Please recommend a book for a Java beginner.

[SteveSmith]

I am new to Java but not new to programming. What in your opinion is the best first book
for Java? I'd like something that has a good section on creating Windows, Applets and
Swing. Source code on a CD or website for all examples would help.

Thanks.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Daniel_Sj=F6blom?=]

I am new to Java but not new to programming. What in your opinion is the best first book
for Java? I'd like something that has a good section on creating Windows, Applets and
Swing. Source code on a CD or website for all examples would help.

There is no getting around the fact that you first have to learn the
language before you can start writing GUIs. The 'Thinking in Java' book
which you mentioned elsewhere is good for that purpose.

You should check out the java tutorial on Sun's website, which in
addition to the basics also contains a long section on Swing. I have
found much of the material to be remarkably good. After you master the
material in there, you should be able to write GUIs without much
trouble. Also, learn to read the API documentation; while some of it may
be hard to understand, you should realize that many times that
documentation is all you get, there is no tutorial or book expanding on
the subject.

Here are the links:

Tutorial: http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/reallybigindex.html
API doc : http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/

 

[ge0rge]

There is no getting around the fact that you first have to learn the
language before you can start writing GUIs. The 'Thinking in Java' book
which you mentioned elsewhere is good for that purpose.

You should check out the java tutorial on Sun's website, which in
addition to the basics also contains a long section on Swing. I have
found much of the material to be remarkably good. After you master the
material in there, you should be able to write GUIs without much
trouble. Also, learn to read the API documentation; while some of it may
be hard to understand, you should realize that many times that
documentation is all you get, there is no tutorial or book expanding on
the subject.

Here are the links:

Tutorial: http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/reallybigindex.html
API doc : http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/

To the OP. In addition to the online stuff, I keep a copy of O'Reilly's
Java Swing within easy reach. I found it very useful although the
details can get quite overwhelming in some places.

 

[SteveSmith]

There is no getting around the fact that you first have to learn the
language before you can start writing GUIs. The 'Thinking in Java' book
which you mentioned elsewhere is good for that purpose.

I've been using that book as a reference book. I'm not happy with the chapter on GUIs and
applets. The problem I have with it is the classes and methods aren't explained very well
from what I've seen, though I haven't gotten very far with it yet.

You should check out the java tutorial on Sun's website, which in
addition to the basics also contains a long section on Swing. I have
found much of the material to be remarkably good. After you master the
material in there, you should be able to write GUIs without much
trouble. Also, learn to read the API documentation; while some of it may
be hard to understand, you should realize that many times that
documentation is all you get, there is no tutorial or book expanding on
the subject.

I have the tutorial but haven't looked at it yet. I've been using the API for the few
weeks that I've been learning Java and it's good but I can see they expect you to know the
things people get from a book before looking at it. I'm going to use the tutorial and
Eckel's book, still I'd like to have another book. Thank you.

 

[SteveSmith]

To the OP. In addition to the online stuff, I keep a copy of O'Reilly's
Java Swing within easy reach. I found it very useful although the
details can get quite overwhelming in some places.

Thank you.

 

[Harald]

I am new to Java but not new to programming. What in your opinion is the best first book
for Java? I'd like something that has a good section on creating Windows, Applets and
Swing. Source code on a CD or website for all examples would help.

If you are not new to programming, then

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/

is quite ok to start with. If you have no specific reason to learn
about applets other than that Java seems to be connected to applets,
then just forget them. They are an accident of history. Write proper
applications (i.e. with a main()) or go for web applications. You
don't need an applet to get a GUI with Java and 99.95% of the applets
available on the web don't work anyway.

Harald.

 

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, (e-mail address removed) said:

I am new to Java but not new to programming. What in your opinion is the
best first book for Java? I'd like something that has a good section on
creating Windows, Applets and Swing. Source code on a CD or website for
all examples would help.

I started with _Just Java_, by Peter van der Linden. I used the first
edition, but it's now in its 6th edition as he keeps updating it.

It's an excellent intro to all aspects of the language. I can't comment
on the Swing stuff because Swing wasn't out yet when I started.

 

[Thomas G. Marshall]

(e-mail address removed) coughed up:

I am new to Java but not new to programming. What in your opinion is
the best first book for Java? I'd like something that has a good
section on creating Windows, Applets and Swing. Source code on a CD
or website for all examples would help.

Thanks.

Before you venture into GUI's (as others have said and implied here) you
need a good handle on the java language.

Get the following book, if you have not yet:

Just Java(TM) 2 (6th Edition)
by Peter van der Linden

Paperback: 848 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 6 edition (June 21, 2004)
ISBN: 0131482114

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...102-9861760-6312147?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

OR click here, if the above does not work:
http://tinyurl.com/6cryy

 

[Thomas G. Marshall]

Harald coughed up:

If you are not new to programming, then

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/

is quite ok to start with. If you have no specific reason to learn
about applets other than that Java seems to be connected to applets,
then just forget them. They are an accident of history. Write proper
applications (i.e. with a main()) or go for web applications. You
don't need an applet to get a GUI with Java and 99.95% of the applets
available on the web don't work anyway.

Er...... *way* overstated. The details of your particular point aren't
here, but most of the time that I've seen such arguments, the arguer
attempts to make the point that java applets are replaceable by flash, and
that java applets are somehow a broken paradigm. The former is true only if
you are attempting to use applets for flash like things, and the latter is
just plain false.

I've been in java since the beginning, and have created very "powerful"
applications, contracted for businesses and the government. Many of these
applications are designed in a flexible way so that they can easily be
retrofitted as an applet later if the need arose.

This allows the client to have nearly instantly deployed software within its
own infrastructure, and software that is always up to rev. The latest
software version lives on the server, and the users within the company (or
government department) all have browsers to access it.

 

[SteveSmith]

(e-mail address removed) coughed up:


Before you venture into GUI's (as others have said and implied here) you
need a good handle on the java language.

Get the following book, if you have not yet:

Thank you for the link and the opinion. How is the section on GUI's?

I've aready read parts of a book that covered most of the features of the language except
Swing. It was an old book. So I think I am ready for GUIs. I'm thinking any new features
that I missed, I can pick up along the way.

 

[SteveSmith]

In a previous article, (e-mail address removed) said:

I started with _Just Java_, by Peter van der Linden. I used the first
edition, but it's now in its 6th edition as he keeps updating it.

It's an excellent intro to all aspects of the language. I can't comment
on the Swing stuff because Swing wasn't out yet when I started.

Thank you. I saw a review at Amazon.com that said the Swing section wasn't that useful but
that's just one person's opinion.

 

[SteveSmith]

If you are not new to programming, then

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/

is quite ok to start with. If you have no specific reason to learn
about applets other than that Java seems to be connected to applets,
then just forget them. They are an accident of history. Write proper
applications (i.e. with a main()) or go for web applications. You
don't need an applet to get a GUI with Java and 99.95% of the applets
available on the web don't work anyway.

Harald.

Thanks, I'm definitely going to look at the tutorial.

 

[David Segall]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

[snip]

I've aready read parts of a book that covered most of the features of the language except
Swing. It was an old book. So I think I am ready for GUIs. I'm thinking any new features
that I missed, I can pick up along the way.

In that case have a look at "Swing Second Edition"
<http://www.manning.com/robinson2>. The first edition was published as
a free download - google for swingdoc.zip.
[snip]

 

[Steve Reeves]

Hi Steve,

Being in the same boat as you very recently I did some research and
came to the conclusion that 'Beginning JAVA 2 (JDK 5 edition)' by Ivor
Horton was my best option. Now having bought the book and gone through
the first few chapters I think it was the right choice. I have quite a
lot of programmin experience but not OO experience and this book
understands that and is teaching the OO stuff as we go. Even after a few
hours with the book I can code most numerial and character type things -
basic stuff I know but obviously core to understanding any language.

The book starts with JAVA console output but heads of into a GUI via
Swing later on. A good lump of the book is dedicated to creating a GUI
graphics drawing application so Swing is used here and possibly (most
likely I guess) AWT - but I haven't got that far yet so I am not certain!

ISBN: 785555885080

For me I was a little confused by the Sun sight (v1.4 to 5 and so on -
J2SE or JDK5 -help!!! Probably me just being thick, but chapter 1 in
this book sorted that all out for me - worth the money just for that.

Have fun.

Steve

 

[HK]

Harald coughed up:


Er...... *way* overstated. The details of your particular point aren't
here, but most of the time that I've seen such arguments, the arguer
attempts to make the point that java applets are replaceable by

flash,

Ooops, not at all. Given the way it is normally used, I
consider Flash an even worse pest.

I've been in java since the beginning, and have created very "powerful"
applications, contracted for businesses and the government. Many of these
applications are designed in a flexible way so that they can easily be
retrofitted as an applet later if the need arose.

See, that's what I was suggesting to the beginnger. Forget
applets, develop applications. If the need arises later,
he is no longer a beginner and there is a chance
the resulting applet actually works.

Harald.

 

[Tony Morris]

Hi Steve,

Being in the same boat as you very recently I did some research and
came to the conclusion that 'Beginning JAVA 2 (JDK 5 edition)' by Ivor
Horton was my best option. Now having bought the book and gone through
the first few chapters I think it was the right choice. I have quite a
lot of programmin experience but not OO experience and this book
understands that and is teaching the OO stuff as we go. Even after a few
hours with the book I can code most numerial and character type things -
basic stuff I know but obviously core to understanding any language.

The book starts with JAVA console output but heads of into a GUI via
Swing later on. A good lump of the book is dedicated to creating a GUI
graphics drawing application so Swing is used here and possibly (most
likely I guess) AWT - but I haven't got that far yet so I am not certain!

A common mistake is call call Java "JAVA". Java is not an acronym.
Call it pedantic or what not, but it makes some people squirm.

ISBN: 785555885080

For me I was a little confused by the Sun sight (v1.4 to 5 and so on -
J2SE or JDK5 -help!!! Probably me just being thick, but chapter 1 in
this book sorted that all out for me - worth the money just for that.
http://qa.jtiger.org/GetQAndA.action?qids=20&showAnswers=true
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/relnotes/version-5.0.html

Have fun.

Steve

--
Tony Morris

JTiger Unit Test Framework for J2SE 1.5
http://www.jtiger.org/
Java Q&A (FAQ, Trivia)
http://qa.jtiger.org/
http://xdweb.net/~dibblego/

 

[SteveSmith]

Hi Steve,

Being in the same boat as you very recently I did some research and
came to the conclusion that 'Beginning JAVA 2 (JDK 5 edition)' by Ivor
Horton was my best option. Now having bought the book and gone through
the first few chapters I think it was the right choice. I have quite a
lot of programmin experience but not OO experience and this book
understands that and is teaching the OO stuff as we go. Even after a few
hours with the book I can code most numerial and character type things -
basic stuff I know but obviously core to understanding any language.

The book starts with JAVA console output but heads of into a GUI via
Swing later on. A good lump of the book is dedicated to creating a GUI
graphics drawing application so Swing is used here

That sounds good.

and possibly (most
likely I guess) AWT - but I haven't got that far yet so I am not certain!

The Thinking in Java Book doesn't cover AWT and he doesn't seem to think it's worth
learning at this point except if you have to modify old code. You can download the
complete HTML version from his site for free. Source code is included. AWT is covered in
an earlier edition of the same book and you can download that too for free.

ISBN: 785555885080

For me I was a little confused by the Sun sight (v1.4 to 5 and so on -
J2SE or JDK5 -help!!! Probably me just being thick, but chapter 1 in
this book sorted that all out for me - worth the money just for that.

haha I was wondering about that myself.

Have fun.

Steve

Thanks Steve and thanks for the book suggestion. Horton is a well known author and I've
seen people recommend his other books.

 

[SteveSmith]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

[snip]

I've aready read parts of a book that covered most of the features of the language except
Swing. It was an old book. So I think I am ready for GUIs. I'm thinking any new features
that I missed, I can pick up along the way.

In that case have a look at "Swing Second Edition"
<http://www.manning.com/robinson2>. The first edition was published as
a free download - google for swingdoc.zip.
[snip]

Thanks I'll look for that.

 

[SteveSmith]

flash,

Ooops, not at all. Given the way it is normally used, I
consider Flash an even worse pest.


See, that's what I was suggesting to the beginnger. Forget
applets, develop applications. If the need arises later,
he is no longer a beginner and there is a chance
the resulting applet actually works.

Harald.

Thanks Harald. I don't see applets used much in ordinary web pages but I know that as the
other poster said, some companies write software that runs in a web browser. I've used
such software at a company I used to work for.

 

[Thomas G. Marshall]

Paul Tomblin coughed up:

In a previous article, (e-mail address removed) said:

I started with _Just Java_, by Peter van der Linden. I used the first
edition, but it's now in its 6th edition as he keeps updating it.

It's an excellent intro to all aspects of the language. I can't
comment on the Swing stuff because Swing wasn't out yet when I
started.

See my other post. I used it in java classes I was contracted to teach,
primarily to companies converting over to java from some other paradigm.
The newbies and senior engineers alike all raved about the book.

There is considerable humor in the book as well.