5 comments

1. 

   Comment by Gordon M. Verber on July 7, 2010 at 10:33 am

   Review by Gordon M. Verber for Java for Programmers
   Rating:
   There are no stupid cartoons, poor jokes, cutesy little warning icons, pointless sidebars or huge amounts of wasted whitespace on the pages: Simply 1000+ clearly written pages discussing live-code examples – certainly the best way for me to learn any programming language.

   I tried Java when it first came out. At the time I was completely put off by OOP (Object Oriented Programming), the lengthy and convoluted syntax (not as bad as COBOL, but still off-putting), but most of all by the limitations of the language and the huge performance hit running in the JVM (Java Virtual Machine: the entity for which you are actually coding).

   Java syntax remains cumbersome, and the reliance on CLASSPATH to find modules (sorry, “classes”) can drive one to despair at times (what a kludge for a multiplatform language!) but with the speed of today’s processors, the evolution of the JVM, and the addition of a Just-In-Time compiler (which translates portions of the JVM byte-code into the native machine-language of the host computer) have made Java apps not noticeably slower than native data entry and text processing apps.

   As I more often find that I am splitting my time between Linux and Windoz machines, I decided that it was time to take another look at Java. For while there are many data-file/scripting languages that are cross-platform (Awk, Perl, Python being my favorites) I have not found a satisfactory XP language to implement GUI input frontends for data management systems – possible with Java using the Sun “Swing” XP API.

   It has already become clear to me that simply coding in Java is not going to insure XP compatibility – but it will get one close. But enough about the language!

   Being hot to get started I went to my local bricks and mortar store where I looked over about two dozen Java programming books. Most were completely lame. I bought this one (for 33% more than I would have at Amazon) because it was the only one that presented coherent segments of code from which one could learn (and which did not have egregious errors in the sample code – indeed, have not found any errors yet) and which did not waste space on being cute.

   There is a brief intro to OOP. For me this is to the good, as I still find myself irritated by all the OOP buzzwords and still find it confusing. Though I use a C++ environment, I actually continue to write in structured C vs C++ OOP – something one cannot get away with in Java. I know all the arguments in favor of OOP but I hate using other people’s code, or code that I wrote 8 years ago – ’cause I know I can write it better!

   Yes, I am not a professional programmer (I code for my own professional purposes, and for fun), and I recognize that in a business environment there is neither time nor money to write optimal code, and that most people spend their time maintaining legacy code – and that doing so is probably easier with OOP.

   For me the most valuable part of the book is the example code. The code is clearly presented in legible typeface with highlighting used intelligently to direct one’s attention to the relevant parts. It is NOT easy to write code that can be usefully presented in a book (I have tried!) and that is didactically valuable. The authors have succeeded wonderfully.

   The last programming book I have read that was this clearly written, enjoyable, and useful was “Zen of Assembly Language” by Mike Abrash – a book that any programmer could read with benefit because of the author’s approach to programming.

   “Java for Programmers” is also such a book (if not quite at the same level), and I highly recommend it.

2. 

   Comment by Paul Smith on July 7, 2010 at 10:51 am

   Review by Paul Smith for Java for Programmers
   Rating:
   I have been programming for the past 30 years using many
   
   procedural languages. I have done a lot of AJAX primarily using
   
   Javascript and PHP. I have been avoiding Java for the past few years
   
   because I did not want to learn object oriented programming and it
   
   seemed so unnecessarily complicated. I have purchased many books on
   
   programming in Java, none of these were helpful.

   Your book is the first that helped me to gradually and logically build
   
   my understanding of this very verbose programming framework. I
   
   congratulate on this excellent work.

3. 

   Comment by Mario M. B. Neto on July 7, 2010 at 11:43 am

   Review by Mario M. B. Neto for Java for Programmers
   Rating:
   This is a very good introductory book, specially if you are new not only to java but to OO, Database, UML etc.

   While I was looking for a book in Java I found that most of this one contains introductions to other aspects besides the language itself.

   This can become boring to skip all the non-java stuff. I’d only recommend if you are learning Java as your first language.

4. 

   Comment by J. M. Davis on July 7, 2010 at 12:41 pm

   Review by J. M. Davis for Java for Programmers
   Rating:
   A book titled “Java for Programmers” sounds like it would be for “experienced” programmers. A book that wouldn’t waste your time with if-then-else statements or for/while statement, but alas this is NOT what this book is about.

   Instead a better title would have been “Java for SERIOUS Programmers” (as opposed to casual or hobby programmers). This book DOES cover all the basics (groan) but it also covers techniques of serious software development. Here you get an example of object oriented design from the requirements analysis stage to class creation and coding using the current tools such as UML diagrams.

   While I’m disappointed this book doesn’t fast track me through all the old standard stuff, I am pleased to get a refresher and a fresh perspective on the OO design and development part of the process. It’s a good book, just be aware of what you’re buying.
   

5. 

   Comment by W Boudville on July 7, 2010 at 1:26 pm

   Review by W Boudville for Java for Programmers
   Rating:
   Whew! The Deitels compiled this massive tome on Java 6, which is the current 2008-9 version of java. If you are an aspiring java programmer, it’s all here, at least as far as what you are likely to need in understanding the most common aspects and classes of java. However the sheer size of the text is maybe ironically a problem in its own right. Not knowing any java, how much do you need?

   Part 1 is chapters 1-10. They explain the syntax and describe the basic mathematical operations. There is no GUI. It’s all command line I/O. You learn the class structure of java, and the concepts of polymorphism and object oriented programming. En route, UML diagrams are introduced. These are broadly used, not just for java, and useful to acquire. Only simple UML diagrams are explained; not the full graphical expressive power of UML, but it’s enough to build on.

   Part 2 has [only] 2 chapters on graphics. Elementary widgets and accompanying discussion but, hey!, you can now easily write little programs that put up windows with buttons, panes and other stuff. What part 2 also deals with are more advanced non-graphic topics. Like files and exception handling.

   Part 3 has 1 chapter on more graphics. I personally would have put all 3 graphics chapters into exclusively one section. It’s a reality these days that many programs have a GUI, and the book should reflect this need. But aside from merely regrouping the graphics chapters, there could have been a more extensive discussion. Those chapters give example programs which are simple wrappers around using just 1 or 2 types of widgets in each. Which is fine. But what is lacking is at least 1 nontrivial example of a GUI with numerous different widgets, so that the reader can get some appreciation of how to do this. Granted, the book is long enough as is, and it’s always easy to say add more. So maybe space considerations dictated the current choices.