Beginning Java 2 [Paperback]

Ivor Horton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764543652 | ISBN-13: 978-0764543654 | Publication Date: March 29, 2002 | Edition: SDK 1.4 Edition

What is this book about?

The Java language has been growing from strength to strength since its inception in 1995. It has since proved to be both powerful and extraordinarily easy to learn and use. This is what makes it ideal for the beginner. With dramatic changes to the handling of files, and the introduction of native support for XML, Java has been updated to work faster and to be current with the incredible rise of XML as a medium for communicating data.

This edition of the Beginning Java books outlines everything the beginning programmer needs to know to program with the Java programming language and the 1.4 Java Developer Kit (JDK). With the release of JDK 1.4, programmers can look forward to the most stable edition yet, and even better performance than was available previously.

Over the course of the book, you will build an example application called Sketcher — a simple drawing tool — that teaches you how to build an interactive user interface with Java, how to save and open files, how to use color, and how to respond to user input.

What does this book cover?

• Teaches the Java language from scratch
• Object-oriented Programming in Java
• Handling errors and exceptions in applications
• Manipulating data and files
• Concurrent programming and threads
• A comprehensive introduction to Swing, the graphical user interface API for Java
• Printing in Java
• An introduction to XML

Who is this book for?

Ivor's inimitable style has proved to be a hit with nearly half a million people with its easy to learn approach and the many useful examples. Regularly voted the most popular Java programming book, this book teaches Java from scratch and assumes no previous knowledge. It is also suitable for those who have got some programming experience, especially C or C++, which will make learning easier.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"In all the years I have been programming and teaching people about computers, I have never come across a language that offers the power and flexibility of Java and all for free! Java is an extraordinarily easy language to learn and use, and is ideal for the beginner.

With the latest edition of Java, some things are a lot easier, but the new and improved classes mean you can do so much more! Whether it’s creating graphic rich and interactive web pages or creating full-featured Windows applications, you can do it with Java. With my book you can learn Java plus the techniques you need for success with your own projects.

Nothing worthwhile is achieved without effort. You’ll need to put in the work and have the ambition to succeed when the going gets tough. If you have commitment, I can help you become a competent Java programmer."

Who is this book for

This book is for anyone who wants to learn to create real-world applications with Java. The Beginning Java series has proven popular with over 150,000 people with its tutorial format. The numerous step-by-step examples provide you with an understanding of the ins and outs of programming with Java.

We assume no previous programming experience, although progress will be easier if you have programmed before. Either way, you’ll soon become an expert in creating your own Java programs.

What this book will teach you

This book will teach you all you need to know to start programming in Java. This latest edition of my series teaches Java with the Java 2 SDK 1.4; a free Software Development Kit for creating Java applications.

• The code is designed and tested for use with the latest SDK – J2SDK 1.4.
• Teaches the Java language from scratch.
• Handling Errors and Exceptions in applications.
• Manipulating data and files.
• Concurrent programming and Threads.
• Comprehensive introduction to Swing, the Graphical User Interface API for Java. We will learn both about standalone applications and applets: embedded Java programs for web pages.
• Large GUI example: We will create a program called Sketcher: a simple drawing tool for making sketches. We will learn how to save sketches to and load sketches from files, use color in our applications, and respond to user input.
• Printing in Java.
• Now included: an introduction to XML – an exciting technology for representing data. We will modify the sketcher application to use XML.

About the Author

Ivor Horton has extensive experience of programming and large-scale systems implementation in a wide range of industrial environments. He has in-depth knowledge and experience of production scheduling and online control systems, computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, as well diverse engineering and scientific applications. He's also taught programming in a variety of languages to engineering and scientific personnel primarily in aerospace and automotive companies. After countless years in the computer industry both doing and managing, Ivor now writes on programming topics for relaxation. When not relaxing, he takes an interest in cosmology, cacti, chaos, and cameras, and does a little editing and criticising of other peoples' efforts on the side.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1200 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; SDK 1.4 Edition edition (March 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764543652
• ISBN-13: 978-0764543654
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #940,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book to learn Java, March 30, 2002

By 

Thomas Paul (Plainview, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning Java 2 SDK 1.4 Edition (Paperback)

Ivor Horton has once again produced an exceptional beginner's book for Java. I have reviewed many beginner books on Java in the search for a textbook for an "Introduction to Java" class that I teach at Hofstra University. Few of these books have met the goal of providing a solid base of knowledge upon which a programmer can build. Ivor Horton's "Beginning Java" is one of those few. This book is an excellent introduction to Java for anyone who has a basic understanding of programming and is willing to apply some effort to learn the language. Horton proceeds at a rapid pace to cover virtually every important topic in Java outside of the Enterprise Edition. Starting with the basics of the Java language Horton explains the Java syntax in great detail. He then goes on to cover exceptions, streams, utility classes, threads, GUI (with a concentration on Swing), and file processing. In addition, Horton covers all the important new features of the 1.4 release including more than 100 pages on XML. Each chapter builds upon the previous chapter using extensive, well designed and clearly explained examples. Although the book covers a wide range of topics, it does not treat any of them lightly. Many introductory books fall short in the very important topic of object oriented technique. Horton does an excellent job of both explaining OO and then using it in his many examples. Unlike other books that you may read and discard, this is a book that will continue to provide help far into your Java career.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hey all you Java beginners, read this review before u buy..., November 29, 2002

By 

Phillip Schwarzmann "Stand-up comic. Writer. ... (Helsinki, Finland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beginning Java 2 SDK 1.4 Edition (Paperback)

Warning to all you Java beginners: Don't expect to read this book and immediately graduate to an "intermediate" Java programmer - ESPECIALLY if you're new to programming and/or object-oriented programming.

This book gives you a fairly good introduction to the basics of Java; Ivor Horton is a bit "dry" but does the job. If you don't have experience with object oriented design (like C++), you'll NEED to also purchase, "Beginning Java Objects" by Jacquie Barker. And when I say "NEED", I mean NEED!! Jacquie's book is absolutely ESSENTIAL for any person new to objects.

It is impossible to fit all the beginning Java topics into one book (even if it is 1200+ pages) and Ivor doesn't try too. He goes over threading and Swing but you'll need to seperate books for these topics.

Another warning for Java newbies: Beginning Java topics can be quite boring, I'm sure many will want to jump straight to the cool stuff like Swing, JSP/Servlets, J2ME...but you MUST understand objects, java terminology, and other basic principles FIRST. You may want to check out books like "Java Cookbook", "Design Patterns Java Workbook", "Design Patterns Explained", "Objected Oriented Thought Process" and especially "Beginning Java Objects" to complement Ivor's book.

I gave this book 4 stars because "beginning" books should take you by the hand and babystep you through the process (in my opinion), this book doesn't quite do this (Jacquie's book does). You may feel more comfortable with one of these "dummies" or "teach yourself in 21 days" or "Java Bible" instead (though I haven't read any of these). But stay away from the "Core series" or "O'Reilly" books if you don't want something too hard.

To learn Java you're gonna need to drop some $$ on a bunch of books and you'll need to spend some SERIOUS time practicing, but as Ivor Horton says, "Nothing worthwile is achieved without effort. You'll need to put in the work and have the ambition to succeed when the going gets tough."

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best java tutorial for greenhorn can be ever found!, May 9, 2002

By 

Arethusa (Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning Java 2 SDK 1.4 Edition (Paperback)

as a cs majored student i have read quite a few java tutorial, this one is the best i've found. the author assumes no previous programming experiens, everything step by step; he not only teaches what java is and HOW TO USE IT, but also teaches you good programming style from very beginning. It shows a great consideration to the simplicity as well as performance of your java codes, and explains why you should do this way in a scientific yet very clear and easy to understand manner. i simply love the author's writing style. the book is well structured, mastering an OOP language such as java is never really a piece of cake for most people, but this book does its best to minimize your pain all along the road. you can be sure you are getting knowledge, confidence, skill and fun with this book. and, all the examples given in the book are just complete applications or applets. they are just ready for you to try them out.

Our professor put deitel and deitel's " java: how to program " in his literature list, but after using it for a while, i no longer thought it a good idea for a beginner. the examples given in this book seem not to reveal how to program and what is oop but rather to conceal them, besides, it's really not a fancy idea to begin with swing . but in this Ivor's book, he starts with plain console application, so you can concentrate on what you should concentrate as a beginner. then i also tried " thinking in java", i have to admit it is a nice book, but too conceptual, and most codes in this book are not complete, you might have to bother to add some code if you want to try them out. if you were still not familiar with I/O control, it could be a problem for you. and, the knowledge such as memory allocation...etc are not merged in the java teaching as well as Ivor's book. there are also other java books i have read, but i cannot even recall them. and seems i dont need more with this Ivor's great work on java learning. of course one would need other tutorial when go further into some specific field, however, i venture to say this is the best book for a greenhorn so far.