Introduction to DSA and Programming with Java
Beginner's Guide to Programming and DSA with Java
What is DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms)?
Data Structures
These are ways to organize data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently.
Examples:
- Array: int[] arr = new int[5];
- Stack: Stack<Integer> stack = new Stack<>();
Algorithms
These are step-by-step instructions to solve a problem.
Examples:
- Sorting (Bubble Sort, Merge Sort)
- Searching (Binary Search)
- Graph Algorithms (Dijkstra's)
How is Programming Used in DSA?
Programming is your tool to build and test DSA concepts.
You learn what a Stack is, then write code in Java to create and use it.
Step-by-Step: How YOU Can Start (with Java)
Step 1: Learn Basic Java (12 weeks)
- Variables, Data Types, Conditions, Loops, Functions, Arrays, Classes
Introduction to DSA and Programming with Java
Step 2: Learn Basic Data Structures (24 weeks)
- Arrays, Strings, ArrayList, Stack, Queue, Linked List
Step 3: Learn Algorithms (48 weeks)
- Sorting, Searching, Recursion, Two Pointers, Sliding Window, Hashing, Backtracking, Dynamic
Programming, Trees, Graphs
What Youll Be Doing (Example Problem)
Problem: Find the first repeating element in an array.
Use a HashSet to track seen elements and loop through array.
Java Code:
public class FirstRepeating {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int[] arr = {1, 2, 3, 2, 4};
HashSet<Integer> set = new HashSet<>();
for (int num : arr) {
if (set.contains(num)) {
System.out.println("First repeating: " + num);
break;
} else {
set.add(num);
}
Introduction to DSA and Programming with Java
