Programming.Java: An Introduction to Programming Using Java [Paperback]

Rick Decker (Author), Stuart Hirshfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

This text uses the Java language to teach a first course in programming for computer science majors. Decker and Hirshfield use Java to introduce students to object-oriented programming without the many pitfalls of C++. Because Java is not yet fully developed and standardized, PWS offers this special "beta" edition in anticipation of a full first edition that will implement the standard Java when it is complete.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ph.D. Ohio State University

Product Details

• Paperback: 574 pages
• Publisher: Pws Pub Co; 11th edition (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534955886
• ISBN-13: 978-0534955885
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,967,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars programming.java, September 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: programming.java: An Introduction to Programming Using Java, Second Edition: An Introduction to Programming Using Java, 2nd (Paperback)

One should always be wary of a Java book that places a chapter entitled "Java Language Basics" on page 163. Like too many authors, Decker & Hirshfield somehow feel the reader will bebefit from delaying such a topic until chapter 5. The first 4 chapters are filled with examples begging for basic explainations. The very first page of chapter 2 has code demonstration applets and as such contains inheritance. This is immediately followd by a discussion of methods, overriding and graphical programming.

If you want to jump into Java head first without a clue to the basics, this is the book for you. When I wonder why software has such quality and reliablity problems, it's probably because the programmer learned a language from a book like this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the initialted, January 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: programming.java: An Introduction to Programming Using Java, Second Edition: An Introduction to Programming Using Java, 2nd (Paperback)

This book doesn't have the greatest reviews and I think it's because it has the wrong audience. I'm an old time Cobol programmer who's read some books on java but really had a hard time sitting down and getting a program organized and working. This book solved my problems. Between the hands on lablets and the numerous problems in the quiz section at the end of each chapter I finally began to be able to use what I knew. Also there's a fabulous chapter in which the authors actually build an application from scratch, explaining their thinking and ackowledging the time it takes to get it up and running. This book is for people who want to be able to use java when they're done but I think it's too hard for total novices. It would have been nice however if there were solutions to some of the problems.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Be sure to get the lab manual that accompanies this book, February 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: programming.java: An Introduction to Programming Using Java, Second Edition: An Introduction to Programming Using Java, 2nd (Paperback)

This book works much better when used in conjunction with a lab manual. I have used this book successfully in teaching a beginnning Java course to non-computer science students.

The approach is non-traditional in the sense that the students start programming a graphical user interface from the very beginning. This approach engages the students and helps them learn more quickly because they can "see" the effects of the changes they make to their code.

The authors take a top-down approach and avoid overwhelming students with too many details.