So you want to build a GUI?

Building GUI stuff when trying to learn java isn't the easiest way to
go, but it is probably doable. Unfortunately it isn't as quickly
explained as it would be if you wanted to get user  input from the
console (dos prompt).

I have two recommendations, the first is to step though the tutorials at
java.sun.com and learn how to do Swing or AWT applications in general.
That will show you how to input  stuff from a TextField like box.

The second recommendation would be to start working on console
applications at first. Learning how to program, and learning how to
program swing/awt at the same time is probably going to be a hard mind
bending experience.

Those recommendations would of course be balanced on if you had any
programming experience before hand. If you where confident at something
else, then you could probably jump into swing and awt, if you where not
I would look at option 2.

Does this help you point you in the right direction?