The Java(TM) Developers Almanac: 1998

Once again, I have found a book for my special shelf of frequently used reference books that I keep within arms reach. This book starts with the Java library at the level of the package and then works down to the individual class level. I find such a reference absolutely essential and my copy of the original Java Developers Almanac has been used so often that the individual pages are falling out. I teach Java classes to experienced developers and I have always kept it at my side to answer those inevitable questions concerning prototypes and other methods available in a class. The examples in this book make it more helpful than if it was just a listing of methods. While I can generally figure out how a method is used from the prototype, seeing it called in a plausible scenario generally reduces the time in going from bafflement to understanding. The book is also well indexed, so very little time is wasted in searching for the desired package or class. I strongly recommend this book as a reference for the Java language, and it will appear on my list of top ten books of the year.

1) See the title .. All info you ever need about API structure, classes, details .. in your hand and not in 100 IE bookmarks.2) I have to deal with class files on the bytecodes level and didn't expect this book to be much useful for me - suprise !!! It has an excellent table "Class File Format" ( I had to built one such for myself long time ago ) and some others regarding bytecodes issues - very nice and comfortable. It's only ~5 hours I own this book but already pulled it 5 times from the shelf. So, it's not a question of "buy or not" - buy !3) We all enjoyed reading this in preface : "There was a time, not long ago, when I intimately knew all of the Java class libraries .. ( of course, it helped me that I was on of the original developers :-) But aside from the occasional inability to remember which argument of Vector.insertElementAt() is the index, I rarely had to refer to any reference documentation .." Thank you, Patrick !

The Java Developers ALMANAC 2000 is one the best reference books that I've every seen. It clearly goes through the class libraries. Clever use of bold text formatting and a terse set of symbols representing modifiers and OO concepts make this a very "dense" reference in a relatively small volume. The printing and paper quality is good too. The book should be printed every quarter !

Given the large size of the current class libraries in Java, the quality of your references is now more critical than ever. In my work as a technical editor of Java books, I have found this book invaluable. The content consists almost entirely of the class names, what they are derived from and the interfaces. The remainder is a collection of "examplets", small snippets of code that show how some of the methods are used. Alphabetized based on the class names, it is adequate when your only interest is in the name of a class or the characteristics of a method. Of course, it is only my first avenue, for more detailed information it is necessary to consult another resource. However, in many of those instances, consulting this book first saved time in examining the other documentation. Covering versions, 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 of the JDK, this is one shelf reference that you should not be without. I listed it as one of the best books of the year in my On Books column that appeared in the September,1999 issue of Journal of Object-Oriented Programming.

This is an almanac; and, true to its name, it packs a LOT of information into a SMALL package. Thorough and yet concise, it has the highest content-to-page ratio of any programming reference I have seen. The Java classes are big and the _Java Developers Almanac_ is the tool to use to quickly find the details needed to get programs running. It is a great help for rapid prototyping in new application areas, and to fine-tune and polish the finished product. The "traditional" class documentation found in other reference books can be tiring, frustrating and time consuming to use because it usually only describes what is new to a class, leaving it to the reader to flip around to chase up the inheritance tree to see everything. The "Almanac" tells everything for every class. While this may be a redundant use of paper and ink, it is a great time saver to the programmer trying to use a new class. This is not a book to learn Java or object oriented programming. This is an excellent reference for the experienced object oriented programmer.The _Java Developers Almanac_ is a "must have" reference for contractors and "road warrior" programmers who only have a briefcase for an office.