Data Structures & Algorithms in Java with CDROM (Mitchell Waite Signature) [Hardcover]

Robert Lafore (Author), Mitchell Waite (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1571690956 | ISBN-13: 978-1571690951 | Publication Date: April 1998

Not filled with with obtuse mathematics and difficult proofs, MWSS:Data Structures and Algorithms in Java removes the mystique from DS&A. It does this in two ways. First, the text is written in a straightforward style, making it accessible to anyone. Second, unique new Java demonstration programs, called "Workshop Applets," are provided with the book. These Workshop Applets provide interactive "moving pictures" which the user can control and modify by pressing buttons. The books text describes specific operations the user can carry out with these Workshop Applets, and the applets then reveal the inner workings of an algorithm or data structure.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While most books on algorithms and data structures use C or C++ for their examples, Data Structures and Algorithms in Java introduces data structures, sorting, and related algorithms using the Java programming language. This worthy reference helps working programmers get the most out of using Java to store and manipulate data efficiently.

The book starts out with simple data structures, such as Java arrays, and looks at a variety of traditional sorting algorithms, such as the quick sort and the bubble sort. Along the way, the author uses clear-cut examples in Java that show the ordering of elements visually in applets. (All source code is included in the accompanying CD-ROM.) The book then looks at linked lists (which can be efficient in Java because references point to objects in memory the way C++ pointers do).

The chapters on working with trees are especially clear. The author introduces and explains all the mathematical concepts needed to understand working with data structures. For example, he explains logarithms from the beginning so the reader will understand how various algorithms will perform with different numbers of elements. The author also includes advanced data structures, such as graphs and weighted graphs, along with sample applets that actually demonstrate what these containers look like and how they store and retrieve data.

The book concludes with a discussion of when to choose particular data structures over others--a topic that is less critical as CPU speed increases. In all, Data Structures and Algorithms in Java is a concise and readable excursion into the world of data structures. The book does an admirable job of showing how a traditional topic in computer science is handled in one of today's most popular programming languages. --Richard V. Dragan

From the Back Cover

Not filled with with obtuse mathematics and difficult proofs, MWSS:Data Structures and Algorithms in Java removes the mystique from DS&A. It does this in two ways. First, the text is written in a straightforward style, making it accessible to anyone. Second, unique new Java demonstration programs, called "Workshop Applets," are provided with the book. These Workshop Applets provide interactive "moving pictures" which the user can control and modify by pressing buttons. The book's text describes specific operations the user can carry out with these Workshop Applets, and the applets then reveal the inner workings of an algorithm or data structure.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 600 pages
• Publisher: Waite Group Press (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571690956
• ISBN-13: 978-1571690951
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,024,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Algorithms > Data Structures

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Data Structures books around, March 31, 2000

By 

wonderrat "wonderrat" (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Data Structures & Algorithms in Java with CDROM (Mitchell Waite Signature) (Hardcover)

I am surprised that most instructors haven't banned this book! It is absolutely one of the best data structures references on the market and with answers provided with the enclosed CD, one perfect "cheat book." Virtually all the standard data structures for an introductory DS&A course are included here with a good explanation behind the rationale used in the implementation of the code. Lafore is a good writer and explains things well, unlike certain authors. The book isn't heavy on the mathematics, which is good for programmers who don't want to get involved with theory. The applets which implement the data structures are particularly nice.

As mentioned in a previous review, trees are not covered well in this book, but most introductory books don't cover them well either. I don't expect to see an analysis of AVL or red-black trees in an introductory book (Cormen's text, which is the standard for grad school, doesn't explain trees well either). In fact, only Schaffer's book does a creditable job of explaining AVL trees but the implementation of the code isn't the greatest. But for linked lists, stacks,queues, and the like, there are few books that are the equal of this one. Buy the book and you'll pass your DS&A class with flying colors!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This was an excellent non-academic book on data structures, December 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Data Structures & Algorithms in Java with CDROM (Mitchell Waite Signature) (Hardcover)

This book is a very accessible text on the subject of data structures and algorithms using Java as the implementation language. I found the book to cover things excellently. The author is very efficient and handles these topics without being either too wordy or not giving enough information. The book approaches the subject from what I would call a non-academic angle. The coverage of Big-O notation is non-mathematicall. The author explains the Big-O speed of each data structure or algorithm but does not go into detail about the mathematical basis of such a number. One falling point for some may be the lack of exercizes. I, for one, did not miss these but if you are looking for a book with them, you'll have to look elsewhere. Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially for someone new to the subject. One last point, while the author fails to give any Java implementation for Red-Black trees, this is the only place in the book where he does so. He clearly explains his reasoning for doing as he does--the subject is quite complicated and the code for it immense. He does, however, give a good theoretical explanation of the subject.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Data Structures & Algorithms In Java, August 26, 2001

By 

"glynnethomas" (New Orleans, La United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Data Structures & Algorithms in Java with CDROM (Mitchell Waite Signature) (Hardcover)

I give this book 5 stars. 1. It has a great Table of Contents and Index. Finding topics is a breeze. 2. The explanations for the various data structures presented were outstanding. Explanations were built using simple words and short sentences which facilitates grasping new concepts and definitions. When new words were introduced, their meanings were thoroughly and simply explained. It is a good read. 3. Every data structure and its mechanisms were represented by drawings of colored objects that represented the various data structures. It made visualization of abstract concepts a breeze. This book has the best pictorial representations of Data Structures I that I have seen. (I reviewed over 14 textbooks. Most were didactic regurgitations of either Knuth's tome or Weiss, i.e., difficult to read, appear written for an audience of academics, not students.) 4.The book is very well made. I used it every day for 4 months and it showed no signs of wear and tear. Several other books had pages falling off of their backing withing two weeks of purchase. I returned those books. This book will be will me for decades. 5. The CD included with the book is quite good, and the price of this book was far better than other books. It is an excellent value. Why did I need a book about Data Structures? One required course that I took for my CSCI degree was Data Structures. The book chosen by the CSCI department for our course in Data Structures was "Data Structures & Algorithm Analysis in Java " by Mark Allen Weiss. I reviewed it in detail and found that it was not written in a easy to understand format. Also, it did not include enough diagrams to help me grasp abstract concepts. After reviewing this book, "Data Structures And Algorithms in Java" I purchased it and used it exclusively. It was essential to helping me grasp the concepts of how B-Trees and other structures operate and when they are indicated for use. This book is one of the reasons I got an "A".