FTC uses Java as its main language, and even someone who has never programmed before can learn enough to get started — as long as they get this foundation right before moving on to the robot's code.
Language basicsLink to this section
Variables store information, if/else conditionals make decisions inside the code, and methods organize blocks of action that can be reused. These three concepts alone already solve most of the logic for a simple robot.
- Understand variables and the main data types.
- Use if/else conditionals.
- Work with methods to organize the code's actions.
Classes and objectsLink to this section
A class is like a mold, and an object is a concrete thing created from that mold. In FTC, this shows up constantly: every motor, every sensor, every subsystem of the robot is normally represented as an object in the code.
- Understand what classes and objects are in practical terms.
- Learn to create and use objects in code.
- Notice how these concepts show up in FTC programming.