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Capella University — Information Technology

IT2249: Introduction to Programming with Java

A complete guide to Capella's IT2249. This course introduces programming fundamentals using Java — variables, control structures, and object-oriented design — giving IT students their first hands-on software development experience.

UndergraduateJava ProgrammingObject-Oriented ProgrammingAPA 7th Edition

IT2249 teaches programming as a way of thinking, not just Java syntax — breaking a problem into logical steps, and expressing that logic in code the computer can actually execute.

Java syntax and control structures

IT2249 covers Java's core syntax — variables, data types, conditional statements (if/else), and loops (for, while) — as the building blocks for controlling program logic and flow. Students practice translating a plain-language problem description into a working, correctly structured piece of code.

Object-oriented programming fundamentals

The course introduces object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts — classes, objects, encapsulation, and inheritance — using Java's class-based structure to teach how real-world entities and their behaviors can be modeled in code, a paradigm shift from purely procedural, step-by-step programming toward organizing code around interacting objects.

Key topics in IT2249

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Worked example: modeling a real-world entity as a Java class

  • Real-world entity: A library book
  • Class design: A "Book" class with fields (title, author, isCheckedOut) and methods (checkOut(), returnBook())
  • Encapsulation: The isCheckedOut field is kept private, only modifiable through the checkOut()/returnBook() methods, preventing invalid direct changes from outside the class
  • Object creation: Multiple Book objects can be created, each representing a distinct physical book, all sharing the same class-defined structure and behavior
  • Lesson: Object-oriented design lets code mirror how we naturally think about real-world entities and their behaviors

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Frequently asked questions

What is encapsulation in object-oriented programming, and why does it matter?

Encapsulation is the practice of bundling an object's data (fields) together with the methods that operate on that data, while restricting direct outside access to the internal data — typically by making fields private and only allowing them to be read or modified through defined public methods. IT2249 teaches encapsulation because it protects an object's internal state from being changed in invalid or inconsistent ways from outside code — for example, a Book class's checkOut() method can include logic ensuring a book can't be checked out if it's already checked out, but if the isCheckedOut field were directly accessible and modifiable from anywhere in the program, that validation logic could easily be bypassed, allowing the program to end up in an inconsistent, incorrect state. Encapsulation is one of the core benefits object-oriented programming offers over purely procedural code, since it keeps related data and behavior bundled together and protected from unintended misuse.

What is the difference between a class and an object in Java?

A class is a blueprint or template that defines what data (fields) and behavior (methods) a certain type of entity will have — for example, a Book class defines that every book will have a title, an author, and a checked-out status, along with methods for checking the book in and out. An object is a specific instance created from that class blueprint — for example, a specific physical copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" would be one Book object, and a specific copy of "1984" would be a separate Book object, each with its own distinct values for title, author, and checked-out status, even though both were created from the same Book class definition. IT2249 teaches this distinction early because it's foundational to understanding object-oriented programming — the class defines the general structure once, and the program can then create as many individual objects from that class as needed, each maintaining its own independent state while sharing the same defined behavior.