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Title: Java in a Nutshell, Fourth Edition by David Flanagan ISBN: 0-596-00283-1 Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Pub. Date: March, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.09 (23 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Simply the BEST
Comment: This book is aimed at those who either already know Java or want to learn it in an efficient manner.
Some learn best from a book where the author jokes around and has all the info spread out, and slowly brings you up to speed, covering a topic, and then going back to cover it later in greater detail. The reference section would be integrated into the text in the appropriate places. If that's what you are looking for, this book is NOT for you.
For those with a previous programming background wanting a no-nonsense way to quickly learn how to program in Java, this book is EXCELLENT. There are no wasted words. The author gets down to the point and writes clearly. Each topic is covered in detail as it is presented. It is very possible to learn Java with this book and Java Examples in a Nutshell (I did it and I had no object oriented programming background, just assembly, C, and Basic). You'll also want Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell (for AWT and Swing classes and methods).
There is a great index at the back. By its thickness and detail it is obvious that a lot of time was spent here. There is a separate index from the regular text index for listing the packages, classes, and methods. If you don't know what class a method belongs to, you can quickly find it here. I find the index section to be one of the best features of the book and quite useable.
The second half of the book is the class reference. This information can be found online, but the benefits of having it in book form are many: I can write in the margins, I'm not constantly flipping back and forth between windows, I don't have to worry about the format changing, an frankly, the information is presented in a much more understandable way than the way Java decided to put it on their website.
About the reference: You wont find anything about AWT or Swing, they are in Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell. Some reviewers have claimed there are no printed tabs in the 4th edition. This is false. There are gray/black tabs printed along the edges. My only gripe here is lack of printing on the book edge of what the tabs are, but I wrote that on the edge with a pen. At the beginning of each package a class hierarchy is presented. This is invaluable, especially for the java.io package (if you ever got lost with all the Reader and InputStream combinations this is a godsend.) In addition, the major classes will have a nice graphical chart so you can trace them back to Object. Each object has a full method list, with version numbers for those methods appearing after Java 1.0. It should be emphasized that this method list is presented in a very easy to read and visually clean format. Properties will have the default value printed. A summary of how to use most of the methods is presented before the method list. Usually this gives enough info to understand on its own, but some methods are not summarized. These summaries should be expanded in future editions to cover each method, and in greater detail. At the end of each object additional information is given about what other objects use the object, or return it. Also, there is no reason the class hierarchies can't be put at the top of every class.
One thing missing from the reference section is example code for each class. However, I can't think of a way this can be added without turning the book into an encyclopedia set. It's already very thick as it is.
I am very happy with this book. I recommend it to everyone I know as THE Java book to own. Don't take a Java class without it. I was the envy of my class, writing programs with ease. Others rewrote standard classes from scratch because they didn't know where to find them.
5 out of 5.
Rating: 2
Summary: Ruined a great reference
Comment: The java in a nutshell series was the most often used book in my arsenal off reference books. That was until now. Many of the most useful features of the previous three editions have been removed.
First the "tabs" printed on the edge of the book which would help you quickly find a package are now gone... so now I have to flip through MANY pages just tho find tha package I want...
From there I now have to find the class I am looking for, but the are not necessarily listed alphabetically anymore either. For example java.util.prefs.Preferences is on page 710, and java.util.Set on 677... ordered by package, leaving you with more to page through. Not exactly intuitive.
And the package heirarchy diagrams are gone now as well.
Its a reference book, but certinaly not a "quick" reference. I highly reccomend buying the third edition, but stay away from this one, at least untill they put the tabs back!
Rating: 5
Summary: A classic reference needed by all Java developers...
Comment: 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.
Conclusion
If 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.
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Title: Java Examples in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition by David Flanagan ISBN: 0596000391 Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Pub. Date: 01 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Java Foundation Classes in A Nutshell by David Flanagan ISBN: 1565924886 Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Pub. Date: 15 December, 1999 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Java Enterprise in a Nutshell (2nd Edition) by David Flanagan, Jim Farley, William Crawford ISBN: 0596001525 Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Pub. Date: April, 2002 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Java Examples in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition by David Flanagan ISBN: 0596006209 Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Java Cookbook by Ian F. Darwin ISBN: 0596001703 Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Pub. Date: 15 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $44.95 |
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