Java developers benefit from using Groovy, but so can you who don't already know Java. If you want to access the power of the Java Virtual Machine and Development Kit libraries when programming, but don't want to learn the Java Language, you can use Groovy instead. Or maybe you do want to learn Java, but do so the easy way: you can learn Groovy first. You'll be productive sooner, and can go on to learn more about Java at your own pace.

Much of the documentation on this website at Codehaus is for those who already know Java. These pages are for you who don't, so you can learn enough of the Groovy basics to easily use the other documentation on this website. They introduce Groovy's core classes and syntax together. All code examples have been tested using Groovy 1.0 or later inside a script. It's aimed at you who have already programmed before, just not in Java, maybe in PHP, Perl, or Visual Basic. Do note that although this documentation is correct and detailed, it's still a little raw because it's still being written.

    Getting Started - enough background to dive into the tutorials that follow

1. Numeric Processing

    Integer Math - choose from many types of integers

    Decimal Math - for high-precision decimal math

    Floating Point Math - for high-speed decimal math

    Dates and Times - enabling complex date manipulations

2. Collections

    Lists and Sets - group various items into a collection

    Arrays - fixed-size arrays for faster collections

    Maps - assign collected values to keys

3. Text Processing

    Characters - access the full power of Unicode

    Strings - easily handle strings of characters

    String Pattern Matching - find patterns within strings

4. Input and Output

    Files - manipulate the file system easily

    Streams, Readers, and Writers - access data as a flow of information

5. Control Structures

    Blocks, Closures, and Functions - compose programs from many building blocks

    Expandos, Classes, and Categories - encapsulate program complexity

    Program Control - various ways to structure program logic

6. Data Typing

    Static Typing and Interfaces - put compile-time restrictions in programs

    Inheritance - use classes and methods for many purposes

    Exceptions - handle exception and error conditions simply

7. Meta-Programming

    Interceptors - intercept method calls

    MetaClasses - add and modify behavior of objects

    Class Reflection - examine and manipulate objects dynamically - IN PROGRESS

Other Topics Coming

    Packages

    Multi-Threading

    Networking

    Internationalization

    Annotations

    Enums

    Builders

    Class Loading

    Permissions

To continue learning Groovy, you can now go on to:

    Java, the engine behind Groovy's power and performance

    Swing, the graphical interface for Java, made easy with Groovy's own SwingBuilder

    Eclipse, the free IDE with a Groovy plugin to make managing your code easy

    useful Groovy modules, such as Gant, which extend the Groovy system

    Grails, bringing the power of Groovy to website development and deployment