CSci 150: Foundations of computer science I
Computer Science
Hendrix College
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Installing Jigsaw

In this course, we'll use Jigsaw, a software development environment that I developed specifically for beginning students at Hendrix.

  1. If you are not on a lab computer, you probably need to install the Java development kit (JDK). Be sure to look for the download entitled JDK, not one labeled JRE. There is no reason to get a version including Java EE, JavaFX SDK, or NetBeans.

  2. Download Jigsaw onto your disk. (You may find that your browser displays a note at the top of the window saying it is blocking it. You can un-block it by clicking on the rectangle that says it is blocked.)

  3. On the laboratory computers, you should move it into your My Documents folder so you don't have to keep downloading the file all the time. To do this, right-click the jigsaw-0.5.9.jar file on the desktop and select Cut from the popup menu. Then double-click My Computer, open up the Z: drive (associated with your user ID), and select Paste after right-clicking in that window.

  4. Double-click the downloaded file, and Jigsaw should start. On startup, select the Turtles template, and attempt to run by clicking the green Play arrow in the toolbar. A small window consisting of a menu bar above a blank white box should appear.

    There is some chance that Jigsaw won't start or that it won't execute the program — particularly if you're trying to use it on your own computer. If Jigsaw starts but doesn't execute programs correctly, the most likely problem is that Jigsaw can't locate JDK on its own and needs your help. You will need to go to the Java section of the Preferences window (found in the Window menu), and you'll need to configure the Compiler Location by pressing its Select… button and browsing to wherever javac.exe is located on your drive; you may also need to configure the JVM Locaion by pressing its Select… button and browsing to wherever javaw.exe (preferred) or java.exe is located.

    In any case, if you run into troubles, I'll be very happy to help you with getting it to work. Just contact me by phone or (preferably) bringing the laptop computer by my office.