysTic-Tac-Toe 150
points 153ArraysHangman200 points   Sorting - 11 assignments, 1000 points
154SortingMadLib Random 40 points 155SortingMovie Title Generator 40 points
156SortingPokéSwap 40 points 157SortingPokéTrader 30 points 158SortingPokéTrader
2 20 points 159SortingSorting an Array 100 points 160SortingExchange Sort 120
points 161SortingBubble Sort 130 points 162SortingSelection Sort 130 points  
Records - 11 assignments, 1070 points 163RecordsWeb Addresses 30 points
164RecordsWeb Addresses Array 10 points 165RecordsAddress toString() 20 points
166RecordsBasic Records80 points 167RecordsA Little Database100 points
168RecordsA Little Database is shorter with a loop100 points 169RecordsGetting
Data from a File120 points 170RecordsGetting More Data from a File140 points
171RecordsStoring Data in a File150 points 172RecordsReading What You Wrote160
points 173RecordsSorting an Array of Records160 points 174SortingSorting
Strings150 points 175SortingSorting Records on Two Fields200 points   Objects -
1 assignment, 100 points 176ObjectsA Tic-Tac-Toe Class 100 points   ArrayLists -
14 assignments, 1165 points 177ArrayListsBasic ArrayLists 020 points
178ArrayListsBasic ArrayLists 130 points 179ArrayListsBasic ArrayLists 240
points 180ArrayListsBasic ArrayLists 325 points 181ArrayListsCopying
ArrayLists55 points 182ArrayListsFinding a Value in an ArrayList80 points
183ArrayListsArrayList - There or Not?85 points 184ArrayListsArrayList - Where
Is It?90 points 185ArrayListsGetting the Largest Value in an ArrayList100 points
186ArrayListsLocating the Largest Value in an ArrayList110 points
187ArrayListsSorting an ArrayList120 points 188ArrayListsSorting an ArrayList of
Strings150 points 189ArrayListsSorting Sentences100 points 190ArrayListsSorting
an ArrayList of Records160 points 191ProjectsProject: Address Book200-400 points
192ProjectsProject: Hearts300-500 points   Project Euler - 20 assignments, 1715
points 193Project Euler 001 - Sum Multiples of 3 or 520 points 194Project Euler
002 - Sum Even Fibonacci Numbers40 points 195Project Euler 003 - Largest Prime
Factor of Big Number60 points 196Project Euler 004 - Largest Palindromic
Product70 points 197Project Euler 005 - Smallest Divisible by 1-2050 points
198Project Euler 006 - Sums of Squares Minus Squares of Sums50 points 199Project
Euler 007 - The 10001st Prime80 points 200Project Euler 008 - Largest Product of
Consecutive Digits100 points 201Project Euler 009 - Pythagorean Triplet75 points
202Project Euler 010 - Sum of Primes Under Two Million100 points 203Project
Euler 011 - Largest Product of 4 Numbers in Grid160 points 204Project Euler 012
- First Triangle Number w/501 Divisors160 points 205Project Euler 013 - Sum 100
Fifty-Digit Numbers80 points 206Project Euler 014 - Longest Collatz Sequence150
points 207Project Euler 015 - Routes Through a 20x20 Grid100 points 208Project
Euler 016 - Sum of the Digits of 2^100050 points 209Project Euler 017 - Letters
in One to One Thousand110 points 210Project Euler 018 - Maximum Sum Path through
Triangle160 points 211Project Euler 019 - Sundays on the 1st of the Month50
points 212Project Euler 020 - Sum of the Digits of 100!50 points
213GraphicsMouse Demo 20 points 214GraphicsTraffic Light - Drawing Shapes and
Clicking Them 40 points 215GraphicsShapes Demo - Easily Drawing and Transforming
Shapes 1 points 216GraphicsLast Clicked - Drawing Boxes Where You Clicked 1
points 217GraphicsNo Erasey - Making Stuff Stay on the Screen 1 points
218GraphicsDrag Location - Getting Drags instead of Clicks 1 points
219GraphicsDrawing Layers 1 points 220GraphicsEtch-A-Sketch 20 points
221GraphicsBouncing Ball 1 points 222GraphicsPong 100 points 223GraphicsReversi
200 points 224ProjectsProject: Paint200-500 points





FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I email you for help? No, sorry. There are thousands of you doing these
assignments! How can I get help? There's forum on Reddit devoted just to the
assignments on this site. Your question has probably been asked before, so check
there! If you have a new question, upload your code to a Gist and then make a
post. Someone will answer within a couple of days! Are the solutions available?
No! Many teachers around the world use these assignments to teach their
students. If answers were available some students would use them to cheat! What
if I buy your book? Are the solutions to these assignments in there? Nope! My
book is super great and you should totally buy it, but it will only teach you
how to complete assignments like these. It seems like some explanations are
missing. Did you forget to upload something?

No, I didn't forget. Back in 2005, I didn't have any assignments to explain new
concepts. I taught my students everything through lectures.

Then in 2010 I stopped lecturing and started creating "assignments" to replace
my lectures. I got some of these completed, and you see them here. Students
worked through the material at their own pace and asked me questions in person
about anything that I hadn't gotten around to.

Finally, in 2013 I wrote “Learn Java the Hard Way”. Now students now use my book
to learn each concept and then they use the rest of the assignments listed here
to practice.

So the explanations for some of the later assignments (like File Input & Output)
aren't "missing"; they never existed. Sorry for the inconvenience!