Java Fundamental Classes Reference (Java Series) [Paperback]

Jonathan Knudsen (Author), Mark Grand (Author)

Book Description

Series: Java Series | Publication Date: May 8, 1997

The Java Fundamental Classes Reference provides complete reference documentation on the core Java 1.1 classes. These classes contain architecture-independent methods that serve as Java's gateway to the real world, by providing access to resources such as the network and the host filesystem. The core classes also include utilities for working with strings, I/O streams, mathematical functions, vectors, and hash tables. The Java Fundamental Classes Reference covers the classes that comprise the java.lang, java.io, java.net, java.util, java.text, java.math, java.lang.reflect, and java.util.zip packages. These classes provide general-purpose functionality that is fundamental to every Java application.

This book takes you beyond what you'd expect from a standard reference manual. Classes and methods are, of course, described in detail. But the book does much more. It offers tutorial-style explanations of the important classes in the Java core API. The first section of the book contains chapters that describe the ins and outs of strings and related classes, effective thread programming, and the use of the I/O classes, to name just a few of the topics. These chapters also include lots of sample code, so that you can learn by example.

This edition of the Java Fundamental Classes Reference describes Version 1.1 of the Java Development Kit and includes:

• Easy-to-use reference material on every core Java class
• Tutorial-style explanations of important classes and examples that demonstrate their functionality
• Detailed coverage of all the essential classes in java.lang, including Object, String, and Thread
• Descriptions of all the I/O classes provided in the java.io package, including all of the new Reader, Writer, and object serialization classes in Java 1.1
• Material on using the classes in java.util effectively
• Coverage of all the networking classes in the java.net package

The Java Fundamental Classes Reference is meant to be used in conjunction with the Java AWT Reference. Together, these two reference manuals cover all of the classes in the Java core API. The Java Language Reference completes the package by providing a detailed reference of the Java programming language. These manuals comprise the definitive set of documentation that you need to do serious programming with Java 1.1.

O'Reilly & Associates also publishes a tutorial, Exploring Java, if you need to get up to speed with this exciting new technology. For advanced Java programming topics, look for books from O'Reilly on network programming, threads, and database programming.i

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Java Fundamental Classes Reference provides complete reference documentation on the core Java 1.1 classes. These classes contain architecture-independent methods that serve as Java's gateway to the real world, by providing access to resources such as the network and the host filesystem. The core classes also include utilities for working with strings, I/O streams, mathematical functions, vectors, and hash tables. The Java Fundamental Classes Reference covers the classes that comprise the java.lang, java.io, java.net, java.util, java.text, java.math, java.lang.reflect, and java.util.zip packages. These classes provide general-purpose functionality that is fundamental to every Java application. This book takes you beyond what you'd expect from a standard reference manual. Classes and methods are, of course, described in detail. But the book does much more. It offers tutorial-style explanations of the important classes in the Java Core API. The first section of the book contains chapters that describe the ins and outs of strings and related classes, effective thread programming, and the use of the I/O classes, to name just a few of the topics. These chapters also include lots of sample code, so that you can learn by example. This edition of the Java Fundamental Classes Reference describes Version 1.1 of the Java Development Kit and includes: Easy-to-use reference material on every core Java class Tutorial-style explanations of important classes and examples that demonstrate their functionality Detailed coverage of all the essential classes in java.lang, including Object, String, and Thread Descriptions of all the I/O classes provided in the java.io package, including all of the new Reader, Writer, and object serialization classes in Java 1.1 Material on using the classes in java.util effectively Coverage of all the networking classes in the java.net package The Java Fundamental Classes Reference is meant to be used in conjunction with the Java AWT Reference. Together, these two reference manuals cover all of the classes in the Java Core API. The Java Language Reference completes the package by providing a detailed reference of the Java programming language. These manuals comprise the definitive set of documentation that you need to do serious programming with Java 1.1. O'Reilly & Associates also publishes a tutorial, Exploring Java, if you need to get up to speed with this exciting new technology. For advanced Java programming topics, look for books from O'Reilly on network programming, threads, and database programming.

About the Author

Jonathan Knudsen is an author at O'Reilly & Associates. His books include The Unofficial Guide to Lego Mindstorms Robots, Java 2D Graphics, and Java Cryptography. He is the Courseware Writer for LearningPatterns.com.

MARK GRAND is an Atlanta-based consultant with over twenty-three years of experience in distributed systems, object-oriented design, and Java. He is currently working on an open source framework for gluing components and programs into an application. He is also the author of Patterns in Java, Volume 2 and Java Enterprise Design Patterns (both from Wiley).

Product Details

• Paperback: 1111 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (May 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565922417
• ISBN-13: 978-1565922419
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,476,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Out of date -- don't buy, September 3, 2000

By 

James Grimm (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Java Fundamental Classes Reference (Java Series) (Paperback)

This book documents version 1.0.2 of JDK. Sun is up to version 1.3 and has made dramatic additions since 1.0.2. Don't buy something so out of date.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good if you prefer hard copy, April 14, 1999

By 

John K. Sizemore - See all my reviews

This review is from: Java Fundamental Classes Reference (Java Series) (Paperback)

As others have pointed out, there isn't much here that isn't in the freely available JDK documentation. Also, most computer books lag behind the actual software they cover. There are a few indispensable "classic" computer books out there, but they're all about stuff like UNIX, TCP/IP, and C, targets that don't move as quickly as Java does.

But I don't think I'm the only professional programmer in the world who appreciates having printed documentation. It's handy to be able to take a book on the road, or to the nearest couch, and flip through the pages at my leisure. I like putting a finger in one page and a pencil in another while I flip to a few cross-references. I doubt that online docs will ever really replace the Real Thing for me.

O'Reilly is one of the two or three best computer book publishers out there (Addison-Wesley and Prentice-Hall are also excellent, but pricey). This book is typical of O'Reilly's stuff: practical, dependable and inexpensive. I do Java GUI programming full-time, and I've used this book a lot. So far as I can tell, every method for every class is covered at just the right level of detail. If you want an authoritative, exhaustive reference that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, look no further.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not such a great book., January 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Java Fundamental Classes Reference (Java Series) (Paperback)

If you do not have the javadoc API reference, this book will be very helpful. But this is not the case for most Java programmers. The book does offer things more than what you have in the html javadoc, however, they are VERY limited. As the dynamic html reference gets richer in each 1.1.x release, the benefit of buying this hardcopy deminishes. The samples in this book are largely overstated. They are more of decorations rather than real things.

In short, be cautious. If the book description makes you consider buying this book, you'd better find it in a nearby bookstore and read several pages first - to make sure this is what you want.