Beginning Java Objects

In reading Barker's title, one gets an extraordinarily good education into the major considerations for object-oriented design. Although the book's title would imply that Java developers would benefit most, this is a great introductory manual to OOP and Java 2, and perfectly suited for other platforms, as well.It's actually a very helpful, very educational, very entertaining look at object-oriented software design, at modeling, and at proper management of the process in which they are used to create great software applications.Barker does a fantastic job of describing the process and life-cycle involved with designing and coding a system, and centers the concepts presented around an iterative practical application, a student registration system for college. She also bases her method of teaching concepts-first-and-then-code around pseudocode, so the reader isn't inundated by too much syntax while trying to grasp fundamental subjects. Barker also steps the reader through the procedural methods of designing an application, such as creating a vision document and glossary of system-specific terms. In doing so, Barker also uses one of the friendliest voices in her writing that's truly a rarity in technical books these days. Being an ASP.NET developer working almost exclusively in C#, I got a lot out of it. The Java syntax might be a stretch for VB devs; the book also makes for great recommended reading for those just starting to get into OOP or Java. I'd also recommend this book for Microsoft developers migrating up from Windows DNA and ASP 3.0 technologies, as it really does a good job of walking you through OOP/OOD, which in my opinion has proven to be THE major hurdle for many devs in embracing .NET.The only downside I can see about this book is that because of the title, developers non-Java other platforms and disciplines will unfairly look past it, and therefore miss out on the important lessons contained within its pages. The book's key strength lies in the chapters on designing use case scenarios and UML diagrams, which I really enjoyed. It's these unexpected advantages that have put this book in a prominent place in my home library that keep it easily within reach.

The book is divided into three parts -- object oriented principles, object modeling, and Java. The author introduces objects and modeling first and then moves into Java. You may think that you have enough to do just learning Java without facing design and modeling issues. You may think that you may be better served by concentrating on just the Java language and turning to OOP, UML and the rest of the alphabet later. Well, no.Many Java texts cover language syntax and features, but you never learn what to do with the language after you have learned its syntax and features. You get to the end of the book and all you are capable of doing is writing toy applications -- like the sample code in the book. Oh, boy, some fun, rather like memorizing your ABCs and never learning to read.Java Objects avoids this problem. First, the objects-first structure provides the reader with a context into which to place the language features that are covered later in the book. It certainly made sense to this reader to learn why you might want a "class" before delving into the details of a Java class.Second, the author uses a long, single, unified sample application throughout the book to demonstrate object oriented programming and Java. She does not bounce the reader from toy application to toy application with the introduction of each new language feature. The use of a single sample application really helps pull principles, modeling and language together.The book is well written and carefully edited, but more important, the book was written by someone who is a gifted teacher. I don't know how she thought of helium balloons to explain object references, but I'll never wonder about references, pointers, or handles again.

Being new to programming, and wanting to get off to a good start, I agonized over which book to begin with. Should I start with Deitel's "Java: How to Program?" Or how about Horton's "Beginning Java 2"? Or maybe Schildt's entry level java text? It was all so confusing! Then I happened upon this excellent book, and I knew immediately that this was the one.Let's face it, in today's programming world the OO paradigm is where it's at. Unfortunately, however, many introductory books focus on code first and object oriented thinking second. This is completely wrong! As children, we learn the concepts of words first, and then later, in school, we learn how to properly organize those concepts into prose. Should it be any different in learning a programming language? I think not. The fact is that one must have a solid understanding of the object oriented paradigm before one can really be an effective programmer, and this book provides the reader with just such an understanding. It is very readable--fascinating, even--and will allow one to better understand what the many fine "introductory" java books such as those mentioned above are really taking about.

I am thrilled to have found this book! I have been developing software for several years now. My exposure has been mostly in the mainframe environment. I decided to make a switch to PC development as I find most of the latest technologies are taking place here. I'm very comfortable with programming and thought nothing about teaching myself Java. I quickly realized that it is very different from the other languages that I have learned! I do know C and that helped a bit, but the whole concept of object-oriented was unfamiliar territory. I originally read Ivor Horton's Beginning Java 2 book but I still wasn't clear. It wasn't until I read Ms. Barker's book, however, that I really saw how to structure an application around objects. In my opinion, this book should be read before reading Mr. Horton's book. I'm in love with this book, with the author's writing style, the examples and development of the Student Registration System case study application! I really like the part where the author transforms UML class diagrams into actual Java code. Thank you, Ms. Barker, for writing a marvelous book and for making the understanding of objects so simple.

When people who have not previously done object-oriented programming begin to learn Java, my experience has been that they mistakenly assume that learning the language itself is the only thing that they need to do. In reality, the most important thing (and in my opinion most difficult) is to learn how to create a good object-oriented design. Before they can create a good design, they need to understand object-oriented concepts and the tools that are available to them such as UML. Jacquie's book does an excellent job of introducing the reader to those concepts and explaining them clearly. It has been said that you cannot explain something well to another person unless you really understand it yourself. If that is the case, Ms. Barker clearly understands object design very well.If you are learning Java or considering learning Java for the first time, I recommend reading these books in the following order:Beginning Java 2 (Ivor Horton)Professional Java Programming (Brett Spell)Beginning Java Objects (Jacquie Barker)These three Wrox titles complement one another very well, and are all well-written and easy to understand.