# Getting Started

If you are new to Saxon, or to Java, or to XML, XSLT, and XQuery, this section provides a quick checklist of the things you need to do before you can run your first application.

First decide which platform you want to use. If you already use either the Java or .NET platform, it's simplest to use the platform you are familiar with. If you don't use either of these platforms, we recommend starting with Java as Saxon has been available on Java for longer and this version is therefore better integrated and better documented. If you currently use both, then the choice largely depends on what language you want to use to write your own applications.

- Getting started with Saxon on the Java platform

- Getting started with Saxon on the .NET platform

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