On to Java

I have read many books on Java, and I can state unequivically that On To Java is by far the most practical guide to core Java syntax and programming idioms that I have read. If you want to fully understand how to use basic Java programming elements, this is the only good book I have found. Programming explanations, examples and excercises are very clear and build in increments up to very full programs. Even experienced programmers can gain a lot of insight into the structure of Java by this remarkably clear treatment of Java programming; however, the best audience is those who are new to Java, particularly those who have wasted a lot of time getting lost in books that primarily cover OO theory (without showing application) or specific API's (i.e, books that you read and then realize you still cannot write proper code). Ironically, by focusing on concrete examples, On To Java provides one of the clearest explanations of the tenets of OO (as opposed to theory-laden treatments).There are large sections of Java technology that this book does not cover, including JDBC and EJB, but there are plenty of books that specifically target these subjects. If you read On To Java, you will be well-prepared to tackle any API-specific book.

A perfect selection for someone who is an experienced programmer and wants to pick up Java quickly. This book is full of good content, little or no time is wasted while progressing from section to section (incidentally, every paragraph has a section number, which are used throughout the book to cross-reference important points - closest thing to hyperlinking on paper!). This book is definitely geared for someone who wants ground-up Java explained by a programmer to a programmer.

I agree with all the reviewers who gave this book 5 stars. And want to add that this book is a good, quick read. I started looking into Java with the O'Reilly books (Java in a Nutshell and Java Examples in a Nutshell), and while those are also good and more in-depth I would recommend this book first. It is simply more intuitively organized and a breeze to read. I can't explain the presence of the one star reviews, except to say that this is not a book for people completely new to programming. This is the best book if you are adding Java to OO languages you alread know.

This is quite simply an amazing book. As a programmer I have encountered many technical books and even more in the way of documentation and I have never found anything quite like this. The author has a unique style that is quite possibly the most forthcoming and concise presenation format one could find on the topic. In honor of this I shall write my review in the same style of the book:1. My first book was Core Java 2 (Fundamentals). As a VB developer trying to learn Java, this was the most elementary book offered by Sun. While the book promises much depth, lack of organization and clarity impeded my ability to work through it. In the second chapter one is already importing classes and fiddling with CLASSPATH variables.2. In extreme contrast to this, On To Java focuses on syntax in a step by step format that thoroughly covers even the most basic Java "Hello World" type application. Upon this the author builds concepts such as data types, methods, classes and so on in a very methodical step-by-step format.3. Although this material is more of a drawn out tutorial that focuses on a single application and develops it throughout, it's concise and deliberate format is something that I've found to be lacking in *all* other Java documentation I've perused, including the excellent material from the O'Reilly people.4. Therefore this is a book for a person who wants a quick but thorough start on Java, who wants to be advised of even the most straight forward syntax before they begin importing classes and looking at sample applications and who wants to focus on the language rather than a specific vendor's product.5. The limitation of this book is that it is *not* a reference by any means. After one has been through the material they will not draw on this book for supplementary input. However, the authors intention I'm quite sure is that this material is a primer- a preliminary step whereas the complete references are meant to augment one who is already versed in the basics, structure and syntax of Java. Moreover the JDK includes such documentation.

1999 Edition, Java 1.2: If you want to learn Java, get this book and get it now. I wasted my money on 10 other Java books before I bought this one and not ONE of them even came close to getting me to understand the Java language like this book did. It's easy and exciting to read as you learn more and more in each subsequent "how-to" section. If you want a book full of Java applets then buy one of the other 10,000 books out there, or visit a web site. If you want to learn Java, do yourself a favor and go buy this book.