Java in a Nutshell

I teach an undergraduate course on Java, focussing on concurrency and other "advanced" features, and have found that the 5th edition of Java in a Nutshell makes an excellent textbook. It can be a little intimidating for some students at the start, especially those who prefer a wordier style with more asides and less meat, but they mostly get used to it and see the value. The initial tutorial material is fast-paced and well-suited to people who can already program, and the reference material at the back is incredibly helpful for beginners who need to browse the libraries to see what is available. Java is a big language, and this is a big book, but it's extremely useful.

Although this book is an in-depth reference rather than a programming manual, I think it would also be useful to those who want to get an overview of the language. The first 160 pages contain an excellent description of the Java language along with a few carefully selected code examples. The next 150 pages introduce the Java platform as well as the new Java 5.0 features. All basic API functionality is described and exemplified by short code examples. Thus by reading the first 300 pages you get a concise, yet thorough overview of Java. The matter-of-fact writing style may not be everybody's cup of tea, indeed some may find it a bit dry. On the other hand, I find it much preferable to the wordy and chatty style of so many other "introductory" computer books. At least, the author isn't wasting my time. The largest part of the book -ca. 800 pages- is taken up by detailed API documentation. The book is well organised, meticulously accurate, and authoritative. You may want to come back to it often. I certainly do. Five stars because it's really useful.

This is a LARGE nutshell! This title is meant to be one volume of a three volume set that covers the entire language. Volume two covers the foundation classes, while volume three covers the enterprise classes.If you're just starting out with Java and you're trying to learn the language, this isn't the book for you. While Part 1 could be used as instructional material, it is truly "no fluff". It's best suited for an experienced object-oriented programmer making the leap to Java, or a Java programmer looking for a concise review. A good learning book would be "Learning Java" by Pat Neimeyer and Jonathan Knudsen from O'Reilly.The really valuable part of this book is Part 2. Each chapter defines the classes in that package with an explanation on what it does and how it works. There's a diagram that shows the class hierarchy from the root Object class, as well as what version of Java supports that class. This is then followed by all the constructors and methods used in the class. Don't expect detailed explanations on these methods. As a nutshell book, you get all the basic info on what's available, but you'll need to experiment with some of the methods before you understand them.A legitimate question might be... Why get this book if I have the online API documentation from Sun? I see them as complimentary. You can probably find much of the reference material in either source. Some will prefer the online hyperlink navigation, while others will appreciate having all the information on a subject in four or five pages that can be thumbed through. I know when I'm stuck on a problem I want both sources!For a Notes/Domino developer, it is somewhat similar to using online Notes help versus the manuals. In that case, the material is identical, so it's more your preference in how you like to look up information. In the case of this book versus the Java API documentation, you'll get good information from both sources, so you should avail yourself of both.ConclusionIf you've completed something like Teach Yourself Java In 21 Days and now you have to DO something with Java, you owe it to yourself to get this book. This will be one title you'll go back to again and again as you explore the wild, wild world of Java.

In this 3rd edition of his book, Mr. Flanagan has developed a solid, accessible, useful resource for server-side Java developers of all experience levels.Part 1 of the book has been completely revised so that all references to C and C++ have been summarized into two pages at the end of Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. This makes Chapter 2 ("Java Syntax from the Ground Up") and Chapter 3 ("Object-Oriented Programming in Java") much more accessible to PL/SQL developers who may have an understanding of procedural logic, but no real experience programming in an object-oriented language like C++.Chapter 4 ("The Java Platform") gives a concise overview of the Java platform. These thirty pages do not answer all questions concerning the Java architecture, but they do introduce many topics that new Java developers will quickly find they'll want to learn more about.Chapter 5 ("Java Security") is both a good introduction and a useable reference for basic Java security.Chapter 6 ("JavaBeans") gives a very brief overview of, well, JavaBeans. It is more of an explanation of what they are rather than a real resource for developing "beans". At only ten pages, this chapter is less than half the number of pages dedicated to this chapter in the 2nd edition of this book. This is keeping with the book's focus on server-side Java ( the author suggests that client-side programmers also check out "Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell").Chapter 7 is a brief but important chapter as it shows how easily Java code can be formatted and documented. Anyone working on a large development project will quickly become a fan of "javadoc" if the simple doc-comment tags are used properly.Chapter 8 ("Java Development Tools") covers the variety of command line tools that Sun ships with Java. This chapter could almost be included in Part II of the book as it is a very handy reference chapter.If Part I of the book is the bare bones of Java, Part II ("API Quick Reference") is the meat. In these 21 chapters, Mr. Flanagan presents what he calls the "essential APIs of the Java platform").Gone from the 3rd edition are GUI references to AWT and applets. Most of the pages that make up this section of the book could have been cut and pasted from the Java documentation, but his brief comments and explanations are very useful for both deciding which packages and objects to use in developing server-side code as well as understanding the coding decisons made by other programmers on a large development team."Java in a Nutshell" is just that. It is not a complete Java reference by itself and is not intended to replace a shelf of other Java books. It is more of an entry point: great for new Java programmers; very handy and manageable for experienced Java programmers.The changes in the 3rd edition are substantial enough to warrant an upgrade from earlier editions of the book.

In the early goings of my forays into the Java language, I was lost. I struggled with the on-line API documentation looking for answers to my newbie questions to no avail. I needed a reference that I could feel in my hands that would provide me with the answers and directions that I needed. After perusing the many feet of shelf space dedicated to Java in my local bookstore, I ran across _Java_in_a_Nutshell_, Published by O'Reilly & Associates, I knew that this book would be a quality reference and I have not been disappointed. This book is not a tutorial and does not propose to teach you Java in any given time period. Rather, it provides a concise reference on the Java 1.0 API, provides information and examples of many common uses of the language (e.g. graphics, animation, sound, threads, etc.) with detailed code samples. There are also basic chapters on OOP principles, GUIs, networking, I/O and the requisite 'Hooray for Java' and comparitive discussion on C/C++. My only wish for the book is that it had provided more in line documentation for the code examples and perhaps provided more detail on the class methods in the API (Perhaps we'll see this in in an update to the 1.1 API?). That aside, David Flannagan and ORA are to be commended for putting together an excellent Java reference. This is not the book for you if you are looking for a Java tutorial or a neophite to object oriented programming. Rather this is an excellent reference that should be within reach of every Java programmers keyboard.