Java Gently: Programming Principles Explained

...>I really like what the author and publishers have achieved with the third edition, especially in augmenting the material with modern programming aids to be found in similar books. The book helps students with far more than just Java programming. It has syntax and semantic forms, UML diagrams, several indices into Java APIs, classes, methods, example programs, a ten page general index (double columned), over 50 full examples and case studies, and a more sound object-oriented introduction than in many comparable books. It also has the most active and appreciated website we have ever seen.

I am a first-year student studying at the University of Pretoria.The negativity reflected towards this book is surprising, until you consider the manner in which the readers approach the content. Reading the preface to the 2nd edition immediately gives the impression that the book is meant as an introduction to first-year students studying computer science. One can make no absolute assumptions about the programming experience of such students, and so it is that the more abtract concepts in the book, especially the object-orientated nature of Java, are explained in detail at the earliest point possible.What I found very helpful in my introduction to Java as a first-year student, were the numerous class (and other) diagrams. They allow a visualisation of a program without first going into the details. This overview approach is essential in today's world, where it isn't always the close-up image of a problem that solves it, but a complete picture of all the details as a working system. Many comparable books on Java do not include any diagrams whatsoever!Another commendable invention in the book is the Text class. It allows the beginner the opportunity to do i/o without first being introduced to the complexities of anonymous class definitions and the buffering of input and output. Java provides a number of different ways of achieving the same end, not all of which are accessible to the uninitiated. I must say bravo! to Professor Bishop for the painstaking way in which she introduces her world to the students.I sincerely recommend this book to students learning Java and its related concepts for the first time.

I was surprised at all of the negative feedback this book has gotten. I am a professional programmer, and was thrown into Java by a company software need. Among the Java books I had at my disposal, I found Java Gently to be the one that made the concepts the most clear in a concise manner. I found myself constantly referring to Java Gently to grasp different Java concepts, switching then to more advanced books to obtain a more detailed perspective. I believe this is an excellent book for beginner Java programmers that wants to get their feet wet in Java. I am looking forward to a new edition that incorporates the new JFC classes.

There is a Java 1.1 edition available. Please stock it and sell it, as people are going to be VERY annoyed at getting an outdated book! The ISBN for the new edition is 0-201-34297-9.Thanks.

"Jave Gently" is an excellent programming primer using the Java language. While most other Java books focus on applets or lack of programming concept, it gives well-balanced and comprehensive introduction to programming and data structures as well as Java, with all practical examples, to readers. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the essential of object-oriented programming or the Java language or both.