The Java Programming Language (Java Series): Amazon.co.uk: Ken Arnold, James Gosling: Books

Amazon.co.uk Review

Written by several of Java's inventors, The Java Programming Language, Third Edition provides a nearly indispensable guide to basic and advanced features in today's hottest programming language. Perfect for the intermediate or advanced developer, this book delivers a wealth of information on how to do more with Java. The first sections of this title provide a nicely compact tour of Java basics. If you're a beginner, you'll get a glimpse of the fundamentals of Java quickly. Most of this new edition has the more experienced reader in mind. Subsequent chapters delve into basic and advanced language features of what can be done with classes, interfaces and other design features in Java. The authors' explanations are notably clear and never pedantic. Many examples are illustrated using simple mathematical problems, and the class design samples for inheritance and interfaces all use comprehensible class names and concepts.

This book is just outstanding when it comes to class design. This title will definitely let any reader do more with classes, whether you want to make use of such features as "anonymous inner classes", reflection (for loading classes dynamically), or do more with interfaces (including extending interfaces, and even tricks to change data members in interfaces).

Standout sections here include a complete guide to Java language statements, including keywords, literals and support for Unicode. Later sections feature a nicely clear explanation of Java's complicated I/O classes, a fine tutorial on threading and a solid introduction to using Java's collection classes. The book closes with a tour of some additional "core" Java packages that are available in the language.

In all, this up-to-the-minute guide to some of the more complex features in today's Java fills a valuable niche for any Java developer. Besides providing a glimpse into what the Java team at Sun is up to, this authoritative resource can help you master the finer points of class design, as well as make the most out of newly added features in the new JDK 1.3 standard. --Richard Dragan, Amazon.com

Topics covered: Quickstart overview of Java, class and object design in Java, access control, construction and initialisation, static methods, method overloading, class inheritance, redefining members, the protected keyword, the strictfp keyword and floating point processing, cloning objects, interfaces (constants, methods and modifiers), extending interfaces, marker interfaces, nested classes and interfaces (including static nested types, inner classes and anonymous inner classes), tokens, operators and expressions in Java, literals, keywords, operator precedence, control flow, Java exception handling, exception classes, the String and StringBuffer classes, threads, synchronisation APIs and techniques (scheduling, thread groups and thread local storage), the wrapper classes for Number types, Java reflection, loading classes, garbage collection (GC algorithms, finalisation and reachability states), packages, JavaDoc documentation tags, tour of Java I/O stream classes, serialisation techniques, new and legacy Java collections, misc. utility classes, system programming with properties, processes and JVM shutdown; internationalisation and localisation techniques, and tour of additional Java core packages. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Third Edition now available! Co-authored by the creator of the Java technology and an experienced object-oriented developer, The JavaTM Programming Language, Second Edition, is the definitive resource for all serious Java programmers. This book will give you a solid foundation in Java programming language strategies and techniques. It features a concise introduction to the language; detailed descriptions of Java's commands, constructs, and libraries; and numerous real-world examples that show you how to exploit the language's power, portability, and flexibility. You will find in-depth and progressively advanced coverage of classes and objects, interfaces, exception-handling, threads and multitasking, and packages. In addition, the book describes the Java core library packages, including I/O, standard utilities, language types, and system classes. Thoroughly revised from start to finish, this second edition fully integrates Java 1.1 into both text and examples. This edition includes the changes introduced in Java 1.1 , such as nested classes (including anonymous classes), threading issues, character-based streams, object-serialization, documentation comments, new utility classes, plus internationalization and localization. The book lets you in on the rationale behind Java's design, direct from the language's creator, as well as the tradeoffs involved in using specific features. With these insights, you will have the understanding you need to begin developing Java applications and applets. 0201310066B04062001

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

18 reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars

Write a customer review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

An Invaluable Resource 24 July 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

When I began studying Java, I purchased _The_Java_Programming_Language_ (2nd ed.) and spent a month of free time reading the entire tome. It provided invaluable insights into Java's philosophy and syntax; I don't believe that my study and subsequent employment of the language would have been nearly as successful had I neglected to read _The_Java_Programming_Language_.

Reading an introductory book prior to tackling _The_Java_Programming_Language_ is in my opinion a necessary step if you're unfamiliar with object-oriented concepts; _The_Java_Programming_Language_ assumes a preexisting understanding of OOP. Though I had learned OOP basics in a college CS course on C++, I found the concepts and examples presented in Arnold's book a worthy challenge.

The book is so concise and authoritative that I continue to use it as a reference. I consider _The_Java_Programming_Language_ a jewel of my library and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone embarking on a study of Java.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Excellent for understanding Java theory. 13 Dec 1998

This is one of THE two must-have books for learning Java and the rationale of Java, in my opinion. (The other is Deitel & Deitel's Java, how to program, which teaches you the mechanics.) The book has a few omissions (e.g., the awt classes are not sufficiently covered), but the coverage given to classes and class extensions as well as the explanation of input and output alone is well worth the price of the book.

Excellent for professionals 23 Nov 1998

Good book for software porfessionals !!!. especially who are in the industry and wanna learn real Java. This book has no baby graphics and no silly examples. Its straight to the point and boards you on java. But a bit difficult to non programmers. Needs some basic OO concepts. Also demands some patience while reading. should be accompanied by some CD or project examples. Lastly and surely !!! Its NO way near to the C bible by K & R.