Programming Discussion Thread

[AnyOldName3]

Now, back vaguely towards actual programming:

Can someone who knows some java help me with something. For a program I'm working on I need a method which puts the frequency of each character in the alphabet as a separate entry into an array (or as parts of the internet have suggested when I googled it, a hashmap, which I don't have a clue how to use). The program overall will put this data into a .csv file with a user specified name (which I've already got working). Basically, I have no idea what functions will help me, so can't even write a psuedocode version. When I looked it up, I found some examples, but don't like using other people's code unless I know what each line does and why, which is why I'm asking for help: I'd like to be told generally what I'll need to do, and which functions I'll need, and why, then try and make it myself from that information.