Java in a Nutshell : A Desktop Quick Reference (Java Series) (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

by David Flanagan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The 3rd edition of the well-known reference, Java in a Nutshell, covers the essential APIs of Java 1.2, including networking, security, input and output, and basic language and utility classes. Due to the size of the Java 1.2 API, graphics and graphical user interface classes are now examined in a volume called Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell, and server-side and enterprise programming are detailed in Java Enterprise in a Nutshell.

Though primarily a reference, the book starts off with a thorough, fast-paced introduction to Java, exploring all the key topics, including syntax, object-oriented programming, security, beans, and tools. These discussions are brief and very information-dense, and if you are buying this book to learn the language, you will probably be overwhelmed by the speed of this initiation.

This book intends to document quite a bit of Java, and it easily succeeds with broad coverage of Java programming in Part I, and API cataloging broken down by package in Part II. For example, discussions in Part I explain Types, Reflection, and Dynamic Loading. The handling of these topics takes a little over a page, but the book gives a useful overview with code examples that clearly illustrate the points made. It is one of the clearest and most concise treatments of these three topics available.

The chapters in Part II include an introduction, diagrams, and sections for each class in the package. The sections for each class can be very informative, as in the discussion of the Socket class in the java.net chapter, which includes how to instantiate a Socket object, getting I/O streams from the object you instantiated, and how to alter the behavior of sockets. This discussion, like most in this book, is brief, clear, and to the point.

If you are looking for a Java reference, this is a solid volume that will provide lasting value. --John Keogh

Topics covered: Part I, "Introducing Java," provides broad coverage of Java programming topics, including data types, syntax, classes, and objects; Java file structure; inner classes; interfaces; packages; creating and initializing objects; destroying and finalizing objects; input/output; cryptography; networking; security; threads; JavaBeans; JavaDoc; and tools that come with Java 1.2 SDK.

Part II, "The Java API Quick Reference," includes chapters on the following Java packages: java.beans, java.beans.beancontext, java.io, java.lang, java.lang.ref, java.lang.reflect, java.math, java.net, java.security, java.security.acl, java.security.cert, java.security.interfaces, java.security.spec, java.text, java.util, java.util.jar, java.util.zip, javax.crypto, javax.crypto.interfaces, javax.crypto.spec, and a final chapter, which provides an index for classes, methods, and fields.

From Library Journal
O'Reilly books are rarely for neophytes, but advanced users swear by them, and these will be no exception. Englander covers a hot Java subtopic for students, programmers, and professionals already familar with Java and object-oriented programming. He discusses events, event adapters, properties, persistence, java archive files, the BeanBox tool, property editors, ActiveX, and the java.beans Package. Flanagan's work is the book Java programmers want nearby when they are at the keyboard. A complete ready-reference work, this belongs in all collections supporting programmers. Java is a constantly changing language so Nutshell will be coming out often with new editions; always have the newest one on hand. Reese goes beyond simple applet design to relational databases, SQL, object-oriented database applications, application servers, and remote object manipulation. The examples used throughout the book are based on a banking application designed in Java.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 666 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly; 3 edition (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565924878
• ISBN-13: 978-1565924871
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,039,752 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm VERY impressed! He nailed it with the 3rd edition., December 17, 1999

By	"bdunn" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This book is my new favorite Java book. This book is probably my new favorite technical book. It's simply an excellent example of what a technical reference book should be.

The first quarter of the book is a very good introduction to Java, the syntax, as well as object oriented programming (OOP). The syntax and OOP portions of the book are the best I've seen in any book. If you are new to Java, reading through these sections carefully will teach you almost everything you'll need to know about the Java language. The third edition of the book doesn't assume a C/C++ background, so even those with limited or no programming experience will find this section very helpful.

Next you'll find excellent coverage of the Java platform. The bulk of the book is a reference of the different Java classes in JDK 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and even 1.3Beta. The coverage is excellent. I would have liked to see examples, but I suppose that really is asking too much from one book.

I have a large library of Java books, but this one is #1 for me. Shelf time for this book is going to be very low. The book literally hasn't seen a shelf since it arrived from Amazon.

There are several Java books I find to be far superior to others. For anyone new to the Java language, I believe the following are the very best books to have nearby (ranked in order): Java in a Nutshell, 3rd... Java Examples in a Nutshell... Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell... Java Enterprise in a Nutshell... The Java Class Libraries, 2nd, Vol 1. by Patrick Chan

Obviously, I'm a fan of David Flanagan's Java books (he wrote the top four). Pick one up to see why. They are all excellent, but my favorite is this one (JavaNut 3rd edition). The set of four Flanagan books easily comprise the best resource on Java available.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent but no AWT, May 4, 2000

By	David Matuszek "Dr. Dave" (Malvern, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There have been three editions of this book, all of them excellent reference books but too condensed to be great tutorials.

The first edition had everything you needed to know about Java 1.0, including AWT (the GUI) descriptions and example programs; but a lot has changed since Java 1.0, which is basically only good for writing applets. Still, many browsers can only handle Java 1.0.

The second edition covered Java 1.1 and the AWT, but the examples were split off into a second book, "Java Examples in a Nutshell." IMHO the second edition is the best single-source reference book.

Much has been added in Java 1.2/1.3, but the Java 1.1 basics have not changed. This third edition further splits off the GUI information (including the new Swing classes) into "Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell," and as such cannot stand on its own for GUI programming. Enterprise programming is also split off. For what it covers, each edition keeps getting better, but also narrows its coverage.

While the book is an excellent reference, a paper reference is no longer the best programming support. Once you have learned Java basics, the best way to program is with Sun's online documentation open on your desktop--IF you have a fast internet connection or can download the whole thing to your hard drive. You get faster lookup and detailed descriptions of every method, rather than just lists of methods.

Bottom line: a great book, but consider carefully whether its coverage meets your needs.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Utterly invaluable reference though NOT for beginners, July 19, 2000

By	robert nt stewart (Glasgow United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Imagine going to the awesome javasoft website and compressing it into 500-odd pages. This is Java in a Nutshell.

As a programmer who needs classes and methods at my fingertips, I don't want to be forever logged into the Sun site to get hold of code. For me using VJava, DB2, Lotus Notes etc, to keep Netscape open permanently slows me down. I want to see code in concise paper form for perusing and for adding post-it notes to useful pages.

This book is a good physical size, about the size of a good novel, and thus is refreshingly concise. You genuinely can put it on your desk without it becoming a 'conversation piece'. It doesn't come with code cheats. For that I use and recommend 'The Complete Reference' which is the size of a squashed brick.

Four stars because IMHO, this reference could do without a 'What is Java' introduction (even though it's a small part of the book) - it's better done in any textbook.