Ground-Up Java

I recently finished my first semester in Java. My instructor is something of a superstar in the Java world; I learned a lot, and thought I was doing well in the class. Then I got this book. WOW! I realized what I was MISSING in class. Besides having some cool (if sometimes not completely relevant or even illuminating) animated illustrations on CD, Heller covers all the stuff your teachers in class WON'T tell you. Like, why you will copy object references, rather than the objects themselves. Or what in the heck exceptions REALLY are. (They're a class like anything else... something that WASN'T apparent in my class.) This is a tremendous book for people who want to learn Java from the very beginning. Plus, it's a pretty fun read too. For those who are learning it already, it's good at covering what you probably missed.

The book has been a great help in my study of java programming, and programming in general. I don't have much time to study nowadays, and it has been easy enough to take it with me and absorb as I have time. I had taken an intro to programming course years ago and thought I knew much of what I needed, but the book introduced me to some things I didn't know that I didn't know. It's been my primary source of study, and I definitely recommend it.

An outstanding intro for non-programmers. The book starts out with an explanation of what a computer IS, not just what it does. I especially liked the animated illustrations, which let me experiment with the language and see "cartoons" that explained the results.

After buying and going a through a wide number of intro to Java books, including the usual dummies guide, there is no other book that will give people with little or completely none programming the ability to learn and write their own Java programs within a few weeks. Firstly, the accompanied CD is a great visual tool and I think it is a good learning tool rather than a gimmick. Secondly, the chapters are broken down in just the right portions and ordered so logically that you really will wonder why others haven't wrote a Java book like this. Other than covering the bare basics which are variables, inheritance, methods and operations, the book continues to explain more difficult topics such as arrays and interfaces with ease. I am not a big programming fan but going through this book has made me enjoy learning to program because it is easy and worded so practically anyone can learn a subject that is full of techical jargon in plain english. Thumbs up to the author!

ReviewYou would think that by now there would be no new ground to cover when it comes to books on learning Java. There's everything from teaching yourself in a certain number of hours/days to dry academic textbooks to entertaining tutorials using adult learning techniques. Each one appeals to a certain type of learner, and that's good. Ground-Up Java (GUJ) seems to find an interesting niche that will draw in beginners with a variety of needs.At its core, GUJ is a solid tutorial on Java. All the basic features of the language are covered, as well as concepts of object-oriented programming. The writing is concise, intelligent, and readable, and the reader will not feel like they are being "talked down to". The author covers both the typical application style Java programs as well as the graphical (GUI) programming techniques to allow you to create visually appealing applications. All well and good.Where the book shines is with the enclosed CD. Heller has taken the difference concepts (such as boolean logic or conditional looping) and written graphical Java apps that will allow you to watch and interact with code. For instance, there's a Boolean Lab application that allows you to create a boolean expression with three variables, complete with NOTs, ANDs, parenthesis, etc. You set the variables to true or false, and click the run button. You can then watch an animated breakdown of the code as each part is parsed and evaluated. Very helpful to see how order of evaluation plays into the answer. Another of the programs allows you to enter a numerical formula and then watch the animation parse and evaluate it. This is the type of learning that can take you into a much deeper understanding of what's going on.ConclusionGround-Up Java is an excellent choice for those developers who want a serious yet readable tutorial guide, as well as an opportunity to visually interact with coding logic. I recommend it.