Tutorials
All robotics code must be written in Java. As such, knowledge of Java and its syntax is essential. The following tutorials are good for self studying Java or as reference for Java methods and syntax.
Git is a common version control system that helps keep track of and organize the changes made to code. The Learn Git Branching tutorial is an interactive Git tutorial that I highly recommend.
Documentation for FIRST methods are also linked for easy reference. Reading the documentation is often important to understand how a method is used, especially since the documentation on the actual FIRST website is difficult to navigate.
Java
- The Official Java Tutorial: At least the “Language Basics” lesson in the “Learning the Java Module” should be read if following this tutorial.
- Codeacademy: According to Codeacademy, this tutorial/course takes around 6 hours. I haven’t taken this course, but it seems if you follow this tutorial, you should complete all modules.
- Alex Lee: A very basic 14 minute YouTube tutorial on Java. The teacher uses Eclipse, but you can just use a text/code editor like VSCode, especially since the code is being run on the robot - not a laptop.
- Java 8 Documentation: The full, official Java documentation. This is not a tutorial.
Git
- Learn Git Branching: Probably the best Git tutorial to exist. You only really need to do the intro sequences in the main and remote sections. However, I would recommend doing all of the levels, just because it’ll be useful in the future, especially if you’re intending to pursue coding further.
- Git Cheatsheet: Good for referencing Git commands
FIRST Robotics Documentation