Write, compile, and run your first basic Java program.
The 'Hello, World!' program is a long-standing tradition in computer programming. It serves as a simple first step to ensure that your development environment is set up correctly and to introduce the basic syntax of a new language. In Java, every application must contain a `main` method, which is the entry point for the JVM to start execution. This method must have a specific signature: `public static void main(String[] args)`. Let's break this down: `public` is an access modifier, meaning the method is visible to all other classes. `static` means the method belongs to the class itself, not to a specific instance of the class, allowing the JVM to call it without creating an object. `void` indicates that the method does not return any value. `main` is the name of the method. `(String[] args)` declares a parameter named `args`, which is an array of `String` objects that can be used to pass command-line arguments to the program. Inside the `main` method, we use the statement `System.out.println("Hello, World!");`. `System` is a built-in Java class, `out` is a static member of the `System` class that represents the standard output stream (usually the console), and `println` is a method of the `out` object that prints the given text followed by a new line. To run this program, you first save the code in a file named `HelloWorld.java`. Then, you compile it using the Java compiler: `javac HelloWorld.java`. This creates a `HelloWorld.class` file containing the bytecode. Finally, you run the program using the Java interpreter: `java HelloWorld`.