Core Java 2 : Volume 1 Fundamentals (Paperback)

by Cay S. Horstmann (Author), Gary Cornell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
If you need to get something done in Java, Core Java 1.2, Volume 1--Fundamentals is one of the best books you can turn to for assistance. It's devoid of shaky, academic examples and packed with robust demonstrations that illustrate hundreds of powerful concepts.

This book begins with an explanation of the Java programming and execution environments in general terms and then provides specific examples of how to put key parts of the core packages to work. The authors back up the many examples with sharp, fact-rich commentary on how to get things done with Java. This volume covers data structures, object orientation, events, applets, input/output, and Swing.

A quick note: though the title of this book includes the words Java 1.2, the Java examples appear to be based on a very late beta and effectively cover what's now called Java 2. JavaSoft changed the name of the software during the final stages of testing--after the authors had finished this book. --David Wall

Product Description
The bestselling guide for serious programmers updated to Java 1.2!Ask any experienced Java programmer: Core Java delivers the real-world guidance you need to master Java. That's why it's been an international best-seller for three straight years! Completely revised and updated, Core Java 1.2, Volume I-Fundamentals gives experienced programmers the firm foundation they need to build their Java careers. It thoroughly covers the fundamentals of the JDK 1.2, including the new Swing user interface components. The new edition is filled with even more of the robust, non-toy programs that previous versions were famous for and now they are updated to take advantage of the Swing classes where appropriate. Volume 1 includes a thorough explanation of object-oriented programming, Java inner classes and exception handling, as well as debugging, the current Java event model, and a thorough coverage of both Input/Output and File Management. For experienced programmers, Core Java 1.2, Volume I-Fundamentals sets the standard-again! State-of-the-art information for Java developers, including: ? Building GUI applications with the new Swing classes ? Making the most of inner classes ? Mastering the current Java event model ? Understanding streams and file management with Java CD-ROM contains complete source code examples, the JDK 1.2(beta), and useful tools, including TextPad, HexWorkshop, SourceAgain, and Together<178>/Java.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 737 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; Bk&CD-Rom edition (January 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130819336
• ISBN-13: 978-0130819338
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #894,458 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A nice presentation marred by some serious flaws., October 27, 1999

By	Christopher Rodrigues Macias (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

Overall, this book is easy to read, has good to-the-point examples, and covers the material in the right depth for someone with some programming experience who wants to start learning Java. It has such a nice presentation of the material that I wanted to rate it five starts.

The sad part is that this book has a near-fatal flaw: it teaches novice Java programmers some really awful programming habits.

For example, here we have a supposedly up-to-date cutting-edge intro to Java 2 that is teaching newbies that the Vector(!) class is the latest and greatest way to hold groups of objects. Vector and its cousin the Hashtable were retained in Java 2 only for 'backward compatibility', and Java 2 programmers should be using one of the (much better designed) new collection classes. This book never mentions them, instead presenting Vector as 'the way to go'.

Another set of 'bad habits' the authors are pushing is their approach to AWT event handling. Creating inner classes as event listeners (the OO way to do this) is touched on briefly, but almost every example shows a primary class implementing the ActionListener interface and 'if' statements being used to determine the source of the event. (!?!) Here, Horstman and Cornell have pulled out the 'workarounds' required by the old Java 1.0 event model and presented them as 'the way to do this' to legions of unsuspecting Java students.

I cringed everytime I found something like this in the book. The fact that this book is so well written and designed (not to mention that it comes from Sun and is quite likely outselling all other Java tutorials combined) just makes it worse. IMHO, giving a student bad information, and training him or her in bad habits that will be hard to unlearn, is about the worst sin a teacher can commit. These guys do it over and over again.

Look, this book gets glowing reviews because it looks good, reads well, has clear examples, and *appears* to be a solid intro to the language. Stay away from it anyway. The 'perfect' Java tutorial doesn't exist, but I'd recommend Bruce Eckel's "Thinking in Java" instead, even if it is getting dated. It covers in one book what C&H take two volumes to cover, it is generally accurate and thorough, and Eckel gives you a real insights into *why* things work better one way than another. TIJ is denser, and therefore harder to follow, than Core Java 2, but in the end you'll be glad you put in the extra effort. (And you'll be able to help all the poor victims of Horstmann and Cornell to shed their bad habits.)

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book on general java language and programming., February 3, 1999

By A Customer

I have noticed that some readers give the rating very low, while others give very high. I read the Core Java 1.1 (vol 1 and vol 2)from ends to ends. Here are my remarks: 1) If you do not already know some object-oriented programming (such as C++), you may find the books a little tough to comprehend. But if you persist, I think you will do fine. 2) The books contain some remarks here and there, comparing java with Visual Basics and C++. Some of these remarks are helpful and others are annoying. On the whole, it does not help or hurt much. 3) The book teach java, irrespect of the computer platform. Because most people use PC platforms, the authors pay more attention to PC users. However, this preferential attention is so minor in comparing to the books overall contents. 4)Personally, I like the books. I bought the second volume because I like the first volume. I like the second volume too. I truely believe that my remark is a fair, objective one. I Hope you'll find this comment to be useful.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for VB developers learning Java, March 6, 2000

By	Jeff Benson (Aurora, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm an experienced VB programmer who understands advanced object-oriented concepts and has been itching to learn a language that can implement them. Coming from a strong VB background, this book was IDEAL for me. I don't think I would recommend it to someone who was new to programming, but this book has really gotten me up to speed quickly. I honestly can't imagine a better way they could have laid it out or presented the information.

The tone was conversational, and there were lots of high-level discussion paragraphs (for me, this is good, because I hate thinly disguised reference material). The whys are covered, as well as the whats and hows. Maybe this book isn't appropriate for people coming from other backgrounds, but I think it's ideal for VB developers who want to learn about Java - not just semantic differences, but the core philosophical undercurrents of both language. (Note - the book is peppered with mini-sidebars for VB programmers and C++ programmers.)