Learning Java: Amazon.co.uk: Patrick Niemeyer, Jonathan Knudsen: Books

Amazon.co.uk Review

Java is the language de jour and there's a stream of books covering it, but with so many books available new offerings have to be something special. Learning Java starts at the beginning with a "hello world" style program to demonstrate using Sun's Java tools, and it continues to introduce features with examples. These are all thoroughly discussed and explained in as straightforward and jargon-free manner as practicable.

A tricky aspect of Java is the way classes are related, so it's great to see a whole chapter devoted to the subject early on. Even more opaque is the explicit use of threads in Java. Again, this is covered in an accessible way, especially the discussion on thread synchronisation. The authors cover basic graphics, video handling and other media in Java before moving on to Beans and the builder environment, stopping short of JavaBeans. The book finishes with a section on applets, the Java plugin and digital signatures. There is, though, no feeling of working toward a goal--perhaps this would have been a better book with a project as a theme. Another odd decision is ignoring the several--some free--Java IDEs generally used to program Java. (Neimeyer makes a point of saying he hasn't discussed them but without saying why. Even beginners find Java more accessible in a programming environment.)

Still, Learning Java, which uses Java2 v1.3, does a competent job of introducing Java to beginners. As with most O'Reilly books, it's authoritative, lucid and well edited, though it may fail to inspire in the reader the presumed enthusiasm for Java felt by the authors. You won't go wrong with this one, and its coverage of object oriented programming issues is particularly good --Steve Patient --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Learning Java provides an accessible yet comprehensive introduction to the programming language that has changed the way we think about computing. Java has become the language of choice for a wide variety of applications: web services, secure network systems, XML-based tools, reusable components, and mission-critical enterprise systems. Learning Java is filled with easy-to-follow code examples that guide you through Java's many features, APIs, and facilities.

This new edition of Learning Java has been expanded and updated for Java 2 Standard Edition SDK 1.4. It comprehensively addresses important topics such as web applications, servlets, and XML that are increasingly driving enterprise applications. This edition provides full coverage of all Java 1.4 language features including assertions and exception chaining as well as new APIs such as regular expressions and NIO, the new I/O package. New Swing features and components are described along with updated coverage of the JavaBeans component architecture using the open source NetBeans IDE the latest information about Applets and the Java Plug-in for all major web browsers.

The accompanying CD-ROM provides all you need to start working with Java immediately. In addition to the many example programs from the book, the CD includes the complete J2SE SDK 1.4, the NetBeans IDE, the Jakarta Project's Ant make utility and Tomcat application server as well as BeanShell, a simple open source Java scripting language developed by author Pat Niemeyer.

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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

One of the best books for learning Java 10 Aug 2006

By Martin Anderson

Format:Paperback

This is one seriously good book.

One of the pitfalls of many Java books is that they assume a level of familiarity with programming (especially C or C++) and that you will come across sentences such as "java does not have pointers" with no explanation of what a pointer is. A good book will give you directions to find out this missing information but a great book will explain everything for you. While not perfect in its coverage of these essentials, this is where this book really scores highly. It takes you through the basics of object orientated programming starting with simple examples and working up to more advanced ones which demonstrate the power and flexibility of Java.

For people with some experience of programming (no matter how small) this is the best book to learn Java from. For those coming to programming for the first time, you might be better served by "Teach Yourself Java 2 in 21 Days" from Sams which deals with the basics with a little more depth. As an experienced developer, these are the 2 books I would recommend for those looking to learn Java.

Which ever book you decide to buy, you should also consider getting the superb "Java Cookbook" from O'Reilly where you see how Java code can be used in various situations (especially if you are the type who learns from seeing how things are really done).

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Good, but not perfect 26 July 2000

By A Customer

Coming from a C++ background I needed a decent book on Java. After hours of searching and looking at reviews I decided upon this one. Thankfully I was not disappointed, as many programming books have failed to live upto their grandesque titles. The introduction was clear and informative and the book continued to provide useful information throughout. The only major let down was the CD which I felt could have been made much better. Although I thought this book assumed a bit of computing knowledge and as such wouldnt recommend it to the beginner. However I would definately suggest a purchase if like me you are interested in getting to know Java a bit better. After all most of the things we need for reference nowadays are on the internet. This provides a good back up to that.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

The best book by far to learn from a programming background 18 April 2001

I had an urgent need to learn Java quickly and bought several books: SAMS Java 2, Deitel&Deitel's How to Program Java to name but two, but this book is the best by far.

Pretty much all basic principles are demonstrated in the first few chapters, and backed up with some great examples. Also, the first chapters resist from telling you everything about a principle or class which avoids confusion and allow you to build a complete picture of the language in your head.

Later chapters concrete over your knowledge and fill in the gaps - it's much easier to understand than the other books that I started to read because you have all the basic principles from a very early stage.

In combination with the JAVA and JAVA ENTERPRISE IN A NUTSHELL books, this makes an excellent resource.