Product Description
Have you got the time to read 10 or more books and articles to add value prior to the interview? This book has been written mainly from the perspective of Java/J2EE job seekers and interviewers. There are numerous books and articles on the market covering specific topics like Java, J2EE, EJB, Design Patterns, ANT, CVS, Multi-Threading, Servlets, JSP, emerging technologies like AOP (Aspect Oriented Programming), Test Driven Development (TDD), Dependency Injection Dl (aka IoC - Inversion of Control) etc. But from an interview perspective it is not possible to brush up on all these books where each book usually has from 300 pages to 600 pages. The basic purpose of this book is to cover all the core concepts and key areas, which all Java/J2EE developers, designers and architects should be conversant with to perform well in their current jobs and to launch a successful career by doing well at interviews. The interviewer can also use this book to make sure that they hire the right candidate depending on their requirements. This book contains a wide range of topics relating to Java/J2EE development in a concise manner supplemented with diagrams, tables, sample codes and examples. This book is also appropriately categorized to enable you to choose the area of interest to you.

This book will assist all Java/J2EE practitioners to become better at what they do. Usually it takes years to understand all the core concepts and key areas when you rely only on your work experience. The best way to fast track this is to read appropriate technical information and proactively apply these in your work environment. It worked for me and hopefully it will work for you as well. I was also at one stage undecided whether to name this book "Java/J2EE core concepts and key areas" or "Java/J2EE Job Interview Companion". The reason I chose "Java/J2EE Job Interview Companion" is because the core concepts and key areas discussed in this book helped me to be successful in my interviews, helped me to survive and succeed at my work regardless what my job (junior developer, senior developer, technical lead, designer, contractor etc) was and also gave me thumbs up in code reviews.This book also has been set out as a handy reference guide and a roadmap for building enterprise Java applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

This book is what frauds use to cheat on screening questions.
I just had two candidates apply for work at my company.Prior to an interview I send a set of screening questions out.Both of the candidates copied code from THIS title for their answers.

The biggest insult is apparently people who do this must think that managers and employers are too STUPID to use Google and find them out.

Save your money.. learn the concepts and how to apply them.And don't get this book.. hiring managers will see right through you.

This book is really good.
This book is really good for all java people who wants to know all JAVA J2EE technologies. Particularly this book very useful who is looking for an interview.I love very much this book.

Good Java Review for Everything
Give yourself time to read this because it has a huge amount of information. It's a great quick review and quick reference.

Great concise book to ramp you up for a tech interview
This is a good book for anybody that knows how to do the job, but is facing an interview. It is good for anybody that knows the fundamentals, but does not know the common interview questions. Also, good for people to get a basic idea of JEE technologies that they may not be knowing.

Help for the job seekers
I found this book to be a brilliant help in getting through my interview after a long time away from a work environment.
I strongly recommend this product but also a website I came across in my job search:[...]
This had an excellent variation of available jobs from specifically employer websites. I found it had far more jobs than on any other boards I came across and I managed to get a few interviews for some brilliant jobs through it before finally finding my current job.
Good luck job seekers! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (41)

Unsubstantiated irrelevant and inaccurate claims. Avoid.
This book makes the following claims which as far as I can see are entirely baseless, for the reasons given:

> A Java virtual machine is required to implement a preemptive, priority-based scheduler

The word 'pre-emptive' does not appear in the JLS.

> The Java virtual machine never changes the priority of a thread, even if the thread has been running for a certain period of time

Can't find that anywhere either.

> the contract between the Java virtual machine and the underlying operating system is that the operating system must generally choose to run the Java thread with the highest priority

The 'contract' is between the Java code and the JVM, not the JVM and the O/S.

> That's what we mean when we say that Java implements a priority-based scheduler

Java isn't required to 'implement' a scheduler at all.

> This scheduler is implemented in a preemptive fashion, meaning that when a higher-priority thread comes along, that thread interrupts (preempts) whatever lower-priority thread is running at the time.

This appears nowhere in the JLS.

> The contract with the operating system, however, is not absolute, which means that the operating system can sometimes choose to run a lower-priority thread.

In other words it's +not+ pre-emptive. Make up your mind.

> Java's requirement for a priority-based, preemptive scheduling mechanism ...

Which is nowhere to be found.

> A Java thread can have one of 11 priorities

MIN_PRIORITY is 1, MAX_PRIORITY is 10: that makes 10, not 11.

> In fact, preemption means only that a higher-priority thread runs instead of a lower-priority one

No it doesn't. It means that when a higher-priority thread becomes ready it pre-empts the execution of any lower-priority threads that are currently executing regardless of time-slice etc. This is a feature of real-time systems that Java is +not+ required to implement.

This book cannot be recommended in the presence of these egregious errors. Doug Lea's book as recommended by other reviewers is the one to go for.

Tutorial more than reference
This book is fine if you are looking to start at page 1 and buy into their ongoing eg program. My gripe is that
the eg program is Swing based. I hate Swing eg's in general. They generally just make the specific point that is being demonstrated more difficult to identify. So, please, all you authors out there, for the love of god don't use Swing eg's unless your writing a book on Swing.
It's the sort of book that makes you work to understand things that you already know.

right book
after initial issues with sellers that did not reply to 5 emails the book arrived in time and in very good status.

Lots of experimental data, clear answers
This book provides answers to questions on threading that have confused me for a long time:
1. Why use a thread pool and why not?
2. How expensive are synchronization, thread creation and concurrent collections?

It clears up a lot of myths and rumors I have heard.

Comprehensive coverage of multithreading and Java 5 inclusions.
<< Review of the 3rd Edition >>

This book is written for developers who are targeting the second wave of java programs -Intermediate to advanced level programmers will be able to get best value out of this book. Developers who are already familiar with the basics of java may also be able to get some value, but if you are completely new to java, please look elsewhere.

Without any futher ado, i will dive right into the deep end of the pool. This book is partitioned into 4 logical sections, though it is not explicit in the TOC.

1. Important Threading Concepts:
In this section, the author prepares us with the fundamentals of creating and managing a thread, basic synchronization concepts, synchronized keyword, lock mechanism, thread communication using wait-notify and condition-variables, minimal synchronization using volatile keyword and atomic variables, advanced synchronization classes like Barrier, Semaphore, CountdownLatch, etc. Chapters 1 through 6 underwrite this section and this is by-far the best part of the book.

2. Thread Pools/Schedulers:
This section first lectures around how thread scheduling materializes in java and how it is related to the underlying Operating System. Next, you are guided through a tour of Thread Pools and Task Schedulers that will enlighten us with quite a few new classes in java 5. Chapters 9 through 11 cover this section.

3. Threading and other Java APIs:
This section details how the threading API plays with other inbuilt java APIs like Collections, IO and Swing. Chapters 7,8 and 12 cover this section.

4. Misc topics:
Some miscellaneous thread topics like ThreadGroup, Security, Class Loading, Exception Handling and Performance are addressed in this section. Chapters 13, 14, and 15 cover this section.

Though this book wasn't an easy read, i found it extremely encouraging to have ONE comprehensive manual to understand both the threading concepts and the new java 5 inclusions. I recommend this book to anyone who is in the middle of a complex multi-threaded system or wishes to create one. ... Read more

Product Description
Tony Gaddis’s accessible, step-by-step style helps beginning students understand the important details necessary to become skilled programmers at an introductory level. Gaddis motivates the study of both programming skills and a programming language by presenting all the details needed to understand the “how” and the “why”–but never losing sight of the fact that most beginners struggle with this material. His approach is both gradual and highly accessible, ensuring that students get the logic behind developing high-quality programs.

In Starting Out with Java: From Control Structures through Objects, Gaddis covers procedural programming–control structures and methods–before introducing object-oriented programming. As with all Gaddis texts, clear and easy-to-read code listings, concise and practical real-world examples, and an abundance of exercises appear in every chapter.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

nice
It was almost in perfect condition just some minor scratches because it is such a fragile book, but regardless of that it is great. I'm using it on my computer science class.

Excellent seller
Extremely quick shipping, inside of a week and in new condition.
Will purchase from this seller again and again!

Great Book!
I used this book for a into to Java class in college. This was a very good book. It was easy to follow and the examples were great! One of the few text books I've actually liked using.

Straight Foward.
The book if fairly well written and teaches very well. I sleep though class half the time and am still ahead just by reading this. Kind of upset though because the teacher provides us with powerpoint and they are made by this company and is basicaly the book in powerpoint. Good textbook kind of expensive.

Great Examples and Review Questions
Starting Out With Java 4th edition is a great book and really took a total beginner in Java to proficiency.Everything that is covererd in the book is explained very clearly and there are a ton of code examples.The questions at the end of each chapter are challenging by just the right amount so they all make sense, but none are too easy.

If you want to learn Java and have no prior experience programming I'd recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of John Chang, the first man to be documented performing pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation, telepathy, and other paranormal abilities.

* The author, a mechanical engineer, provides scientific explanations of how these powers work.

* For the first time, the discipline of Mo-Pai is introduced to the West.

In 1988 the documentary Ring of Fire was released to great acclaim. The most startling sequence in the film is that of a Chinese-Javanese acupuncturist who demonstrates his full mastery of the phenomenon of chi, or bio-energy, by generating an electrical current within his body, which he uses first to heal the filmmaker of an eye infection and then to set a newspaper on fire with his hand. Ring of Fire caused thousands to seek out this individual, John Chang, in pursuit of instruction. Of the many Westerners who have approached him, John Chang has accepted five as apprentices. Kosta Danaos is the second of those five.

In his years of study with John Chang, Danaos has witnessed and experienced pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation, telepathy, and much more exotic phenomena. He has spoken with spirits and learned the secrets of reincarnation. Most important, he has learned John Chang's story. John Chang is the direct heir to the lineage of the sixth-century b.c. sage Mo-Tzu, who was Confucius's greatest rival. His discipline, called the Mo-Pai, is little-known in the West and has never before been the subject of a book. Now, John Chang has decided to bridge the gap between East and West by allowing a book to be published revealing the story of his life, his teachings, and his powers. It will surely expedite what may well become the greatest revolution of the twenty-first century--the verification and study of bio-energy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (55)

Well-written but lacking substance
I am fascinated with John Chang and wanted to learn more about him.There is no doubt that this book gives some insight into his life and philosophy, but it is fairly sparse overall in terms of content.Much of it is comprised of the musings of the author as well as his "theories" about how things work.This is fine to some extent, but there is so precious little about John Chang that it leaves us wanting a lot more.

Sadly, there are almost zero specifics into the actual training methods.I understand that in the follow up book by Danaos there is discussion that he is sworn to secrecy and so basically the world will never know these methods.While I appreciate and understand this, it's sort of a strange paradox with the supposed purpose of the text: to enlighten and inspire the world!I mean, I suppose just the *idea* that this stuff exists could be enough for some folks... but without either actual evidence or at least some components of the way to get there, it's not much more than just stories, right?Perhaps I've missed the point, but I do believe in the power of qi/chi to a good extent; what I'm looking for is more than just some stories about it, however.

The book is well-written and it is interesting, it's just a bit disappointing in the end.I think it could have been so much more.

Personal experience
I sought out Kostas Danaos' book about THE MAGUS OF JAVA and have read it more than once. Having met John Chang personally after being a skeptic I can only attest to his powers, which I have felt pass through my flesh. Although only using 5 percent of this power he treats dozens of individuals daily at his home using a combination of acupuncture and a type of physical electricity generated from below his chest. Being a disbeliever I had asked him to take his shirt off expecting to see wires, there were none. My wife was one of his patients and I was asked to take my shoes off and hold her ankles. John then touched her and she started screaming. The current passed through me as I felt my heals fluttered with the current he generates. I have heard of many other stories and have personally watched him testing iron knives brought to him be the towns people for spiritual powers they may contain. John has changed my outlook of how I see the world and religion. This book and "Nei Kung: The Secret Teachings of the Warrior Sages" are both fascinating reads, however without a personal belief I can see a skeptic not getting more than an interesting story line out of them. Again, I personally know this man, he is real.

A Book for Kids just hitting Puberty
I have spent ten years practicing in the esoteric traditions.I was very excited to get this book after watching the John Chang video on youtube.I think John Chang has great potential and a book about him and his adventures would be equally great.Unfortunately, we are limited by the writing style of someone with a real intellect and emotional maturity of a 16 year old.I guess it could be exciting if I was 16.I read many, many hardcore technical books but I find reading this non-technical book very difficult to follow.I think if we had a better interviewer, we could have gotten really good information from John Chang.Unfortunately, the writing style here is my penis is bigger than your penis.

I give this 2 stars for the potential it could offer.I just wished the writer had some spiritual development.It's a shame that someone with a emotional maturity of a 16 year old is allowed to write a book on the teachings of a taoist immortal.

Amazing story
After seeing the doco 'Ring of fire' I was convinced that John Chang has learned to control these apparent supernatural abilities we all have inside us, but only some discover them and very few are strong enough to handle. I definitely wanted to know more!

In this book Kosta Danaos tells the story of his journey to find Master Chang and how against all odds he became his students. It explains the different approaches to these abilities from Eastern and Western cultures and it lets you look over the shoulder of the student(s) of Master John Chang. It is a fascinating story with funny anecdotes. It was hard for me to put the book down! Absolutely love it and I have learned a lot!

Knowledge is Power
This book was fascinating to say the least. I've always liked the Chinese and Japanese Taoist/Buddhist very masculine outlook on life and their matter-of-fact manner regarding this. They, like ancient Romans, Greeks, Germanics, Vedic Hindu Indians (and others too numerous to mention) have a Stoicism about them, a strength that we need today, now! For example, John Chang's master Liao Sifu strikes him when he responds to a hypothetical question about survival with a feminine emotional response. Liao rammed the point home and JC never forgot it.
Or when Liao fights and dies as a result with a warlord he mistakenly spared by showing mercy when it didn't apply and which then caused more harm than otherwise. All logical and matter-of-fact outlook which we in the west get bogged down in feministic emotionalism about. When I read this I'm reading about real men, strong, stoic, control over their yin emotions; invigoratating me with the knowledge that our western decline is on a parallel course with yin materialism and a loss of fundamental yang essence.

Just an opinion on the book. Others have written specifically what its about, I'm giving another take on it, that's all. ... Read more

Product Description
Get the book that shows you not only what to study, but how to study. The only classroom-based integrated study system for professional certification gives you complete coverage of all objectives for the Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 exam, hundreds of practice exam questions, and hands-on exercises. The CD-ROM features full practice exam software plus an adaptive test engine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (291)

GREAT book
It's a fantastic book if you want to pass the SCJP exam, and by the way obtain a solid Java knowledge.
It goes straight to business, and it has fun moments as well, so the learning doesn't get too hard.
I highly recommend it!

The perfect book for SCJP
I'll make it quick: it's very simple, you want the SCJP? Buy this book and study, make some annotations and read it again! When you're finished do a lot of mock exams and when you're doing well in the mocks, you're ready for the real test. You'll love the way they explain all the topics.

I did it, it worked! Great book!
I got SCJP6 with 88%, using this book alone.

Thanks a lot Kathy and Bert.

Poor Service
im not receive the book(now 50 days passed), because of poor service. so i dont know about the product.

excellent java book
This SCJP book is very good for preparing the exam, as well as a learning material. I studied the book, and successfully passed the exam. It also helped me to gap knowledge and be a better coder.

The best book for Sun Certification and understanding Java
I failed Java certification 3 times using 3 other books. I simply didn't want to let go. I got this book and passed the exam, and I have to say, this book helped me understand the nuances of Java. I actually became confident in Java after reading this book. Highly recommend this. The writing style is simple and easy to understand. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (70)

Altight
It has some easy concepts, but it will not help if you actually need to do a realproject. It will be a good book for a starter.

For Experienced Java Programmers Only Please
I am currently taking a Programming Concepts in Java college course.This is the required text and I would have to say that it is one of the most frustrating technical textbooks that I have every used.Java is not easy to learn - there is A LOT to the language and can be complicated.I like to have examples from which to draw when working on projects well, like a Java program.I think that examples help you to apply the concept you are trying to learn.This book had a great opportunity to provide "rich" examples; however, the authors preferred to use the simplest of examples.At times, no examples at all.As an example on page 119 is a list of "some" of the methods of the String class - are there more methods?Who's to know, the text doesn't address that either.There are 10 methods listed, the authors opted to only show an example of the use of 4 of the easiest methods to understand.I find String methods pretty easy to use now...but when I first turned to that chapter I had no clue.I had to search the Internet for examples of the methods that I needed to use...why did I pay $100 for this book?This is just an example of how the entire book has been written...very vague on the use of the material.I would say that this book would be good for someone who already has a decent grasp of the structure of Java programs...then the material in this book may be useful.

Good for starting to learn Java
Instead of just giving an opinion I'll give you the facts of my use of this book.I bought this book because it was to be used for my intro to programming course using java.I bought it 2 months before the class and decided to start going through it (I know, overachiever).I had no prior programming experience what so ever.I found it very easy to go through.Sure some parts were difficult, but that was because this was new to me.Before class even started I had a decent grasp on the basics and was able to do my own program experimentation using the Java API.Then the class just reinforced all that I had learned and went very smoothly.True the book is not exhaustive on the java language, but it is great for learning the foundation.

I felt the examples were very helpful and specific to what they were trying to express.I was able to better understand new concepts just by tracing some of the examples.

So if you just want someone to tell you what to type to make something happen or just be able to write quick apps for fun in a short amount of time, this is not for you.This book is for those who want to pursue programming and computer science in education or career and want a good foundation on java and/or OOP.

Java Book
It was in good condition like it said. I came quickly and was a great purchase.

very good
I'm very pleased with my purchase as in spite of being used this book arrived in a very good state and it didn't take a very long time. thanks ... Read more

Product Description
* This newest edition examines fundamental data structures by following a consistent object-oriented framework that builds intuition and analysis skills of data structures and algorithms
* Presents new figures, simpler language, and more practical motivations from real-world scenarios
* Numerous illustrations, Web-based animations, and simplified mathematical analyses help readers quickly learn important concepts ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Difficult and frustrating textbook
I must echo the concerns that other students have presented with respect to this book. It significantly detracted from my learning of data structures in undergraduate CS. The more that I wanted to learn data structures, the more confused I became when I attempted to read the book and implement/modify the supplemental code. My instructor simply told us to stop reading the book if we became confused. I don't believe this is an appropriate solution when the purpose of the textbook should be to supplement the course lectures.

My recommendation is to seek other data structure courses if the one you are considering uses this book. If you have no other choice, be prepared to pick up another book.I need to write both a final programming assignment and a final project that uses a Binary Search Tree data structure.I cannot complete my tasks using this book as a reference.I ordered "Data Structures and Algorithms in Java (2nd Edition)" by Lafore - ISBN-10: 0672324539; ISBN-13: 978-0672324536.

Because i can't give 0/5 stars... TERRIBLE text
This text book is a terrible attempt at education.It lacks the code to demonstrate test drivers to help the learner understand how to apply any code snippets demonstrated, and also represents most of the material in garbled pseudo-code, instead of teaching from code itself.

I'm currently reading through chapter 9 - hash tables, and with the sheer lack of examples (the author thinks 3 paragraphs is enough to teach hash codes?) it makes it nearly impossible to understand this subject.

The approach the authors took in this text is to refresh the memory of the programmer who has already mastered the subject.This is NOT a text designed for those new to the subject.

Sadly, as long as educators keep falling for this hideous book, students will be continually required to spend their hard-earned cash and support the authors in this pathetic attempt at education.

One of the Best Data Structure Book
Data Sturctures and Algorithms in Java is a great book for a Data Structure class for CS student. I go to a school where data structures is taught in C++. But i used this book to learn about most data structures. The explanations are very clear and detailed. I did not use the source code from this book as i had to program in C++ , however I used this book more than my assigned course book . I still use this book as reference . I really liked the chapter on Complexity . Very good explanation .
This book covers all the topics in detail. I think it is a must for every CS student to have.

A java Data Structures book
This was a mediocre text that is a rewrite of the same text in C++.As is common, the book reads like it was updated by search and replace.

Okay book...
This is for the fourth edition, which from other reviews doesn't suck as bad as the first two...

It's an okay text book - but I pity anybody who doesn't have either experiance working with data structures in C or C++ OR who hasn't taken a Finite Math class specifically for CS.

Only get it because you need it for a course, spend as little as possible and then dump it on eBay as quick as you can.Not worth keeping as a reference. ... Read more

Product Description

The one serious shortcoming of this book isthat it does not include a companion disk, which is the case with mostO'Reilly books. You'll have to visit the publisher's FTP site for thecode if you dislike typing the examples manually. On the whole,though, this is an excellent tutorial that will guide you through theworld of Java networking as smoothly as possible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Good reference, mediocre otherwise.
I've noticed that most reviews (both positive and negative) are a bit out-dated, referring to older editions. This review is about the latest (third) edition, which is also somewhat outdated (2004).

My biggest complaint is that the book is basically a glorified API with some very boring examples. Each chapter explains the methods and constructors of a certain class then throws them together in a sample program.

In my opinion, the book should have included more ideas and concepts and logic used in networking. It doesn't really discuss how networking relates to most of the things any given programmer would like to do. The book's cover and description leads you to believe otherwise, to believe it's more than a strict reference. Unfortunately, it isn't.

Another complaint is that the book is a terribly dry read and almost completely devoid of illustrations. This makes things terribly confusing when discussing things that might be new to you such as sockets.

It's not a bad book overall, it's just bad at some things. Admittedly, a great desk reference, and no one can deny that the API docs can be cryptic at times.

Bottom Line:
Good reference, mediocre instruction. Nice to have but might not be enough.

An excellent and thorough treatment of networking in Java
This book begins with three chapters that outline how networks and network programs work. Chapter 1 is a gentle introduction to network programming in Java and explores some of the unique programs that become feasible when networking is combined with Java. Chapters 2 and 3 explain in detail what a programmer needs to know about how the Internet and the Web work. Chapter 2 describes the protocols that underlie the Internet, such as TCP/IP and UDP/IP. Chapter 3 describes the standards that underlie the Web, such as HTTP, HTML, and REST.

The next two chapters discuss two parts of Java programming that are critical to almost all network programs but are often misunderstood and misused - I/O and threading. Chapter 4 explores Java's classic I/O models which, despite the new I/O APIs, are still the preferred means of handling I/O in most client applications. Understanding how Java handles I/O in the general case is a prerequisite for understanding the special case of how Java handles network I/O. Chapter 5, explores multithreading and synchronization, with a special emphasis on how they can be used for asynchronous I/O and network servers. Chapter 6 shows how Java programs interact with the domain name system through the InetAddress class, the one class that's needed by essentially all network programs.

Chapter 7 explores Java's URL class, which enables you to connect to and download files and documents from a network server without concerning yourself with the details of the server's protocol. It lets you connect to an FTP server using the same code you use to talk to an HTTP server or to read a file on the local hard disk. Chapter 8 introduces some little known classes for parsing and rendering HTML documents that make this task easy.

Chapters 9 through 11 discuss Java's low-level socket classes for network access. Chapter 9 introduces the Java sockets API and the Socket class in particular. It shows how to write network clients that interact with TCP servers of all kinds including whois and HTTP. Chapter 10 shows how to use the ServerSocket class to write servers for these and other protocols in Java. Chapter 11 shows how to protect your client server communications using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and the Java Secure Sockets Extension (JSSE).

Chapter 12 covers the I/O APIs that were introduced in Java 1.4. These APIs were specifically designed for network servers. They enable a program to figure out whether a connection is ready before it tries to read from or write to the socket. This allows a single thread to manage many different connections simultaneously, thereby placing much less load on the virtual machine. These APIs primarily provide huge performance boosts for high volume servers. Chapter 13 introduces the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and the associated DatagramPacket and DatagramSocket classes, and Chapter 14 shows how to use UDP to communicate with multiple hosts simultaneously.

Chapters 15 through 17 look more deeply at the infrastructure supporting the URL class. These chapters introduce protocol and content handlers, concepts unique to Java that make it possible to write dynamically extensible software that automatically understands new protocols and media types. Chapter 15 describes the class that serves as the engine for the URL class of Chapter 7. It shows how to take advantage of this class through its public API. Chapter 16 also focuses on the URLConnection class, but from a different direction; it shows how to subclass this class to create handlers for new protocols and URLs. Finally, Chapter 17 explores Java's mechanism for supporting new media types.

Chapter 18 introduces RMI, which enables distributed Java applications to run across multiple heterogeneous systems simultaneously, while communicating with straightforward method calls just like a nondistributed program. Chapter 19 discusses JavaMail, which is an alternative to low-level sockets for talking to SMTP, POP, IMAP, and other email servers.

This book assumes you are an experienced Java programmer. Thus, you should be comfortable with basic AWT and Swing programming, since some of the code examples use these APIs. It is assumed that you know the basics of computer networking - how to use the Internet, what a URL is, how to FTP files, and write simple HTML. However, it assumes no prior experience with network programming. I found the book to be complete and in-depth. The code examples are plentiful, non-trivial, and well commented. I would recommend it not only as a tutorial in Java network programming but as a reference for someone who already knows the subject.

good reference
I bought it to prepare my class

It was a good reference to me

Excellent Book
This book is certainly a good reference book for me when I need to know about network programming using Java.As you all know, Java Network Programming is a vast subject, on which a single book can make no justice of.But Elliotte has tried and he is successful with this book.

I liked his treatment of Multicasting, NIO, Threads and reaped a lot of benefit reading these chapters. I particularly liked his treatment of NIOs.

Elliotte is an educator and his books on XML have been fantastic. As a teacher, I am sure he knows how to write books.

This book caters to beginners and intermediate programmers who want a good reference book on Java N/W programming. The expert programmers can always read the Javadocs on the Sun website and other generic network books.

Anil Saldhana,
Chicago Java Users Group.

Comprehensive reference (3rd Edition)
If you're doing anything with Java and Network I/O programming, the topic will most likely be covered in this book.The author does a great job describing not only how Java handles network programming, but the concepts and details of network programming in general.The book takes the core java.net classes and describes each method, what it does, how to use it, what to watch for, code examples, etc - it takes the API Javadoc and expands upon it.

It's a great Java Network API reference book. ... Read more

Product Description
The networking capabilities of the Java platform have been extended considerably since the first edition of the book. This new edition covers version 1.5-1.7, the most current iterations, as well as making the following improvements:

The API (application programming interface) reference sections in each chapter, which describe the relevant parts of each class, have been replaced with (i) a summary section that lists the classes and methods used in the code, and (ii) a ?gotchas? section that mentions nonobvious or poorly-documented aspects of the objects.

In addition, the book covers several new classes and capabilities introduced in the last few revisions of the Java platform.New abstractions to be covered include NetworkInterface, InterfaceAddress, Inet4/6Address, SocketAddress/InetSocketAddress, Executor, and others; extended access to low-level network information; support for IPv6; more complete access to socket options; and scalable I/O. The example code is also modified to take advantage of new language features such as annotations, enumerations, as well as generics and implicit iterators where appropriate.

Most Internet applications use sockets to implement network communication protocols. This book's focused, tutorial-based approach helps the reader master the tasks and techniques essential to virtually all client-server projects using sockets in Java. Chapter 1 provides a genral overview of networking concepts to allow readers to synchronize the concepts with terminology. Chapter 2 introduces the mechanics of simple clients and servers. Chapter 3 covers basic message construction and parsing. Chapter 4 then deals with techniques used to build more robust clients and servers. Chapter 5 (NEW) introduces the scalable interface facilities which were introduced in Java 1.5, including the buffer and channel abstractions. Chapter 6 discusses the relationship between the programming constructs and the underlying protocol implementations in more detail.Programming concepts are introduced through simple program examples accompanied by line-by-line code commentary that describes the purpose of every part of the program. The book's Web site contains many examples of command-based sockets-related code discussed throughout the book. No other resource presents so concisely or so effectively the material necessary to get up and running with Java sockets programming.

KEY FEATURES

* Focused, tutorial-based instruction in key sockets programming techniques allows reader to quickly come up to speed on Java applications.
* Concise and up-to-date coverage of the most recent platform (1.7) for Java
applications in networking technology
* Provides code for all example programs via a companion Web site to let the reader see the important objects and methods in context and to understand the purpose of each line of code. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Content - Right to the Point
I have a pretty good background in writing Java applications for many different scenarios.I also come from a background where I already know the different between TCP and UDP and large parts of how TCP/IP networks work.However, I found that I was able to pick up some new tricks.Everything past the first chapter I found very helpful.The discussion of the New IO system was extremely valuable.The discussion of how blocking works was also very helpful.I knew there was something suspicious going on with all the examples I found line using simple while loops for sending and receiving on sockets!

I found the book and examples easy to read and follow.I would recommend it for anyone else just starting out with Java network programming.

The book to start with for Java Socket Programming
Don't go by the pages of the book. Its coverage is pretty good(including NIO). It won't make you a guru in the subject, but lay a solid foundation if you aspire to be !Buy it, you won't regret.

excellent intro
a very nice, intro level book. it starts at the very beginning, but doesn't waste a lot of time; provides the reader with some simple working examples, well explained; and points the way to more sophisticated stuff.perfect. ... Read more

Product Description
Java Persistence with Hibernate is considerably more than simply a second edition to Hibernate in Action. It provides a comprehensive overview of all the capabilities of the Java Persistence API in addition to those of Hibernate 3, as well as a detailed comparative analysis of the two. It describes how Hibernate has been used to implement the Java Persistence standard, and how to leverage the Hibernate extensions to Java Persistence.

-- From the Forward by LINDA DEMICHIEL Specification Lead, Enterprise JavaBeans 3.0 and Java Persistence Sun Microsystems

Persistence, the ability of data to outlive an instance of a program, is central to modern applications. Hibernate, the most popular Java persistence tool, provides automatic and transparent object/relational mapping so it's a snap to work with SQL databases in Java applications. Hibernate conforms to the new EJB 3.0 and Java Persistence 1.0 standards.

Java Persistence with Hibernate explores Hibernate by developing an application that ties together hundreds of individual examples. You'll immediately dig into the rich programming model of Hibernate 3.2 and Java Persistence, working through queries, fetching strategies, caching, transactions, conversations, and more. You'll also appreciate the well-illustrated discussion of best practices in database design, object/relational mapping, and optimization techniques.

In this 2nd edition of Manning's bestselling Hibernate in Action, authors Christian Bauer and Gavin King -- the founder of the Hibernate project -- cover Hibernate 3.2 in detail along with the EJB 3.0 and Java Persistence 1.0 standards.

What's Inside:

--Authoritative source for any developer using Java with SQL databases.
--Covers the latest major Hibernate version in great detail
--Explores the new EJB 3.0 Java Persistence standard.
--Written by the Hibernate founder and project lead.
--Object/relational mapping concepts
--Real-world tasks and examples
--Application design and development processes with ORM ... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

Not for Hibernate novice
I have tried several times to use this book as a tutorial on how to implement Hibernate into an application.Right off the bat, the author states "If you want to start with a less elaborate tutorial that you can complete in an hour, our advice is to consider the Hibernate reference documentation."Can you believe that?They shine you on down the road to reference documentation.Complete turn off for a beginner.It is like the author is telling me, "I don't have time to explain the basics to you and show you a simple working example.Go figure it out yourself and then come back here."This may be a great reference for experienced Hibernate developers, but if you are a beginner, my advice to you is "Back slowly away from this book.Just put it down gently and back far, far away."Come back when you already know HIbernate like the back of your hand. But then you won't this book, will you?

This book is a must have if you are serious Hibernate developer
Well written with comprehensive and indepth coverage of the subject. I high recommend this book.

Excellent book for Hibernate beginners
Regarding the topics inside, May be as I already have experience in Java, J2EE..I feel it easy to read and understand with good examples. I think it's a very good book for the one who are new to Hibernate.

Great Introduction and Reference
My current project switched from using JDBC to JPA with Hibernate for persistence. I took the lead for configuring and implementing the persistence backend and API that the rest of our application would use. I started reading the Java Persistence with Hibernate book and wasn't disappointed.

First, let me say this book is big. There is a lot of content, but JPA and especially Hibernate are not trivial topics. Don't let the size of the book scare you away. I used this book as a complete reference and a desktop reference. There are many code samples scattered throughout the book to enforce the concepts that are being discussed.

I really appreciated that the authors include the JPA way and Hibernate way of doing persistence in parallel. This allowed me to see the native Hibernate way of doing the JPA equivalent in case I needed additional customization.

My only real complaint is that some of the code samples weren't complete. For example it wasn't obvious that I needed to build a PersistenceUtil class to manage the EntityManagerFactory for my unmanaged J2SE application. All in all this is a very minor thing that just caused me a bit of confusion at first.

I highly recommend this book and doubt you will find a better complete reference to JPA and Hibernate anywhere else.

This should not be your first Hibernate book
This book is too detailed and drifts too much into the intricate details of ORM, Hibernate and JPA. Unless you have loads of time on your hands (like the 8 months one reviewer spent on it) this is not a great book. Its not a great refernce book either because its very difficult to find an answer to anything specific you are looking for. I think the only people this book will appeal to are the hard core hibernate junkies... who really don't need to read another book about hibernate because they know enough already by the time they are ready for this book. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the Java language and programming for beginners or students in an Introductory computer science class. The text also reviews systems topics. The Eclipse integrated development environment is illustrated in detail.Other aspects of Java programming, such as JavaDoc and JUnit testing, are presented.The final Chapter includes an extensive design example based on the card game of Solitaire.

The examples are formatted for the Kindle. The Chapters, Programs and Appendices are hyper-linked to facilitate navigation. Programs are best viewed in rotated, Landscape mode if available.

The reader is expected to compile and execute the 75 examples as a component of the learning experience. A compressed file of the examples can be obtained from the author by purchasers at no charge.

The author has forty-five years of programming experience and has worked at Microsoft in the position of Software Architect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice try, but maybe wait for improved versions
The book seems to be hastily thrown together solely for the Kindle market.Not well laid out. Clumsy. Examples of how to use Eclipse need improvement.

Unfortunately, this book is also crippled by Kindle in as much as you can't copy and paste examples.Gotta type them all in by hand. Not useful as a programming book -- but that's not the author's fault, that's fault of the current Kindle implementation. ... Read more

Product Description

If you have been wanting to learn Java, check out the newly revised fourth edition of the best-seller Sams Teach Yourself Programming with Java in 24 Hours. This step-by-step tutorial will teach you how to create simple Java programs and applets. Comprised of 24 one-hour lessons, this new edition focuses on key programming concepts and essential Java basics, has been improved by dozens of reader comments, and is reorganized to better cover the latest developments in Java. The book's coverage of core Java programming topics has also been expanded. A great starting point for learning Java, this book is also a great primer to reading sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days.

Customer Reviews (8)

Not for Novice
Bought this without researching it properly.It had such high reviews and was on
sale very cheap.So I just clicked an order.It arrived in perfect condition and
ahead of schedule from Bunches of Books.It is not a book to learn Java from,
however.I am a beginner and this book is strictly for experts.Suggest you start
with something else if you are trying to learn Java.Just ordered a couple of more
books on how to program Java, such as Sam's Teach Yourself Programming with Java in
24 hours.Hope I have better luck with it.

A quick introduction to the Java language
I found this book a good and quick introduction to the Java language when I read it a while ago. As an experienced programmer only needing a refresh in Java syntax, I found that I could easily skim through a couple of chapters, while going into more detail in others. The examples are good and well explained. This book gives a non-technical introduction to programming, as far as it can be done, and is probably a good choice for beginners.

Getting off to a good start
From what I have read thus far, I like the author's style.I showed my copy to a JAVA programmer and he felt that the table of contents covers an excellent introduction to JAVA.It was recommended that I take advantage of one of the several IDE available on the web.I did and together with the book, I have an excellent learning environment.

Loving the book - Hating the misprint!
Five star for content - 0 stars for quality control - average rounded down to 2.

I bought this book last November and am just now getting around to using it.

Up through hour 12 and very happy with the material, the way it is presented, the workshops.
Highlighting, taking notes, flagging pages... all good

All is fine until page 310--- where 319 should be I find page 271 again .... up to 318 again and then jump to 367.Missing 319 through 366.

First, I don't know if I can get a refund after 10 months and second - I don't want to give up all my annotations from the first 12 hours if they do let me return it. :-(Unhappy either way.

So - if you buy this book (Five Stars) make sure you check the pagination throughout when it arrives.

Best Java Book For Beginners!
This book has everything a beginner needs to learn to program with Java. The explanations are clear with examples. Teaches everything step by step. Recommend it to everyone who's a beginner and having trouble programming with Java. Probably the best book out there. ... Read more

Product Description

If you already have Java programming experience and are looking to program games, this book is for you. David Brackeen, along with co-authors Bret Barker and Lawrence Vanhelsuwe, show you how to make fast, full-screen action games such as side scrollers and 3D shooters. Key features covered in this book include Java 2 game programming techniques, including latest 2D graphics and sound technologies, 3D graphics and scene management, path-finding and artificial intelligence, collision detection, game scripting using BeanShell, and multi-player game engine creation.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Nice
Very nice.I had ran across some of the code from the book on a repository on-line so sought it out.It's enough to get you most of the way, about 75%, and gives you hints for the rest.It doesn't lead you by the nose, and explains all that they do very well.I'm actually using this book as a reference for my senior project, it's that good.Even if you are using APIs more sophisticated than Java2D and AWT, this is still a valuable book

Great for game developing using JAVA.
Pretty darn great book!
Chapter 1 starts with threads, locking and multithreading animation!!
This is for serious programmers, serious game developers...you gotta have some experience in JAVA development in order to get the best from this book. Beginners will take some time, but eventually prevail.
A must!!

Developing Games in Java
Early attempts at Java game programming usually meant incorporating a foreign framework in your code. With the latest advancements in Swing, it's become easier to develop rich media applications in Java. Developing Games in Java takes this rich framework and explains thoroughly how to best utilize it for both 2D and 3D games. The book could easily be used as a primer in game and graphics techniques as well. Concepts like collision detection, path finding, scripting, and AI are well covered, making this a complete introduction to developing great games in Java.

Excellent intermediate book
I have had this book for a couple of years. It is one of the best games programming books I have read. Be aware that over half the book is devoted to developing a software 3D engine. I found this to be quite high quality and I have even ported it to C++ with no issues. The engine supports texture mapping, shade mapping, z-buffering, collisions, pathfinding and BSP trees. As the author states, learning how things work in software helps when you later use hardware 3D rendering. To be honest, I was really impressed with the speed the 3D demo ran at, considering most people still think Java is slow.

The first half of the book develops a nice game framework to help with redifining keys, choosing a screen resolution, sound effects, animation and 2D scrolling with collision detection. There is enough info here to produce a good Mario clone. There is a chapter on networking but it seems disconnected from the rest of the book (I think it was written by a different author).

One of the best things though is that all the source code (available from his site) compiles straight off the bat, and works with no modifications. I cannot tell you how rare this is for a computer book. All the examples are built as Ant scripts and I simply imported them into my IDE (IntelliJ IDEA, but most other IDEs can also import Ant scripts). They all compiled with no errors and ran exactly as described in the book.

In summary this is an excellent buy for the intermediate Java programmer who wants to get into 2D and 3D games.

It's OK, But It Lacks Thorough Explanations
First off, this book is fairly easily to read if you have some programming background. This book is obviously not aimed at beginners, so it will require atleast a basic knowledge of Java to make any sort of sense.

What I liked about this book is the rather large number of projects you have to build right from the get go. However, what was most disappointing about this book was the lack of explanations as to what, exactly, is going on in the code. For instance, his section on mouselooking basically dumps two pages of code on you, filled with new algorithms that are accompanied by zero details about how they work or why things are done that way. There aren't even comments in the code that step you through it.

That aspect of the book is really saddens me because that's all that seperates it from a typing exercise and a great lessong in game programming.

Having said all of that. There are some basic functional things you gather that are useful if you are brand new to game programming.

What I had hoped to gather out of this book was more than just code. I hoped that there would be principles that I could extrapolate and take with me from project to project. Regretfully, I don't think this book accomplished that goal. ... Read more

Product Description
KEY BENEFIT: Java programming concepts and techniques are discussed in a straightforward style using understandable language and code. KEY TOPICS:Console I/O; FLow of Control; Defining Classes; Arrays; Inheritance; Polymorphism and Abstract Classes; Exception Handling; File I/O; Recursion; UML and Patterns; Interfaces and Inner Classes; Generics and the ArrayList Class; Linked Data Structures; Collections, Maps, and Iterators; Swing; Web Programming with JSP; Database Programming with Java. MARKET: Ideal for both introductory and intermediate Java programmers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

JAVA College Textbook Review
Absolute Java is NOT recommended for learning JAVA.
It is used @ county college JAVA programming class.
I found another book, Java How to Program by Deitel to be a much better book.It explains everything so much better than Savitch.

Don't waste your money on this book !
And let the colleges know to STOP using it !

Great
Great book. Im not new to programming in any sense of the word, but I am new to java and to object oriented programming in general. I do prefer event driven programming but this book definately does good in explaining the idea behind OOP. The book is a great begginer book and describes what is goin on in the background to give a person a better understanding of programming. For anyone new to Java, Like myself, I recommended this book.

Excellent introductory course companion
I am currently taking an intro to object oriented programming class and this book has been a great supplement with its straight explanations and in depth examples. The book does not come across as terribly boring, and moves at a relatively quick pace. The book covers solid fundamentals, and I'd recommend it to anybody looking to get a good feel for some basic, yet comprehensive Java.

One of the best textbooks I've used
Straightforward, and easy to understand, not tedious. This book is extremely good. My instructor isn't the best, so I end up reading through the book a lot, and have come to really appreciate it.

Important concepts are hit upon from several different angles to really drive points home (but not tediously and repetitive), code examples are very good, lots of tips, and warnings of frequent mistakes. I can go through a chapter in a couple of hours, this semester I've gone through a thousand pages in this book, but it doesn't feel like I spent more effort on this course than others, I have learned so much from it.

Also, if you want to skip ahead, he will tell you what sections you need to know before beginning a chapter, so you can hit some relevant topic without reading every chapter prior to it.

Effective use of formatting and white space, clear headings that really help to find and organize the information, chapters are nice and manageable. Important parts of the code examples are highlighted so that you don't have to read the entire piece of code to get the relevant information, but if you want to see how the piece fits into a working program, the entire code is there to be referenced. It helps you to be able to just look the code quickly if thats all you need, or really sit down and give it a thorough run through to see how it works in the program.

I wish all my textbooks were like this, I advocate it to everyone interested in Java.

THE BEST OF THE BEST
It is BY FAR the best book on programming that I have read. I tried Java for Dummies, learning online, also the Java tutorials from Sun and they were a waste of time or money or both.

There are several reasons that make me love this book and the way this author teaches:

1. I read most of this book in seven weeks. After that, I took a second course on programming and I did great on my class.

2. The exercises are well designed to learn. Some are challenging but all go right to the core of what you learned on each chapter.

3. It covers the basics and even some advanced topics that I have encountered in following programming courses.

4. The explanations are crystal clear. It is hard to be left with doubts.

5. The organization is perfect. It builds a core and then it adds more to the core. After five chapters you can move on many different directions depending on your needs and the book will still make sense.

6. The code is transparent and clarifications on the margins do help.

7. It is up to date with the latest Java release.

In all honesty this book does not have a weak spot. BUY IT!!!

hernanM ... Read more

Product Description
This title teaches programmers problem solving and programming techniques with Java. Readers are introduced to object-oriented programming and important computer science concepts such as testing and debugging techniques, program style, inheritance, and exception handling. The bookalso covers the Swing libraries and event-driven programming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Savitch is Awesome!
I have been using Walter Savitch textbooks since the early 1980's.Yes, I am old.He is a great writer for programmers and his book chapters flow beautifully.I would highly recommend this text.I use it for my IB Computer Science class.

The best book about programming I've ever seen-
and I've seen a lot of programming books(Computer Science student)This book will have you learning Java almost effortlessly. I'm the kind of person that needs to read something several times to fully understand it, but with this book, I immediately understood the material. The author's writing stlye and simple explanations of complex problems make this book a pleasure to read. Also, you not only understand what the author says, you remeber it as well, unlike other textbooks, where you've forgotten the material 2 seconds after you close the book.

He makes the subject matter so simple and easily understood, you will know how to write Java programs after only an hour of reading. They'll be small, simple programs, but you'll be a programmer. And when you do get to more complex topics, you'll breeze through those as well.

I wish there had been a Java compiler( a compiler is what you use to write programs) included with the book, but a Google search will give you some sources for free Java compilers you can download, so no big deal.

Great book; unethical publisher
This book is excellent. The author writes about programming in a clear and concise way that makes Java make sense. While Java may not be the simplest language to start with, it is widely used throughout the industry and provides a solid stepping stone to other languages. Savitch provides many examples of code and explains how it works, step by step. Too many programming books assume the reader will fill in missing pieces. Finally, an author who fills them in for us!

But buyer beware: the access code to the website that the book promotes as free is missing. If you go to the website you will find that you actually have to pay for the privilege. Sounds like the classic bait and switch to me, and in a book this price, it's a real disappointment.

I exchanged many emails with the publisher, Pearson. Finally they admitted that some booksellers do not include the access code in their books. Well, why can't they make this clear in the book and on the website, instead of luring people to spend money for what is supposed to be free access?

So it's the same old story: the author is excellent but the publisher, Pearson, is unethical.

Best Written Java Book
The author, Savitch, writes some of the best-written, easy-to-read computer language books.The fourth edition is a concisely-written, enjoyable book with excellent examples and coverage of Java 5.0, which is the newest, latest revision as of January '06.

I used this book to supplement a Java course on Game Programming and got an A in the class.

The "Absolute Java" book, also written by Savitch, is a bigger book and probably more comprehensive.However, I enjoy reading this one more.

1st edition review
I have just completed (i need only two more chapters) the first of edition of this book.While not as exhaustive as the the edition for sale here I can tell you the author is good at what he does.I haven't decided if I am going to purchase this edition but let me say that the author's prose style reminds me of the best computer programming books I read while I was an undergraduate at the University of Florida in the early 90's.This book is suitable for teaching a first or second year class of computer science students at a university.Unlike those silly "Teach yourself Java programming in 24 hours" this is the kind of programming book that really teaches you something. ... Read more

Product Description

Don't Let the Real Test Be Your First Test!

Written by two of the lead developers of the Java SE Programmer Exam, OCP Java SE 6 Programmer Practice Exams is filled with more than 260 realistic practice questions to prepare you for this challenging exam. To help you understand this material, in-depth explanations of both the correct and incorrect answers are included for every question. This practical guide covers all official objectives for Exam 310-065 and is the perfect companion to SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Study Guide.

Covers all OCP Java SE 6 Programmer exam topics, including:

• Declarations and Access Control
• Object Orientation
• Assignments
• Operators
• Flow Control, Exceptions, and Assertions
• Strings, I/O, Formatting, and Parsing
• Generics and Collections
• Inner Classes
• Threads
• Development

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

A fine survey for any computer library
Jim Waldo's JAVA: THE GOOD PARTS offers a top pick for any library strong in programming languages, showing how to build large-scale software using better coding and memory management techniques. From reusable data structures to using Java RMI to move code and data, this is a fine survey for any computer library!

Know Who the Targetted Audience is!
I feel the need to put up a review here to help potential readers of this book.I was excited to see this book appear on the shelves and bought a copy early on at one of the big box bookstores.The reason: I was familiar with O-Reilly's similar book for JavaScript that they published a couple years ago, and was well aware of what to expect.

This book is not a Java textbook.The perfect audience for this book would be someone familiar with Java, who wants to "crank up" their Java coding to a higher level.There are many times in writing software in Java that a programmer can choose various ways to handle a particular situation.I have a lot of Java textbooks that I can consult with particular recommendations on a variety of design topics.The problem is that 1) they can quickly be out of date, and 2) they can contradict other Java texts and leave one wondering who is correct.At the very least, we can hope for an author of a Java text that clearly explains alternatives and then makes a recommendation.This is somewhat rare in Java texts, due to the complexity of the language.In fact, my favorite book on Java as a language is Core Java, by Horstmann and Cornell, which is comprised of two very large volumes and over 1800 pages:

Core Java(TM), Volume I--Fundamentals (8th Edition)
Core Java, Volume II--Advanced Features

This book, on the other hand, chooses to look at the most important features of Java that set it apart from other object-oriented languages.Each aspect gets its own chapter and a surprisingly deep coverage considering this book is a mere 175 pages or so in length.

If you are already somewhat familiar with Java and need a good book to motivate you a little and reinforce good practices, this is a great choice.The sections on exceptions and interfaces are superb for nearly any Java programmer to read, while the more advanced topics can serve as either reinforcement of good design principles, or as an introduction to those topics, for someone wanting to know more about how and why they are in Java in the first place.

The book is also written in an effective, friendly (and at times hilariously sarcastic) tone.

Pros on JAVA
I thought this was a book a getting to the nuts n' bolts of JAVA, but in the
chapter I read it was not the case -- its more an overview of the language

Good book marred by errata
As a professional C++ programmer, I found this a fascinating introduction to what features distinguish the Java environment, either because they are novel to the language or because the language supports them particularly well.The author clearly has a strong point of view, which he shares without being overbearing.

Unfortunately, the book contains several errors in the code examples. Some are significant enough that I noticed them even as a non-Java programmer.Several examples are obviously early versions of program code, or cases where the code was not updated to match edits to the text.That makes me worried that there are more subtle errors that I couldn't see.Not all mistakes are on this errata list, but it's a start: [...]

It's an interesting read and I thought it was worth the time and money. ... Read more

Product Description

Learn Objective-C for Java Developers will guide experienced Java developers into the world of Objective-C. It will show them how to take their existing language knowledge and design patterns and transfer that experience to Objective-C and the Cocoa runtime library. This is the express train to productivity for every Java developer who has dreamed of developing for Mac OS X or iPhone, but felt that Objective-C was too intimidating. So hop on and enjoy the ride!

• Provides a translation service that turns Java problem-solving skills into Objective-C solutions
• Allows Java developers to leverage their existing experience and quickly launch themselves into a new domain
• Takes the risk out of learning Objective-C

Customer Reviews (5)

Ideal book for Java developers that want to learn Objective-C
Pros:
1) Many of the Objective-C examples were also shown with their Java counterpart.This added value in two regards.First, it clarified what the example was really doing.I could simply reference the Java version and quickly understand the Objective-C code.Secondly, it allowed me to compare and contrast the two languages.In many cases (but not all) the Objective-C examples contained fewer lines of code.

2) In addition to the Java and Objective-C examples, the book also had many table-based comparisons for common features (data types, methods).For example, one page listed the Java data types and their Objective-C alternative including their size and range restrictions.Again this helped simplify the learning curve.The table-based charts were also used for common method declarations too.For example, the common String utility methods were shown side-by-side.One column showing Java's String utility method declarations and the other column showing the Objective-C alternative.

3) Most code examples were a page or less.This helped simplify the learning process by allowing me to focus on more isolated code fragments.


Cons:
1) Many books that teach a new programming language typically include exercises at the end of each chapter that the reader can take away and complete.This book did not have any.This is a minor complaint.I can definitely think of sample programs to write.

2) The index does not always serve as a good reference for finding things quickly.For example, I wanted to find more information about logging and "logging" or "NSLog" were not in the index.Need to find the for loop quickly?You will not find it in the index.It is actually found in the index under "Collections, iterating through".The index could have been structured slightly better for quick search keywords.

3) An Objective-C quick reference guide would have been helpful.This did not bother me too much because about the time I started reading this book DZone released a new Objective-C reference guide [...].I highly recommend it!In my previous "con" I mentioned that it can be painful to find certain topics (logging, data types, loops) quickly within the index.The DZone refcard provides quick access to those topics and more!

Summary:
Overall this book is a very valuable resource for Java developers that want to learn the Objective-C language.The author greatly simplifies the Objective-C learning curve by contrasting many features and examples to its Java equivalent.

too much information without much explanation
This book has tried to give too much information without much explanation instead of taking a smaller set and explaning that.

As a result this book is neither good as a beginner's book, nor as a reference book. I would suggest "learn objective-C on the MAC" instead for beginners and then move to cocoa books for advanced topics.

I needed this book a year ago, but am thrilled it is finally here
Being a Java developer for more than 10 years and having explored the Objective-C platform for iPhone development for more than the last year, I struggled in the early days.I longed for a document that spoke to me, the Java emigre, and helped me map my existing knowledge into this new field of development.Finally, such a book has hit the shelves in the form of James Bucanek's Learn Objective-C for Java Developers.

James warns us that direct comparisons between these languages are insufficient, but acknowledges it gives us a great common vocabulary to start with.Once the comparisons have been drawn and as we become comfortable on the Objective-C language, James takes us beyond Obj-C as Java and shows the dynamism of this unique platform.We progress through memory management, persistence, and other platform specific critical technologies, learning each from James in a very friendly tutorial-style manner.

The book ends in a fevered pitch with an overview of mixing C and Obj-C.Overall, I was very pleased with the book, primarily because it spoke to me as a Java developer, and second because the writing style was very digestible.I highly recommend this book to any Java developer moving to the iPhone platform.

A must read for java developers who wants to learn Objective-C
I've been programming with Java since 1998.It's a nice language/platform with automatic garbage collection and a rich set of 3rd party APIs and libraries.However, the introduction of iPhone changed the world, and I wanted to develop some apps for iPhone.Since iPhone does not support Java as their development language, I had to learn Objective-C.Even though I learned some C/C++ back from college days, Objective-C is still quite foreign to me.It's a bit frustrating to Google and searching through Apple's documentation to find something equivalent (that works in Java) to be used in Objective-C.After many fruitless searches and frustration, I thought I might never learn Objective-C.Then this book was released and I grabbed a copy.After reading it, I truly wish this book was available earlier so I didn't waste so much time searching blindly in Google.

James did a wonderful job bring Java and Objective-C comparison side by side.But keep in mind, no single book can cover EVERYTHING between Java and Objective-C.There are obviously certain things missing but for the most part, it covers many grounds between Java and Objective-C.

Part 1 - Language
Chapeter 1-7 give you some nice introduction to Objective-C, and along the way, comparing with Java, and gradually feeds you more and more Objective-C features.Chapter 5 on Protocols and Categories is very nice, but I wish it was much longer.Protocols and Categories are very powerful features in Objective-C.They alone deserve a whole book ;)

Part 2 - Translating Technologies
Chapter 8-15 touches on many fundamentals of both languages, Strings and primitive values, Garbage Collection, Introspection, Files, Serialization, Exception Handling and Threads.The author shows us side-by-side code snippets comparison between Java and Objective-C.This alone is invaluable to us readers.There are some mind-bending situations where you will say: why it's so different? and makes you feel confused and puzzled.Then if you read up Apple's official documentation, and explore the APIs further, you will realize why things are in certain way in Objective-C.Definitely lots of learning there.

Part 3 - Programming Patterns
Chapter 16-23 shows the readers some common programming and design patterns in both language flavors.Collection pattern, Delegation pattern (lots of Objective-C APIs are through the use of delegation), Provider/Subscriber pattern, Observer Pattern(you will find how easy it is to setup observers in your program), MVC, Lazy Initialization, Factory, and our favorite Singleton pattern.
Of course, there are many more patterns that are not covered here, but these basic patterns are enough to get you started.Again, patterns alone warrants a whole 900-page book, so hopefully something comes out soon.

Part 4 - Advanced Objective-C
Chapter 24-26 deals with memory management, mixing c and objective-c, and runtime.
Memory management is especially important in iPhone SDK since so far iPhone SDK does not support automatic garbage collection.So all the memory allocations you have in the codes must be taken care of.Mixing C and Objective-C is very interesting, it should be very helpful for gaming development, where in many cases, involves game engines written in C.

Overall, it's a solid book for Java developers who want to dive into Objective-C.
You might need to read it a few times to fully understand certain topics.
It's a good reference book as well if you want to look up something quick in Objective-C but you only know how to do that in Java.

Ok..but...!
I am a java developer and I rushed to buy this book after finding this title on the web. I was hoping that the transition from Java to Objective C would be very easy.
But here is my opinion:
I started reading this book and found that the first few chapters were ok..but eventually stopped reading since I felt like there is lot of new information about Objective C the author is trying to say in single section in multiple places. It took me a lot of time understanding some of the concepts because of the above reason.
I bought this because I thought I could leverage my Java knowledge and come upto speed on Objective C. Though there are comparisons of Syntax between Java and Objective-C then and there, I felt it not very useful to leverage the Java concepts easily. There weren't enough detailed explanation of the examples whenever there are new concepts.

Instead I tried the following:
Googled and took a free online crash course in C which took a day of my time.
Then I started reading the book 'Learn Objective C on the Mac' by the same publisher. I loved the book. The book teaches the objective C concepts step by step and with detailed explanation of concepts incrementally.

Now, I am continue to stick with the second book and learning Objective C

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Product Description
The author of the best-selling Java in a Nutshell has created an entire book of real-world Java programming examples that you can learn from. If you learn best "by example," this is the book for you.

This third edition covers Java 1.4 and contains 193 complete, practical examples: over 21,900 lines of densely commented, professionally written Java code, covering 20 distinct client-side and server-side APIs. It includes new chapters on the Java Sound API and the New I/O API.The chapters on XML and servlets have been rewritten to cover the latest versions of the specifications and to demonstrate best practices for Java 1.4. New and updated examples throughout the book demonstrate many other new Java features and APIs.

Java Examples in a Nutshell is a companion volume to Java in a Nutshell, Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell, and Java Enterprise in a Nutshell. It picks up where those quick references leave off, providing a wealth of examples for both novices and experts.This book doesn’t hold your hand; it simply delivers well-commented working examples with succinct explanations to help you learn and explore Java and its APIs.

Java Examples in a Nutshell contains examples that demonstrate:

· Core APIs, including I/O, New I/O, threads, networking, security, serialization, and reflection

· Desktop APIs, highlighting Swing GUIs, Java 2D graphics, preferences, printing, drag-and-drop, JavaBeans, applets, and sound

· Enterprise APIs, including JDBC (database access), JAXP (XML parsing and transformation), Servlets 2.4, JSP 2.0 (JavaServer Pages), and RMI

The book begins with introductory examples demonstrating structured and object-oriented programming techniques for new Java programmers.A special index at the end of the book makes it easy to look up examples that use a particular Java class or accomplish a desired task. In between, each chapter includes exercises that challenge readers and suggest further avenues for exploration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

JAVA Examples - book review
Seller was fast and great price.

This book is outstanding for a novice to intermediate developer/programmer. Be sure to get the latest edition. Unlike many OReilly books this wasn't to wordy. Great examples.

Summary of Java
Great overall summary of Java with examples.Replaces short surveys, tutorials and cookbooks of Java.

Very good book of examples of specific Java concepts
This book should not be expected to substitute as a tutorial for people looking to learn the Java language. Instead, it is a book full of short programs that each illustrate specific concepts in the Java language. If you are needing a tutorial on the Java language in general, I suggest "Head First Java", which is also published by O'Reilly and Associates. You can either read the appropriate chapters of this book in parallel with that one, or look through this book after you finish the Head First Java book. If you already know Java, keeping an updated edition of this book around as a reference is a great idea.
The first four chapters of this book cover the basics of Java, objects, classes, interfaces, input/output, and threads. Thus these chapters remain largely unchanged from the previous edition. Chapter 5, on networking, has been updated to reflect the changes in the language since the last edition, and contains examples of a simple network client, an HTTP client, and a POP client in addition to the programs of the previous edition. Chapter six is a new chapter on The new I/O (NIO) APIs introduced in version 1.4. These provide new features and improved performance in the areas of buffer management, scalable network and file I/O, character-set support, and regular-expression matching. The NIO APIs supplement the I/O facilities in the java.io package, and this chapter does a good job of demonstrating the APIs in action. The next chapter that has had a major overhaul is the chapter on printing. Printing in JDK1.4 was updated considerably and allows you to list specific printers with specific capabilities, query printer status, spool text or image files directly to a printer, and convert image files to Postscript files. There are examples of all of these upgrades in this chapter. The chapter on data transfer has largely been rewritten to reflect that Swing has added support for data transfer between applications. When adding data transfer support to Swing, the goal was to make it easy for developers using Swing components to add clipboard transfer as well as drag and drop to an application. The examples in this chapter demonstrate these concepts very well. There is a completely new chapter on the Java Sound API reflecting the capabilities of that API. In addition to simply playing sounds and sequences, the chapter demonstrates synthesizing MIDI and also real-time MIDI. Finally, the last part of the book on the Enterprise API's has been completely rewritten to reflect all of the changes that have taken place in those API's since the last edition due to the popularity of the Java language in enterprise applications.
Currently, this book is two years old, which is getting a bit long in the tooth for a computer book. This is especially true if you consider the fact that JDK 1.5 has been released since this book was published with its own set of upgrades and nuances, and that JDK 1.6 is scheduled for release in the fall of 2006. I don't know if a fourth edition is planned for the immediate future, so if you can get the 3rd edition used for a low price it might still be worth the investment. If you are a Java novice, it is definitely worth your time and money.

Pompous annoying examples.Think twice there are better books
While writing this I can already imagine the shock and dismay of the Fan crowd with my review. I don't have much time so let me get to the point.
The 1 star I've given it (bcs I had to, preferable I'd rate it 0 stars) mostly pertains to the GUI section of the book. Instead of providing the reader with abundant and clear examples, this author wants to impress the Java geeks by writing an 'smart' generic class that shows all the different aspects of the java GUI elements. Aside from just lame, this is also done most likely because of laziness. I can imagine it's not very exciting to write up the core program structure for every GUI example. But that's just the way a decent author would go about. No need to waste pages by explicitly mentioning everything more then once. Such things can be saved for the example source right ? But mr Flanagan does not share that view. He sits back with his (admittedly entertaining) 'showcomponent' program that loads in all the gui program code (classes) and displays the material. So, again, his 'Java examples' are merely small files with therein declared a certain class without any(!) surrounding program code. (basically similar to what you'd see in the Swing lang spec). All these compiled examples need to be read in (from the command line no less, by his showcomponent class which then actually does all the work of creating the frame, displaying it etc etc etc.

And then cometh the reader, . . . . The moment you have to incorporate some of these lay-out en control components in you're own program this entire structure is obviously useless. Hence you have to struggle to get every component to work after all. The exact thing one is trying to avoid by buying a book. (No, you can't just copy & paste several separate sources together :) ). Basically you end up doing all the work yourself in the end anyway. Henceforth this book, particularly the part of GUI's , dialog's and event handling is of little practical use. I guess it would qualify as some sort of java coffee table book. Interesting functions, a clever introspective class here and there, things you can sit back and debate about with you're friends.
Not with you're collegue(s) when you fighting the deadlines.
While I'm not very proficient in Java, I've coded in c/c++ for far too long. Hence I don't need trivial lectures on what a ip port is. I just need to see some _completed_ (as in finished) programs, to get up and running with particular Java idiosyncrasies & components. If you are in a hurry, and simply have to get something up and running, keep running. Away from this piece of trash.
Go with "Core Java" or some of the Swing books. it'll get you there much much faster.

Edit: Took the flames out of the review. I was rather disappointed with this title at first. (now it's just collecting dust, but at least it doesn't aggravate me either).
If you're a programmer, (like me) you can read the spec by yourself. It's the little things on the outside of the program (event & message que's ,window trickery etc.) that differ from platform to platform. Those are the exact things the author glosses over with this text.

Real working Code examples
Just type these in and learn, learn, learn.Good examples across the board. ... Read more

Product Description
The Java EE 6 Tutorial: Basic Concepts, Fourth Edition, is a task-oriented, example-driven guide to developing enterprise applications for the Java Platform, Enterprise Edition 6 (Java EE 6). Written by members of the Java EE 6 documentation team at Oracle, this book provides new and intermediate Java programmers with a deep understanding of the platform.

Starting with expert guidance on web tier technologies, including JavaServer Faces and Facelets, this book also covers building web services using JAX-WS and JAX-RS, developing business logic with Enterprise JavaBeans components, accessing databases using the Java Persistence API, securing web and enterprise applications, and using Contexts and Dependency Injection for the Java EE platform.

Customer Reviews (1)

printed online tutorial
"The Java EE 6 Tutorial Basic Concepts" is the official tutorial covering all the Java EE technologies.I can't believe it has been 4 years since I read the Java EE 5 version.Last time I remarked 1300 pages was too heavy.Version 6 is split into two volumes which is nice because you can carry it around.The basic concepts one covers web/ejb/jpa/web services.

"As part of Sun's 'The Java Series' this book has the same content as you can find online. Why buy a book you can get for free? Convenience!! You can take it anywhere and read it anytime." - Dave Vick - JavaRanch Review of the J2EE 1.4 version.This benefit is back.

Other dislikes:
confusion between Oracle/Sun..For example "Oracle web site" [...]".I'd like to see mention of a transition.
wasn't clear what was new in Java EE 6.
as in past editions, it reads better online than printed.
extensive forward references and lots of repetition.For example, theyrepeat the six steps to open a NetBeans project 12 times!
many examples didn't explain how/why to do something - like whether to call a web service directly from a JSP.

I did like the walk-through of certain technologies.And the good quality cover paper that doesn't get damaged even if you spill juice on it!

There were good diagrams and charts and good case studies along with several excellent chapters.While I like this version better than #5, I would say to read the pieces you are interested in online and spend your money on a different book.

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for writing this review on behalf of CodeRanch.
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