The Windows file manager lets you create all kinds of new, empty files as long as they either have a .txt extension or are of a Microsoft file type.

I just wanted to create empty files with no extension that I can later open in Gvim.

Basically I want the Windows equivalent of the Unix/Linux command touch.

There's a complicated Stack Overflow page on this topic, and the easiest method by far is this one that uses the Windows command line:

C:\Users\name\your\path> copy nul filename

Substitute the filename you want for filename, and you're good to go.

I've seen ways of turning this into a batch file and then somehow right-clicking to invoke it, but for now I'll just open the Windows terminal and use it that way.

I'm aiming to learn more Java, and in preparation decided to replace Java 8 with Java 10 on my Windows 10 laptop.

The first time through the installer, I only got the JRE and not the full JDK. Then I removed my old JDK installations via Windows' add-and-remove-programs utility and re-installed the JDK software via Oracle's bundle.

The second time I got the full JDK, but a check of java and javac on the Windows command line showed java working but javac not.

A quick Googling brought up a Stack Overflow question (and answer) that told me I had to add the JDK to my Windows path.

Once I did that, javac worked. Since the JDK comes from Oracle with a GUI installer, even if I somehow missed the checkbox where the installer modifies my system's path, having to Google and then do this manually is a messy ending to installing the JDK. If I'm installing the JDK, I want it in my path, and that should be the default.

It's an unnecessary hurdle for new programmers or people who aren't the best amateur sysadmin.