This weighty tome is a step-by-step course on Java programming. The title is a bit of a misnomer, for although the book begins at the most basic level, it proceeds step-by-step to intermediate-advanced programming. Beginning Java is part of a series, of which the next is called Professional Java Fundamentals.
September 30, 1997
This is a well-organized programming textbook, with lots of code, and exercises at the end of each chapter. Horton injects just the right amount of humor to leaven the necessarily dry subject matter.
Chapters Include:
Introducing Java
Programs, Data, Variables and Calculation
Loops and Logic
Arrays and Strings
Defining Classes
Extending Classes and Inheritance
Exceptions
Stream Input and Output
Utility Classes
Threads
Creating Windows
Handling Events
Drawing in a Window
Extending the GUI
Filing and Printing Documents
Networking
Talking to Databases
JDBC in Action
Introducing Remote Method Invocation
There are also 4 appendices:
Setting Up
Distributing Java Classes
Java Keywords
The ASCII Character Set
Would you believe I've already read the whole thing? Well, okay, but the part I've read is clearly written and well-organized. Each chapter begins with an overview and ends with a summary, as you'd expect in a good textbook. Each concept has code examples, and all is well laid-out and clearly explained.
One thing that concerned me is that like most books these days, the editing was a bit sloppy. For a programming book, typos can be disaster. I found no typos in the code, but too many in the text. This is a paperback, but is pretty sturdily bound. The $40 price seems a bargain for such a hefty volume.
Don't let the title fool you. This is fine for beginners, but it would also make a good textbook for a class, or a reference volume for an experienced Java junkie.
Wrox Press has a whole library of good programming texts, similarly organized to Beginning Java. They all fit together in a series of levels and related topics. We'll be reviewing some more in the future.
