Help

I have no idea where to get started.

I know how to program so I need a little help getting set up.

What are servlets, applets, jars, .... There are a ton, which is which.

Are there any GUI that are recomendable.

And last but not least, are there any documents on the net that go over any of the above.

to start with, go to java.sun.com. there you'll find discussion groups (sometimes helpful), and tons of other stuff including all the APIs for all the java classes, including servlet classes.

here's my short answer to your question:
applets are (usually fairly small) applications that run inside a web browser. applets have a gui. when you run an applet in your web browser, the applet code is downloaded to and run on your pc. applets can't write to the host pc's hard drive. applets are good for cute little programs that don't really do much, like games or such. they are not good for data-intensive interactions with other systems.

servlets are generally used to support web applications of any size. the servlet runs on your web server, and is a lot like an applet in its life cycle, but it has no gui. you can output html directly with the servlet and build web pages that way, but it's a pain in the ***. when used in conjunction with JSP (java server pages) or supporting PHP applications or the like, they're incredibly useful.

packages are just ways to organize classes. a jar represents a hierarchy of classes, all packaged up. so all a jar really is, is a representation of a file tree containing java class files (compiled java code).

i recommend spending a little $$ and get a book called "Java in a Nutshell". don't remember offhand who wrote it. good luck

Sun has a really good tutorial on JSP and servlets. There are also about 3 sites out there that will let you do some development on their server for free...do a search for free servlet hosting.

Dude,

Here is what I recommend. You seem to be having trouble understanding the very basics of Java, you need to find a book to teach you how to program in Java. There is probably one available from your favorite programming series.