Core Java(TM), Volume I--Fundamentals (8th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am an extremely experienced Java programmer and Ph. D. computer scientist. I write and teach courses and develop technical assessments, so it's important to me to keep up with language developments. While I've bought a great many Java books over the years, I've been neglecting Core Java for many editions, thinking it would no longer be of any use and being tired of repurchasing books. I'm part way through this one, and I am astounded at how much I am discovering, especially about Java 5 & 6 (even though I thought I knew all about their new features). I'm also enjoying the detailed comparisons with C++, as I used to use and teach that too. No matter how much you know about Java I would strongly recommend this book, if only to read all the well-delineated comments and clarifications that appear frequently. A particularly nice feature is that where portions of the API are summarized there are indications of the version in which the feature was added -- it helped reduce my feelings of chagrin when I read something surprising to find that it had been introduced in v6 or was a part of v5 I hadn't yet explored. Unlike so many other books this one provides meaningful and useful examples. I am eagerly anticipating the second volume.


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This revised edition of the classic Core Java™, Volume I–Fundamentals, is the definitive guide to Java for serious programmers who want to put Java to work on real projects.Fully updated for the new Java SE 6 platform, this no-nonsense tutorial and reliable reference illuminates the most important language and library features with thoroughly tested real-world examples. The example programs have been carefully crafted to be easy to understand as well as useful in practice, so you can rely on them as an outstanding starting point for your own code.Volume I is designed to quickly bring you up to speed on what's new in Java SE 6 and to help you make the transition as efficiently as possible, whether you're upgrading from an earlier version of Java or migrating from another language. The authors concentrate on the fundamental concepts of the Java language, along with the basics of user-interface programming. You'll find detailed, insightful coverage ofJava fundamentals

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Core Java, Vol. 2: Advanced Features, 8th Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)In my review of Professional Java JDK 6 Edition, I said I didn't think one book could cover such a wide variety of topics and expect to do a good job overall. This volume is, I think, an exception that proves the rule.
It is indeed a monster book, easily several months of steady work to get through, and an useful reference afterwards as well. It is well put together, clearly written, methodically presented. I wouldn't put it down if that were possible. The coverage is broad and the examples are interesting. The topics also feel complete, not because they are thorough, but because they leave off right where intermediate-level programmers could work out most details on their own.
I read the first and second editions years ago, and I must say this title has become a case study in steady, disciplined, tireless improvement and refinement of the original. It's 990 pages, but I haven't come across a useless sentence yet. The authors haven't just added on. They've refined their examples, improved and replaced others. Most importantly, they've realized a format that puts boilerplate and API tables to the side, allowing the reader to focus on the concept at hand. Complete code listings are in the text, presented in a way that makes it easy to gloss them in favor of the soft copy available by download.
If you need lots and lots of code work on different topics to burn Java into your fingertips -- and there really is no other way to do it -- this book is an excellent choice.

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The revised edition of the classic Core Java™, Volume II–Advanced Features, covers advanced user-interface programming and the enterprise features of the Java SE 6 platform. Like Volume I (which covers the core language and library features), this volume has been updated for Java SE 6 and new coverage is highlighted throughout. All sample programs have been carefully crafted to illustrate the latest programming techniques, displaying best-practices solutions to the types of real-world problems professional developers encounter.Volume II includes new sections on the StAX API, JDBC 4, compiler API, scripting framework, splash screen and tray APIs, and many other Java SE 6 enhancements. In this book, the authors focus on the more advanced features of the Java language, including complete coverage ofStreams and Files

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Java: An Eventful Approach Review

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(More customer reviews)The authors have taken an interestingly different pedagogy to teaching Java to someone totally new to it, or indeed new to any programming language. Most texts on Java start off with describing the simple syntax, like for performing arithmetic, or inputting or outputting a string. These must necessarily be done within at least one class, since Java is very strict about this. But this approach is essentially the same as for earlier non-object oriented languages like C or Fortran. Typically, only later in such a Java text will object oriented discussions arise, or the use of graphics.
The novelty offered in this text is to emphasise from the very first chapter the object oriented nature of Java. This is aided by the use of graphics classes. The authors chose graphics because these give an immediate visual feedback to the student, that is very intuitive. This tight feedback loop can aid understanding or even the interest of the student. The two issues are often related!
Also, they do the student a favour by simplifying what can admittedly be a confusing melange of associated graphics classes, when you attach a Listener to a Java graphics object. Because then you usually need to write a class that implements that Listener interface, even if you won't be using all the methods. All this is needed under Java. But the authors finesse it by providing a class library which they call objectdraw. It lets the student focus on the key graphics ideas without tripping over the boilerplate. Later in the text, it reveals the usual gory details of what normally has to be done. Hopefully, the student will be experienced enough by then to take this in stride.
Another bonus about this book is that through its examples of an Integrated Development Environment, it encourages the student to adopt the free Eclipse. Thus far, Eclipse has been mostly used by experienced Java professionals. But it has very powerful helper facilities. Pushing it down to new programmers may well help them.

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Java, an object-oriented language with many standard libraries, offers both complexities and opportunities.This introductory book makes use of a new approach to understanding programming in Java.Provides an objects-first approach to programming.Introduces object-oriented graphics and writing methods early in the book.Motivates readers to use event-driven programming.Reinforces the importance of understanding several threads.For anyone interested in the programming language of Java.

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Small Java How to Program (6th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is very good for someone who needs examples and explanations of sample code. I found this book very easy to read. I will use this book as a supplement in my class. It provides a different way of explaining material that would sometimes be confusing. I like that this book breaks down every line of code and explains it to the novice programmer.

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This special edition of Java How to Program is up-to-date with the Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 1.5. It covers fundamental programming topics and provides several extra chapters so readers can include or omit material as needed. Includes Recursion and Searching and Sorting chapters. Provides extensive complete programming exercises plus "What does this program do?", "What's wrong with this program?", "Complete the program" and "Modify the program" exercises. Covers text-file processing. Features coverage of special topics, such as pre- and postconditions, invariants, testing and debugging, ethics and software engineering. Includes a CD-ROM with every copy of the book that contains: (subject to change) Java™ 2 Platform, Standard Edition 1.5; Netbeans; JCreator LE; jEdit; jGRASP; BlueJ; Source code for all the book's examples; Hyperlinks to valuable Java™ demos and Internet resources. A useful brief reference for programmers or anyone who wants to learn more about the Java programming language.

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The Complete Java Training Course (Prentice Hall PTR Interactive series) Review

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(More customer reviews)The book itself isn't bad - it's VERY concise, so real beginners won't use it very useful. The CD, on the other hand, is worth purchasing, as all the examples are much more widely discussed as in the book.
The book (and the CD), of course, has mistakes. I've covered them in my review on the book (I don't want to repeat myself here so check out that session here on amazon.com).
And the most important question: is this package worth its price when Core Java 3rd edition only costs you 64 bucks? Complicated question... Core Java 3rd edition is meant for 'Experienced Programmers', but I think even a beginner can understand most chapters, they're so damn well written. In comparison, Deitels' book is far too concise and does NOT cover most advanced features of the language - even the part on the I/O covers the OLD I/O library. If you take into account that Core Java discusses virtually EVERYTHING worth mentioning, this Deitel-book doesn't seem to be THAT good any more.
For reviewers that complained about the low sound quality - it's really bad, but still understandable, I've never had any comprehension problem (n.b. my native language isn't English).
To summarize, go for Core Java instead. It's much more comprehensive, covers much more advanced features of the language and is much cheaper. If you can't learn the basics of the language from that book, buy this one, too - and the CD as well (without the CD, this book is practically useless to beginners).

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For any course teaching Java programming.The ultimate Java programming package. The Complete Java Training Course, 2/e features Harvey and Paul Deitel's best-selling Java How to Program, 2/e text along with a fully-interactive CD-ROM-The Java Multimedia Cyber Classroom-which provides students and programmers with the ideal medium for learning how to program with Java.It's a proven fact that the more involved students are, the more they learn. That's what the Java Multimedia Cyber Classroom is all about-helping students learn in every way possible.IMPORTANT-Only sell this product if your school is using Getting Started with MicrosoftA (R) Visual J++1.1 , because this covers Java 1.1 only. Otherwise, sample the new edition: Java How to Program, Third Edition (0-13-012507-5) or The Complete Java Training Course, Third Edition (0-13-085248-1).

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Introduction to Java Programming, Brief Version (7th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is written really well and clear. It hops from topic to topic a little bit but in the best possible way, where it gets you interested in topics that are relevant to the main topic and mentions that it will get more into it later. Video tutorials are not very good.

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Groundbreaking fundamentals – first approach enables readers to understand the basics before being introduced to more challenging topics. Liang offers one of the broadest ranges of carefully chosen examples, reinforcing key concepts with objectives lists, introduction and chapter overviews, easy-to-follow examples, chapter summaries, review questions, programming exercises, and interactive self-test. Now uses standard classes only. Uses UML diagrams in every example starting chapter 8. Includes additional notes with diagrams. Comprehensive coverage of Java and programming make this a useful reference for IT professionals.

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Object-Oriented Programming with Java: An Introduction Review

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(More customer reviews)An excellent Java introduction book! I've found that this book is well-organized and written very clearly. The author also goes beyond the level of an introduction book to explain the fundamental object-oriented design and programming by using Java examples and concepts. Major core Java packages, classes, and interfaces are also covered in depth. Even though I'm wring Java codes for living now, I still love to read this kind of book: A combination of academia and industry. Another advanced Java book that I've found excellent is "Object-oriented Software Development Using Java" written by Xiaoping Jia. These authors will make you love to learn Java!

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Written to appeal to both novice and veteran programmers, this complete and well-organized guide to the versatile and popular object-oriented programming language Java shows how to use it as a primary tool in many different aspects of one's programming work. It emphasizes the importance of good programming style—particularly the need to maintain an object's integrity from outside interference—and helps users harness the power of Java in object-oriented programming to create their own interesting and practical every-day applications. Discusses the basics of computer systems, and describes the fundamental elements of the Java language, with complete instructions on how to compile and run a simple program. Introduces fundamental object-oriented concepts, and shows how simple classes may be defined from scratch. Explores Java's exception-handling mechanism, and investigates Java's interface facility (i.e., polymorphism). Covers all Java applications, including use of the Abstract Windowing Toolkit, graphical programming, networking, and simulation. Includes numerous exercises, periodic reviews, case studies, and supporting visuals. For those in the computer science industry.

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Objects First With Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ (4th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)One really bad way to teach basic math in elementary school is to stick a calculator into a kid's hand and have her learn how to use it. The kid might be multiplying large numbers together in no time, but she won't have any real understanding of what she's doing. There's an analagous problem with learning computer programming languages using the latest whizzy integrated development environments (IDEs). The IDE does a lot of the leg work for you behind the scenes and code gets 'automagically' generated, but you don't really understand what's going on. Worse still, some of the major Java IDEs are so feature-rich that it's an uphill struggle just to understand the IDE, let alone to try and learn Java and object-oriented programming (OOP). If what I've just described mirrors your own experience in trying to learn Java using the popular Java IDEs, then read on ... the wonderful Bluej Java enviroment and this accompanying book, may be just what you've been looking for.
"Objects First with Java" is an absolute Godsend for anybody who wants to really learn Java from the ground up, and in the process, develop a clear understanding of object-oriented programming. The examples in the book are superbly illustrated using the author's "BlueJ" Java environment which comes on the CD included with the book. BlueJ lets you create your own Java modules and then interact directly with them, allowing you to experiment with their behavior as you edit and compile individual Java classes. Based upon the example projects that also come on the CD, you can alter or rewrite the Java code, compile it with BlueJ and immediately see the results. This kind of direct experimentation makes learning more fun and allows the reader to really assimilate the core principles of the Java language and the OOP paradigm that it embodies.
The book is beautifully laid out with code snippets, subject summaries and exercises all color-coded. The text is written in an accessible and conversational style that is lacking in a lot of the traditional, "dry" computer texts that are often about as much fun as having root canal work. In spite of this, the book manages to completely avoid the "light and fluffy" approach of some tutorial style texts that are overly chatty and ultimately rather lighweight. "Objects First" is a serious text for anybody wanting to learn Java and OOP and although I consider myself an experienced programmer in other computer languages, with considerable prior exposure to OOP, I never felt bored or talked down to by this book.
In summary then, I whole-heartedly recommend this book to new and experienced programmers alike who wish to learn Java well and my advice would be this: Do yourself a favor, put aside the complex Java IDE for now, buy this book, download the latest editions of BlueJ and Sun's Java environment from the web (the versions on the CD are not the latest and greatest) and REALLY learn Java!


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The BlueJ development environment was specifically designed to support introductory teaching of object-orientations and helps users grasp the complicated concepts of class structure. Unlike most books on the subject, this text uses BlueJ to get readers started on object-oriented programming from day one. Uses a spiral approach that introduces a topic in a simple context early on, then revisits it later to increase understanding; Offers an abundance of projects for hands-on practice; Chapters are ordered around software developmentconcepts rather than language features; Language-feature introduction is naturally driven by problems to be solved; Chapters are based around distinct projects for more variety; Does not cover traditional topics like control structures. A useful reference for programmers.

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