For those new to both Java and Groovy

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.

1. Numeric Processing
    Integer Math - choose from many types of integers

    BigDecimal 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

    Object Arrays - fixed-size arrays for faster collections

    Maps and Sorted Maps - assign collected values to keys

3. Text Processing
    Characters - access the full power of Unicode

    Strings and StringBuffers - 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 your program from many building blocks

    Expandos, Classes, and Categories - encapsulate your program's complexity

    Program Control - various ways to structure your logic

6. Data Typing
    Static Typing and Interfaces - put compile-time restrictions in your program

    Inheritance - use your classes and methods for many purposes

7. Meta-Programming
    Class Reflection - examine and manipulate objects dynamically

    Using Interceptors with the ProxyMetaClass - intercept your method calls

Other Topics Coming
    Packages
    Exceptions
    Multi-Threading
    Networking
    Internationalization
    Annotations
    Enums
    Builders
    Class Loading
    Permissions
    Formatting
    Queues and Deques