Java Examples in a Nutshell

Just type these in and learn, learn, learn. Good examples across the board.

This is an excellent book covering Java 1.4 with practical examples. The book is divided into four parts: Learning Java, Core Java APIs, Desktop Java APIs, and Enterprise Java APIs. The book is very succinct and to right to the point with its examples. Each chapter starts off with a one to three page introduction of the topic, before heading into the examples. Each chapter introduction gives a high-level overview and history of the need for that API.The examples are well written and complete. You don't have to search back for prior examples to understand the code. Before each example is an explanation of what the example is trying to do and the concepts it will demonstrate. The comments in the code fully explain why the author is doing something or choosing a particular API method. This book is good for someone who understands the language, but is trying to learn some new APIs. One of the best chapters is the chapter on threads, because it has just about everything you would need to understand about threads to use Java. This book is a valuable reference. I am sure that I could use this book to understand an API that I have never used before (2D graphics, javax.sound, etc.) by just reading the examples and explanations that accompany them.

Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, Java Examples In A Nutshell is a 720 page instructional compendium by Java expert David Flanagan expertly covers Java 2 Version 1.4, and the tutorial companion to "Java In A Nutshell." Featuring 193 complete examples with practical applications, over 21,900 lines of thoroughly commented, professionally written code, new chapters on the Java Sound API and New I/O API, and much more, Java Examples In A Nutshell is a must-have for any beginning or experienced programmer seeking to learn by doing and hone their skills for adapting to any given programming task. As a tutorial companion, "Java Examples In A Nutshell" does not focus on excessive explanation but rather direct learning through experience; both "Java Examples In A Nutshell" and the more pedantic "Java In A Nutshell" are highly recommended.

Target AudienceJava developers who are looking for working examples of code that illustrate specific concepts.ContentsThis book is a companion volume to the Java/Java Enterprise/Java Foundation Classes In A Nutshell books. It provides code examples for many of the classes used in those books.The book contains the following chapters:Part 1 - Learning Java - Java Basics; Objects, Classes, and InterfacesPart 2 - Core Java APIs - Input/Output; Threads; Networking; New I/O; Security And Crytography; Internationalization; Reflection; Object SerializationPart 3 - Desktop Java APIs - Graphical User Interfaces; Graphics; Printing; Data Transfer; JavaBeans; Applets; SoundPart 4 - Enterprise Java APIs - Database Access With SQL; XML; Servlets and JavaServer Pages; Remote Method Invocation; Example IndexReviewOften when you are learning Java or exploring a new aspect of the language, it's difficult to make the bridge from the raw documentation to working code. The O'Reilly "Examples In A Nutshell" series is designed to make that transition from theoretical to practical, and David Flanagan's Java Examples In A Nutshell is no exception. It should be an essential part of your personal library if you are a Java professional.Rather than spend time teaching the reader a particular class, the book assumes that you have one of the other Java Nutshell books for all the details of the class. In this volume, Flanagan jumps right into complete, well-documented examples of code that use those classes, thereby giving you a feel for how they work. Because he documents his code better than most of us do, there isn't that waste of time trying to figure out what the coder intended. The examples are easy to follow, and they are definitely helpful when you are working through the details of an unfamiliar class or concept. I often find myself looking through the chapters when I'm coding just to get a glance at how someone else would code a solution. It's almost like having a partner to bounce ideas off of.In this latest edition, the author covers some of the new features in Java 1.4 like the New I/O and Sound APIs. Personally, I probably wouldn't do much with the sound code, but the New I/O section will be useful. He also covers the regular expression features which are new in the New I/O API. While I would also want documentation on regular expressions since I'm not a Perl expert, these examples will help me when I get to the point I need to use them.ConclusionQuite simply, this should be a "must buy" for your Java library. This book bridges the gap between reference material and your actual coding better than any other book of its kind.

I learned JAVA using the Core Java books and found that I wasnt learning anything from just typing in the examples in the book. I wasnt "thinking" JAVA. I saw a friend of mine at work with this book and picked up a copy for myself. First of all it contains source for several concepts for each of the various language topics. Then it gives exercises to complete. They were challenging, but not overly challenging that I needed to spend an entire day writing UML diagrams to do it. Good companion to any learning method you are using.