Objects First With Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

by David J. Barnes (Author), Michael Kolling (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The book has a very clear identity. It takes a truly objects first approach to teaching problem solving using Java. These are complicated concepts so the book uses the development environment BlueJ to help the student's understanding. BlueJ has a strong emphasis on visualization and interaction techniques, and allows the students to manipulate objects and call methods as a first exercise. BlueJ is free and freely available, and has been developed specifically for teaching. The book is loaded with projects so that the student can really get a grip on actually solving problems; and it takes a spiral approach , introducing a topic in a simple context early on, then revisiting it later in the book to deepen understanding. It also comes with a CD containing JDK, BlueJ, a BlueJ tutorial and code for all the projects. The website contains style guide for all examples, PowerPoints for lecturers and also a Solutions Manual.

From the Back Cover

Objects First with Java:
A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ

Third Edition

David J. Barnes
Michael Kölling

The BlueJ revolution goes on! The third edition of Objects First with Java has been fully updated for Java 5.0, and features a new version of BlueJ providing even stronger support for learning Java syntax and semantics.

Hallmark features

• An ‘Objects First’ approach encourages students to exploit the power of OOP from the beginning
• A project-driven approach applies a problem-solving method to real applications.
• A CD-ROM containing the JDK and versions of BlueJ for a variety of operating systems
• A Companion Website at www.pearsoned.co.uk/barnes includes a style guide for all program examples, PowerPoint slides and other resources for both students and instructors.
• Additional resources can be found on the BlueJ website: www.bluej.org/objects-first/

New to the third edition

• Fully compliant with Java 5.0 features including generics
• A revised treatment of autobox and enumerators
• Expanded coverage of graphics and GUI programming
• A new version of the BlueJ environment, featuring:
  o Full support for Java 5.0
  o An all-new interface ‘look and feel’
  o A new ‘Code Pad’ feature, allowing immediate execution and evaluation of Java code.

About the Authors

David Barnes has 25 years experience in teaching programming. He and Michael Kölling both teach introductory Java courses at the Universityof Kent, Canterbury. Michael Kölling was a key member of the team that developed BlueJ at MonashUniversityin Australia.

 

[Copy to appear on inside front cover of 3rd edition]

From reviews of the original edition

“The book represents a valuable, new approach to introductory programming; it is still my best choice as textbook for the introductory programming course.”
—Michael Caspersen, University of Aarhus, Denmark

“This is the most innovative approach to teaching an Introduction to Programming course I have seen so far.”
—Clemens Martin, University of Ontario

“I would like to thank the authors for their good job on this book, and the wonderful BlueJ, the best programming environment for students learning Java.”
—Ying Zhou, Rhode Island College

 

The first true ‘objects first’ introductory text; the best introduction to objects and OO programming concepts I have ever seen.”

—Michael Goldweber, XavierUniversity

 

“The more I read Barnes and Kölling’s book, the more impressed I am with it. It is a pedagogical masterpiece.”

—Ian Bridgewood, CopenhagenUniversityCollegeof Engineering

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 520 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 3 edition (June 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013197629X
• ISBN-13: 978-0131976290
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #155,857 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really learn Java with "Objects First" and Bluej , May 10, 2005

By	Gordon Webster (Cambridge, MA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Objects First With Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

One really bad way to teach basic math in elementary school is to stick a calculator into a kid's hand and have her learn how to use it. The kid might be multiplying large numbers together in no time, but she won't have any real understanding of what she's doing. There's an analagous problem with learning computer programming languages using the latest whizzy integrated development environments (IDEs). The IDE does a lot of the leg work for you behind the scenes and code gets 'automagically' generated, but you don't really understand what's going on. Worse still, some of the major Java IDEs are so feature-rich that it's an uphill struggle just to understand the IDE, let alone to try and learn Java and object-oriented programming (OOP). If what I've just described mirrors your own experience in trying to learn Java using the popular Java IDEs, then read on ... the wonderful Bluej Java enviroment and this accompanying book, may be just what you've been looking for.

"Objects First with Java" is an absolute Godsend for anybody who wants to really learn Java from the ground up, and in the process, develop a clear understanding of object-oriented programming. The examples in the book are superbly illustrated using the author's "BlueJ" Java environment which comes on the CD included with the book. BlueJ lets you create your own Java modules and then interact directly with them, allowing you to experiment with their behavior as you edit and compile individual Java classes. Based upon the example projects that also come on the CD, you can alter or rewrite the Java code, compile it with BlueJ and immediately see the results. This kind of direct experimentation makes learning more fun and allows the reader to really assimilate the core principles of the Java language and the OOP paradigm that it embodies.

The book is beautifully laid out with code snippets, subject summaries and exercises all color-coded. The text is written in an accessible and conversational style that is lacking in a lot of the traditional, "dry" computer texts that are often about as much fun as having root canal work. In spite of this, the book manages to completely avoid the "light and fluffy" approach of some tutorial style texts that are overly chatty and ultimately rather lighweight. "Objects First" is a serious text for anybody wanting to learn Java and OOP and although I consider myself an experienced programmer in other computer languages, with considerable prior exposure to OOP, I never felt bored or talked down to by this book.

In summary then, I whole-heartedly recommend this book to new and experienced programmers alike who wish to learn Java well and my advice would be this: Do yourself a favor, put aside the complex Java IDE for now, buy this book, download the latest editions of BlueJ and Sun's Java environment from the web (the versions on the CD are not the latest and greatest) and REALLY learn Java!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading, September 30, 2003

By	Peter Casey (BEND, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Objects First with Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ (Paperback)

I have been teaching programming to beginners for almost 20 years. I found leaning object oriented programming took me a long time, I believe it has taken most of the text book authors a long time also, many of them still don't get it. The authors of Objects First have taken a giant leap and provide an introduction to OOP (using Java) that is a must read for anyone wanting to learn to program with objects (even more experienced programmers).

Do not read any OOP texts that refuse to start with a discussion of objects from the first page. This book simply gets it right!

In addition to the great topic coverage, the authors use the BlueJ environment to demonstrate OOP concepts. This environment is unique (and free) and allows students to explore OOP in a way that other programming environments simple don't provide.

Not only do the authors clearly discuss OOP but they also discuss important software engineering concepts along the way.

Buy this book, work through the incremental exercises, and you will not be disappointed.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book for understanding OOP, December 26, 2003

By	Alex - See all my reviews

This review is from: Objects First with Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ (Paperback)

This book is what I've always looked for, it doesn't expect you to know anything about OOP or even programming. Step by step the author takes you into the concepts of OOP. There are no "hidden" steps, that you must understand without explanation, every construct that is used is explained when it's used, and the steps are small enought to give everyone the time to understand everything thoroughly. The book has always additional excercises for every chapter, that help you to retry the concepts you've learned. This is very helpful because you might have the feeling that you'd understand what you've read, but it might be that you just understood the example not the concept itself. So I can recommend this book to everyone who wants a real good start in Java and OOP. This book is not meant as a reference book, it's meant for teaching yourself and others in the basics of Java and OOP with the help of BlueJ.