Amazon.co.uk Review
Peter van der Linden's Just Java 2 is an excellent introduction to the Java platform, especially for those with some existing programming skills. This new edition is based on the JDK (Java Development Kit) 1.4 release, and packs in a comprehensive guide to the language and the core class libraries. The author is a former Sun employee and knows his subject backwards. He also injects some humour and personality into his writing, and includes regular "light relief" sections covering wacky topics such as the Java toaster that burns a weather forecast onto every slice. Readers soon know that he loves Java, likes the Apple Macintosh and hates Microsoft, but fortunately nothing gets in the way of the clear and insightful teaching. In general this is a particularly clear and readable programming guide.

The book begins with a brief overview, going on to explain object-oriented programming and the basics of the language. There is a full explanation of packages and how the JVM finds classes, often a tricky area for Java beginners. The author offers detailed coverage of fundamental topics such as threads, input/output, networking and Java Beans, making this a book that will be used for reference as well as for learning. On other topics, such as XML programming, Servlets or database access with JDBC, the book is more introductory. Several chapters cover graphical client applications, event handling and the use of JFC and Swing, laying a firm foundation for building a Java visual interface. There are lots of code examples, both in print and on the accompanying CD.

Overall, this is a solid, professional and authoritative tutorial which has more depth than many lighter-weight alternatives.--Tim Anderson

Book Description
Peter van der Lindens best-selling Just Java has helped thousands of experienced programmers get off to a flying start with Java. Now, its better than ever. Fully updated for Java 2 JDK 1.3, its the only concise guide to both the core Java language and the fundamentals of Java server-side programming!
KEY TOPICS- Just Java, Fifth Edition organizes Java into five areas- the core language; key libraries such as I/O, networking, and collections; server-side Java; client-side Java; and enterprise Java. Peter van der Linden presents a "straight-to-the-point" introduction to Java object-oriented programming; then covers the crucial information developers need to build working code right away. The second half of the book covers key server-side libraries and programming techniques, including sockets, servlets, JSP, XML, Java database access with JDBC, JavaBeans, and security. The accompanying CD-ROM brings together an extraordinary collection of Java developers resources- an open-source relational database, the Java Programmers FAQ and Glossary from Usenet, a complete servlet system and database inquiry program, sample Java games with source code, links to the Webs best Java resources, and all code examples from the book.
For all experienced programmers who want to master Java quickly. The book is designed to be especially valuable to developers moving from non-object-oriented environments, such as Visual Basic and IBM mainframe programmers.

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8 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   16 of 16 people found the following review helpful: Entertaining, clear but aimed at those with some experience, 11 Mar 2002 By A Customer The backcover blurb describes van der Linden as "[w]riting for real programmers". It's fair to say that if you have no programming experience, this book may be a little dense for you. However, that's not to say it's obscure. I am not an experienced programmer and I found it useful. It starts off with an overview of the features of Java, then concisely explains object orientation and other basic Java features such as packages and threading in the first dozen chapters. van der Linden frequently draws comparisons with how things work in C/C++, which is presumably more helpful for those with experience in those languages. However, I didn't find this too offputting as it often illuminates what difficulties Java is designed to overcome. There are frequent illustrations and boxouts to aid comprehension - a typical title is "What problems do interfaces solve?". The rest of the book covers major APIs, GUI programming and more advanced topics such as using XML, SQL and JavaBeans. It seems to offer a fairly comprehensive guide to Java and you could probably teach yourself to a high level with this book. I enjoyed the "Light Relief" sections at the end of each chapter, which introduce entertaining Java programs and topics such as rigging online polls with Java! There is also wry commentary on the software business. The book is accompanied by a CD-ROM with source code, many good example programs and some more light relief material. Unfortunately, although the 5th edition text covers the latest JDK (1.4), some of the programs do not seem to run using this environment, which could disappoint beginners. I was surprised that the disk did not include the latest JRE (particularly since this seems to be an official Sun book) but does include other tools such as the GNU C++ compiler! There are brief exercises at the end of some chapters which are enough to test your comprehension (I found I needed to re-read some of the more theoretical chapters), although there are no answers provided. In summary, I would recommend this book for those with a little (or a lot) of coding experience who want to learn Java in depth, but not as an introduction to programming in general.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: Just Java 2, 10 Jul 2002 By  K.V.Shail (Malvern, Worcs United Kingdom) - See all my reviews I found this book ideally matched to my abilities being a not-very-expert programmer having a background in Assembler and C. I had previously been struggling with two other well-known books on Java and this one made Java OOP much more clear. It is an easy-to-read goldmine of information on the core subject and other peripherals such as Applets, Servalets, SQL, XML and GUIs. My only critisism would be a very minor one that the publishers should have considered splitting it in two volumes to reduce the weight. Certainly worth the price.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   An excellent introduction to Java, 4 May 2000 By  "steveliles" - See all my reviews This review is from: Just Java (Java Series (Mountain View, Calif.).) (Paperback) Not only is Just java a superbly readable book, it also makes an excellent (and comprehensive) reference text which you will use again and again. If you want to learn core java, get to know it better, or you just need a reference text, get this book!  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 8 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews Just Awfull I wonder where exactly this book begins since it looks more like a stand up (another Jerry Seinfeld on the computer books market) and a relentless blabber than tutorial. Read more Published on 17 April 1998 Comprehensive, concise, well coordinated Java Presentation Mastery of a new language like JAVA under the constraints of "Internet Time" can be a daunting excercise. Read more Published on 22 Sep 1997 Another hit from Van Der Linden. Any trip to a half-worthy bookstore will have hundreds, if not thousands of computer-related books. The difficulty is in sorting through them to find the ones worth reading (and... Read more Published on 22 Sep 1997 Readable introduction flawed by a terrible index. A readable, entertaining book, but by no means a comprehensive reference. The index is world-class bad. Read more Published on 2 May 1997 A good book for learning JUST JAVA! I originally bought the book mostly because it had a clear example of using JDBC with an access database which i thought i could easily try. Read more Published on 30 April 1997 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 8 customer reviews...