JAVA TEACHER FOR STUDENTS
All the Java material you need as an IEB Information Technology (IT) student in South Africa.
Java Teacher does focus on IEB material for South African students doing grade 10, 11 and matric computer science but the resources in this website will assist first year IT university students as well.
How to use this site
Java Teacher is not a sequential Java textbook. Instead, it is a Java and SQL encyclopedia.
There are two ways to get help.
- On the right, you will find the topics sorted by grades.
- On the top right you will find a search bar where you can search by keywords eg class diagram, rounding, tracetables, debug etc
- This site is based on the Java by Example approach – less explanation and more examples. View or download the coded examples and study them, code them, run them, edit them, break them . . . this is how professional coders learn.
- There are two “Java by Example” textbooks that are a companion to this website. These textbooks offer an sequential learning experience grade by grade.
Java Teacher is passionately built and supported by Steve Eilertsen, an IT teacher at a private school in Johannesburg.
“This is my give-back strategy for IT learners who are passionate and gifted but do not have access to a suitable teacher.”
Online tutoring is available for matric learners in preperation for the PAT, Prelims and Finals for the remainder of 2026.
Gr 11 – String and OOP
Using methods to manipulate Strings while using OOP principles. Example Input: Steve Eilertsen Output: First Name: STEVE Last Name: EILERTSEN Name and initial: EILERTSEN S This program uses one class and various static methods and variables to manipulate a String....
Gr 12 – Normalization+
Normalization videos 1NF, 2NF and 3NF. Check out Caleb Curry's normalization videos on YouTube. Database Design 35 - Introduction of Database Normalization. Database Design 36 - 1NF Database Design 37 - 2NF Database Design 38 - 3NF
Gr 12 – Normalization Ex2
Shows the process from zero-normal-form 0NF to 3NF Click here
Gr 12 – Normalization Ex
In this un-normalized spreadsheet (one table database) look for examples of: Redundant data, repeating groups and anomalies (insert, deletion and update). Click here for exercise Click here for some possible answers
Gr 12 – Normalization
Normalization is the processes needed when someone has started a "database" in a spreadsheet i.e. a single table with many fields and now a proper database is needed. A "proper" database has more than one table. Each table stores related data. Then it is called a...
Gr 10 – Intro to Java. Gogga
Assumption: You are going to use the IDE called jGRASP. To create a Gogga project you need to download the Gogga library published by Funworks. Funworks provides IT text books for grade 10, 11 and 12, both theory and Java. Click here to download the libary. The...
Integer overflow error video
The wonderful world of coding is full of tricks and traps. Here is a space rocket that blew up due to a simple coding error - an error you will be able to understand in the next few weeks.
Gr 12 – Octopus Assignment
Write the following 2 class programs - version one followed by version three. They are different because the layout of the text file has changed. Version one has a single field on a single line (therefore no delimiter required.) Version three has three fields on one...
Gr 12 – Pseudocode
You have to be able to write an algorithm in pseudocode as well as produce a trace table based on a pseudocode algorithm. There is no single exact version of pseudocode, but this handout based on the IEB examinations from 2018 onwards is reasonably mainstream. Click...
Tr – Java Concepts
Variables Weaker learners struggle with variables. Data types, declaration, initialization, local variables, scope of a variable, global variables, assigning a parameter to a variable that has been passed back by a method, and the properties of an object class (ie...
Tr – Bare Bones Approach
The Bare-Bones Approach In the bare-bones approach, you GET SOMETHING TO RUN. You work on the beginning, the middle, and the end of your program at the same time. (A program is not an English essay where you complete each section one at a time.) In the bare-bones...
Gr 11- NetBeans projects packages class and the main method problem
This post also deals with reading in irregular text files using the Scanner class NetBeans - How to . . Manage projects, packages and classes. Manage which main method is used/loaded (which main method is the point-of-entry) How to run more than one main method -...
Gr 12 – Irregular Text Files
You must be able to read from a text file regardless of its layout or structure eg an "irregular text file" has a variable number of data items per row of data in the text file. From 2022 text files are also likely to contain date/time information. Here is a...
Gr 12 – Writing to a text file
Writing to a text file using FileWriter (not PrintWriter) In this example books are added to a growing list of books that is stored in a text file. Therefore we are appending new book records to the bottom on the file thereby creating a flat file database (text based...
Gr 12 – Prelim Java Prac 2020
Here is the Java practical prelim paper 2020 from the Pretoria 480 cluster. The question paper and the memo - the SQL section and the coding section. Also the "Bare Bones approach" based on the memo. If you find the Java practical difficult, this is a strategy that...