Sebastopol, CA--The introduction of Java ten years ago was one of the most exciting developments in the history of the Web, and Java has been going strong ever since. In recent years, it's surpassed languages such as C++ and Visual Basic in terms of developer demand, and become the language of choice for new development, especially for web-based applications and services. Most universities now use Java in their introductory courses. Once just another new kid on the block, Java is arguably the most popular programming language in the world. But as Java's circle of influence has grown and changed, so has the language itself, its APIs, and attendant software tools.
"The latest release of Java is targeted at developers and has the biggest set of changes since Java's birth," observe Patrick Niemeyer and Jonathan Knudsen in the new third edition of Learning Java (O'Reilly, US $44.95). "We've tried to capture these new features and update every example in this book to reflect not only the current Java practice, but style." Their book moves from a tutorial in a simple first application to a full introduction to the language, including generics and other 5.0 features. Beginning Java programmers will tackle everything from creating networked applications to designing Swing GUIs to writing threaded programs with Java 5.0's concurrency features.
Full of easy-to-follow code examples, Learning Java provides a hands-on experience with an eye towards building applications for anyone who wants to learn the language. "This book is for computer professionals, students, technical people, and Finnish hackers," note Niemeyer and Knudsen. "It could also be considered a crash course in object-oriented programming, networking, GUIs, and XML."
An accompanying CD provides all students will need to start working with Java immediately. In addition to the examples in the book, the CD includes a wealth of open source software: Java 5.0, the NetBeans 4.x and Eclipse 3.x IDEs, Ant, Tomcat, and BeanShell, a simple open source Java scripting language developed by coauthor Niemeyer.
And there's more. Java students will also master:
Any programmer who benefits from a hands-on approach, concise examples, and personal experimentation will enjoy Learning Java, Third Edition.
Praise for the previous edition:
"The most enjoyable aspect of this book is that it doesn't follow a cookie-cutter approach to teaching Java. Explanations of complicated subjects are spread throughout instead of being crammed into dedicated chapters. Best of all, the authors demonstrated some of Java's advanced utilities while teaching the fundamentals of the language."
--Joe Haynes, Bozeman Linux User Group
"[Learning Java] is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to write their own applications. Clear explanations, lots of examples, and a logical, step-by-step approach make the book accessible even to those with little or no programming experience. Although the book is challenging, the effort is worth it: by the time you have finished this book, you will be well on your way to writing real-world Java applications."
--Scott Wahl, "Technical Communication""I would recommend you get a copy of this book if you are starting down the Java path."
--Thomas Duff, Portland Domino/Notes User Group
Additional Resources:
- Chapter 8, "Generics"
- More information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and samples
- A cover graphic in JPEG format
Learning Java, Third Edition
Patrick Niemeyer and Jonathan Knudsen
ISBN: 0-596-00873-2, 954 pages, $44.95 US, $62.95 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
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