Say “Hello, World!”
Write and run a basic Java program with console output.
We'll cover the following...
Welcome to Java! In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Java programming in a hands-on, practical way. We’ll start by writing your first Java program, printing a message to the screen, and breaking down how Java is structured. No prior experience? No problem—just bring curiosity and your keyboard.
Goal
You’ll aim to:
Write and run a basic Java program.
Use
System.out.println()
to display output.Understand Java’s basic structure.
Your first Java program
Let’s print the first Java program:
public class Main {public static void main(String[] args) {System.out.println("Hello, world!");}}
That’s it—you’ve written a full Java program that prints a message to the screen!
What’s going on?
public class Main
defines the class namedMain
. It’s the program’s entry point.main()
is the method where every Java program starts running.System.out.println()
displays output in the console.Each statement ends with a semicolon
;
.
Try this
Change the following message:
System.out.println("Java is awesome!");
When you run your code, Java reads it and performs the action—in this case, printing your message.
Mini challenge
Add two more lines to your program to print new messages:
System.out.println("Let’s learn Java.");System.out.println("Line by line.");
public class Main {public static void main(String[] args) {System.out.println("Hello, world!");// Write your code here:}}
What does the output look like?
Great job! You’ve completed your first Java output challenge.
What’s next?
You’ve said hello. Next: make Java do math—and become your own calculator!