Any tutorials on creating start-up menus?

Can anyone point me towards some resources to learn about practical programming? I know how to program simple things that will run from a dos window, but I’m really only interested in things with an actual gui. It can be C++ or Java, or even another language if it’s transferable.

My goal is to program my own simple game. I want to run my program and have a menu come up where you select from the game, options, or exit. Clicking the game goes into a character selection menu (like a fighting game) and then you go into the actual game with your character. But I don’t know how to start the menu and character selection for the game. I’ve looked for tutorials for other games, but they focus on the game logic rather than the menus and such. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Edit* I'd also like to have a book/tutorial/something that would teach me how to make a game with more than just the game loop (that is usually game specific anyways). I want to know how to create the start-up screen, menus, (maybe) networking, etc. as well as the game itself.

Tried to simplified it. State, MeniuState, GamePlayState, and in Core updating currentState and doing every switching between states. Every time time I change state, I set that state is used first time, so then variables init would be used only once. And with some event, changing from state to state (MeniuState sets gamePlay if you press Play button). And every time i change states, I hide all panels, and add new (not best choice, because after a lot changing there will be a lot panels added to frame, but just not visible)


 package towerdefense;
 public abstract class State implements ActionListener {
 private boolean firstFrame;
 private boolean pause;
 private int gameSpeed;
 ArrayList<JPanel> panels;
 public State() {
 firstFrame = true;
 pause = false;
 panels = new <JPanel>ArrayList();
 }
 abstract void loadImages();
 abstract void init();
 abstract void update(long frameDuration);
 abstract void draw(Graphics2D g2d);
 abstract void input(InputHandler input);
 
 }


 public class Meniu extends State {
 private boolean gamePlay;
 JButton btnPlay;
 @Override
 void loadImages() {
 }
 @Override
 void init() {
 gamePlay = false;
 }
 @Override
 void update(long frameDuration) {
 }
 @Override
 void draw(Graphics2D g2d) {
 }
 @Override
 public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
 if (e.getSource() == btnPlay) {
 setGamePlay(true);
 }
 }
 @Override
 void input(InputHandler input) {
 }
 public boolean isGamePlay() {
 return gamePlay;
 }
 }


 public class GamePlay extends State {
 private boolean gameOver;
 private boolean meniu;
 private boolean win;
 @Override
 void loadImages() {
 
 }
 @Override
 void init() {
 }
 @Override
 void update(long frameDuration) {
 }
 @Override
 void draw(Graphics2D g2d) {
 
 }
 @Override
 void input(InputHandler input) {
 }
 @Override
 public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
 
 
 }
 
 public boolean isGameOver() {
 return gameOver;
 }
 public boolean isMeniu() {
 return meniu;
 }
 public boolean isWin() {
 return win;
 }
 }


 /*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */
 public class Core extends Canvas {
 GamePlay gamePlay;
 Meniu meniu;
 GameOver gameOver;
 Win win;
 State cState;
 
 
 public Core() {
 initCore();
 gamePlay = new GamePlay();
 meniu = new Meniu();
 gameOver = new GameOver();
 fps = new FramePerSecond();
 win = new Win();
 cState = meniu;
 }
 private void initCore() {
 //window settings
 frame = new JFrame();
 frame.setLocation(200, 100);
 frame.setResizable(false);
 frame.setVisible(true);
 frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
 setBackground(backColor);
 setForeground(forColor);
 
 running = true;
 pause = false;
 }
 private void addPanel(JPanel panel) {
 frame.add(panel);
 }
 private void secondInit() {
 
 panel = (JPanel) frame.getContentPane();
 //player = (JPanel) frame.getContentPane();
 // panel.add(button);
 panel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(screenW - 10, screenH - 10));
 panel.setLayout(null);
 setBounds(0, 0, screenW, screenH);
 panel.add(this);
 setIgnoreRepaint(true);
 frame.pack();
 createBufferStrategy(2);
 strategy = getBufferStrategy();
 g2d = (Graphics2D) strategy.getDrawGraphics();
 input = new InputHandler(this);
 }
 //==========================================================================
 //method for whole application starting
 //==========================================================================
 public void run() {
 gameLoop();
 }
 //==========================================================================
 //gameLoop (dont't think that need comment it
 //basic parts of it is: input, update and draw (rendering)
 //==========================================================================
 private void gameLoop() {
 while (running) {
 //state swapping
 stateSwaping();
 
 //pausing game
 if (cState.isPause()) {
 setPause(true);
 } else {
 setPause(false);
 }
 //frameDuration calculation. Used for timeBased movement in game
 //or could be used for fps calculating
 frameDuration = System.nanoTime() - startingTime;
 startingTime = System.nanoTime();
 
 //first input
 cState.input(input);
 //second is update, but only works if state is not paused
 if (!isPause()) {
 cState.update(frameDuration * cState.getGameSpeed());
 }
 //graphics thing
 //something with graphichs method, because needed every frame call,
 //so mnimized gameLoop by putting it in method
 //later use draw, and disposo (just do it, don't know why)
 graphics();
 cState.draw(g2d);
 g2d.dispose();
 }
 }
 //==========================================================================
 //state pause methods
 //mostly using for gamePlay pausing
 //why? because meniu and gameOver states dont need pause function
 //==========================================================================
 public boolean isPause() {
 return pause;
 }
 public void setPause(boolean pause) {
 this.pause = pause;
 }
 //==========================================================================
 //set state as cState, and set that state is new
 //==========================================================================
 private void changeState(State state) {
 this.cState = state;
 cState.setFirstFrame(true);
 }
 //==========================================================================
 //hide cState panels
 //==========================================================================
 private void hidePanels() {
 for (int i = 0; i < cState.getPanels().size(); i++) {
 cState.panels.get(i).setVisible(false);
 }
 }
 //==========================================================================
 //there is going all state swaping, from one state to another and so on
 //==========================================================================
 private void stateSwaping() {
 //from meniu to gamePlay
 if (cState == meniu) {
 if (meniu.isGamePlay()) {
 hidePanels();
 changeState(gamePlay);
 gamePlay.setChoosenMap(meniu.getMap());
 meniu.setGamePlay(false);
 }
 }
 //from gamePlay to meniu
 if (cState == gamePlay) {
 if (gamePlay.isMeniu()) {
 hidePanels();
 changeState(meniu);
 gamePlay.setMeniu(false);
 }
 }
 //if gamePlay is gameOver (some number of minions reached end of map)
 //then is changed to gameOver state.
 if (cState == gamePlay) {
 if (gamePlay.isGameOver()) {
 hidePanels();
 changeState(gameOver);
 gamePlay.setGameOver(false);
 }
 }
 
 //if gamePlay is WIN (killed all minions waves)
 if (cState == gamePlay) {
 if (gamePlay.isWin()) {
 hidePanels();
 changeState(win);
 gamePlay.setWin(false);
 }
 }
 
 //from gamePlay to meniu (or in other words - program restart, without
 //only changing states)
 if (cState == gameOver) {
 if (gameOver.isMeniu()) {
 hidePanels();
 changeState(meniu);
 gameOver.setMeniu(false);
 }
 }
 
 //======================================================================
 //if cState is launched first time (cState has it first frame)
 //when i need to do:
 //1. load cState images
 //2. init its variables
 //3. add cState panels to window (possible adding same panels if swaping
 //was done alot)
 //4. second init for core, that new panels would be add nicely to frame
 //5. set that frame has been used for first time
 if (cState.isFirstFrame()) {
 cState.loadImages();
 cState.init();
 for (int i = 0; i < cState.getPanels().size(); i++) {
 addPanel(cState.getPanels().get(i));
 }
 secondInit();
 
 cState.setFirstFrame(false);
 }
 }
 
 }

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