Java Collections: An Introduction to Abstract Data Types, Data Structures and Algorithms [Paperback]

David A. Watt (Author), Deryck F. Brown (Author), Dave Watt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2001 | ISBN-10: 047189978X | ISBN-13: 978-0471899785 | Edition: 1

A unique, practical approach to working with collection classes in Java 2
Software developers new to Java will find the practical, software-engineering based approach taken by this book extremely refreshing. With an emphasis more on software design and less on theory, Java Collections explores in detail Java 2 collection classes, helping programmers choose the best collection classes for each application they work on. Watt and Brown explore abstract data types (ADTs) that turn up again and again in software design, using them to provide context for the data structures required for their implementation and the algorithms associated with the data structures. Numerous worked examples, several large case studies, and end-of-chapter exercises are also provided.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A lovely book.... I will use this book a lot in the next few months on a Java project I'm just starting." (CVu, December 2001)

From the Back Cover

Java Collections is an introductory text on abstract data types, data structures, and algorithms using Java. Written at an appropriate level for a first course in algorithms and data structures, or a second course in programming using Java, this text concentrates on pratical matters like software design and the Jave Collections framework. Only essential supporting theory is included.
The text focuses on abstract data types (ADTs) that turn up again and again in software design. It uses these ADTs to introduce and motivate the data structures required to implement them and the algorithms associated with the data structures. This approach helps Java programmers to choose the most suitable collection classes for their applications.
Not only undergraduate students but also professional programmers retraining the program in Java will benefit form this even-paced and example-led text.
Key features of the text:
* emphasizes good object-oriented software design and implementation
* presents algorithms both in English and in Java, and shows how to analyze their efficiency (with only light mathematics)
* introduces the concept of an abstract data type, shows how to use a "contract" to specify the abstract data type's contract and its implementation in terms of a suitbale data structure and algorithms
* covers a variety of abstract data types (stacks, queues, lists, sets, maps, priority queues, trees, and graphs), compares alternative implementations of these abstract types, and relates them to the Java collection classes
* features numerous examples and case studies showing how the abstract data types are used in practical applciaitons
* contains numerous graded exercises, offering opportunities to explore alternatives to the designs and implementations presented in the text
* includes appendices summarizing the mathematics of algorithm analysis, the relevant features of the Java programming language, and the Java collection classes.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 566 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047189978X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471899785
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,013,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does not reinvent the wheel, November 26, 2002

By 

David Matuszek "Dr. Dave" (Malvern, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Java Collections: An Introduction to Abstract Data Types, Data Structures and Algorithms (Paperback)

I've been teaching data structures and algorithms for over 25 years,
and the fundamentals--which every computer science student should
know--haven't changed very much. However, it doesn't follow that
everyone needs to write their own linked lists or hash tables from
scratch, when Java already supplies so much of that. I have looked for
a textbook that balances explanation of the basics with exploration of
the Java Collections Interface, and this is by far the best book to date.
(The similarly-named book by Zukowski has too many errors of fact
in it for my taste.)

Another reviewer said that this book does not cover the Java Collections
API. This is incorrect. The authors develop the ideas behind each data
structure as a suitably abstract data type, and then go on with "...and
here's how the Java Collections API does it." I think the previous
reviewer simply didn't read far enough to get to those parts.

For a tutorial on just the Java Collections API, Sun's online "Trail" is
the best single source, and has the advantage that it is not intermixed
with implementation details. If that were enough, no data structures
textbook would be necessary. However, in real problems, any
predefined generic data structure is likely to be inadequate and will
need to be extended; this is why a good programmer needs to know
the Collections API (so as to avoid reinventing the wheel), but in
addition a good computer scientist needs to know how these data

structures are implemented, so that he/she can go beyond them when
necessary.

The book is somewhat weak on algorithms and would not serve as a
reference on this topic; however, there is plenty of meat here for a first
course on data structures and algorithms.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting approach to ADTs, November 19, 2001

By 

Antonio A. Rodriguez "taserian" (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Java Collections: An Introduction to Abstract Data Types, Data Structures and Algorithms (Paperback)

I've been reading through a copy of this book, and comparing it to another notable book on the same subject, mainly "Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java" (DSAAJ) by Mark Allen Weiss. Something very noticeable is that Java Collections is a much simpler book to tackle, though I feel that this detracts slightly from its use as a textbook. As a PhD student in Computer Science, I prefer the mathematical detail I found in DSAAJ than the lesser amount of math that Watt and Brown provide in Java Collections. Yet, at the same time, the case studies in Java Collections are a tremendous help in understanding what a given ADT is useful for, which DSAAJ doesn't go into at all. And the detail on what a specific ADT is supposed to do is much better detailed in Java Collections than in DSAAJ. As a TA, I taught a course in Data Structures and Algorithms for Computer Engineering students. The textbook we used for that was Weiss' DSAA book directed towards C++ instead of Java, but for those who know both versions of the book, the two are very similar. If instead of C++ the course was oriented towards Java, I would have chosen this book as a textbook for that course; these students weren't needing the math focus, and they (and I) would have preferred the practical programming knowledge in here.

For the programmer out of college, or the college student that wants an alternate view on ADTs than what DSAAJ provides, this is an excellent book.

Member of the Columbia Java User Group (www.colajug.org)

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book for CS1 and CS2....., August 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Java Collections: An Introduction to Abstract Data Types, Data Structures and Algorithms (Paperback)

This book is one of the best books out there for Java Algorithms and Data-Structures. It helped me a lot through CS180 (Purdue University). Very easy to understand definitions and code give you the essence of the topic.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!