Thinking in Java [Paperback]

The most prominent feature of the book is its diligent and extremely thorough treatment of the Java language, with special attention to object design. (For instance, 10 pages of sample code show all of the available operators.) Some of the best thinking about objects is in this book, including when to use composition over inheritance. The esoteric details of Java in regard to defining classes are thoroughly laid out. (The material on interfaces, inner classes, and designing for reuse will please any expert.) Each section also has sample exercises that let you try out and expand your Java knowledge.

Besides getting the reader to "think in objects," Thinking in Java also covers other APIs in Java 2. Excellent sections include an in-depth tour of Java's collection and stream classes, and enterprise-level APIs like servlets, JSPs, EJBs, and RMI. Weighing in at over 1,000 pages, any reader who is serious about learning Java inside and out will want to take a look at this superior resource on some of the latest and most advanced thinking in object design. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

Object-design basics Inheritance and polymorphism Object lifetimes Exception handling Multithreading and persistence Java on the Internet Analysis and design basics Java basics: keywords and flow control Initializing objects Garbage collection Java packages Designing for reuse: composition vs. inheritance The final keyword Interfaces and inner classes Arrays and container classes

Java I/O classes Run-time type identification UI design basics with Swing Deploying to JAR files Network programming with sockets JDBC database programming Introduction to servlets JavaServer Pages (JSPs) RMI CORBA Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) and Jini Cloning objects The Java Native Interface (JNI) Java programming guidelines

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

“Thinking in Java should be read cover to cover by every Java programmer, then kept close at hand for frequent reference. The exercises are challenging, and the chapter on Collections is superb! Not only did this book help me to pass the Sun Certified Java Programmer exam; it’s also the first book I turn to whenever I have a Java question.”
—Jim Pleger, Loudoun County (Virginia) Government

“Much better than any other Java book I’ve seen. Make that ‘by an order of magnitude’.... Very complete, with excellent right-to-the-point examples and intelligent, not dumbed-down, explanations.... In contrast to many other Java books I found it to be unusually mature, consistent, intellectually honest, well-written, and precise. IMHO, an ideal book for studying Java.”
—Anatoly Vorobey, Technion University, Haifa, Israel

“Absolutely one of the best programming tutorials I’ve seen for any language.”
—Joakim Ziegler, FIX sysop

“Thank you again for your awesome book. I was really floundering (being a non-C programmer), but your book has brought me up to speed as fast as I could read it. It’s really cool to be able to understand the underlying principles and concepts from the start, rather than having to try to build that conceptual model through trial and error. Hopefully I will be able to attend your seminar in the not-too-distant future.”
—Randall R. Hawley, automation technician, Eli Lilly & Co.

“This is one of the best books I’ve read about a programming language.... The best book ever written on Java.”
—Ravindra Pai, Oracle Corporation, SUNOS product line

“Bruce, your book is wonderful! Your explanations are clear and direct. Through your fantastic book I have gained a tremendous amount of Java knowledge. The exercises are also fantastic and do an excellent job reinforcing the ideas explained throughout the chapters. I look forward to reading more books written by you. Thank you for the tremendous service that you are providing by writing such great books. My code will be much better after reading Thinking in Java. I thank you and I’m sure any programmers who will have to maintain my code are also grateful to you.”
—Yvonne Watkins, Java artisan, Discover Technologies, Inc.

“Other books cover the what of Java (describing the syntax and the libraries) or the how of Java (practical programming examples). Thinking in Java is the only book I know that explains the why of Java: Why it was designed the way it was, why it works the way it does, why it sometimes doesn’t work, why it’s better than C++, why it’s not. Although it also does a good job of teaching the what and how of the language, Thinking in Java is definitely the thinking person’s choice in a Java book.”
—Robert S. Stephenson

2003 Software Development Magazine Jolt Award for Best Book
2003 Java Developer’s Journal Reader’s Choice Award for Best Book
2001 JavaWorld Editor’s Choice Award for Best Book
2000 JavaWorld Reader’s Choice Award for Best Book
1999 Software Development Magazine Productivity Award
1998 Java Developer’s Journal Editor’s Choice Award for Best Book

Thinking in Java has earned raves from programmers worldwide for its extraordinary clarity, careful organization, and small, direct programming examples. From the fundamentals of Java syntax to its most advanced features, Thinking in Java is designed to teach, one simple step at a time.

• The classic object-oriented introduction for beginners and experts alike, fully updated for Java SE5/6 with many new examples and chapters!
• Test framework shows program output.
• Design patterns are shown with multiple examples throughout: Adapter, Bridge, Chain of Responsibility, Command, Decorator, Facade, Factory Method, Flyweight, Iterator, Data Transfer Object, Null Object, Proxy, Singleton, State, Strategy, Template Method, and Visitor.
• Introduction to XML for data transfer; SWT, Flash for user interfaces.
• Completely rewritten concurrency chapter gives you a solid grasp of threading fundamentals.
• 500+ working Java programs in 700+ compiling files, rewritten for this edition and Java SE5/6.
• Companion web site includes all source code, annotated solution guide, weblog, and multimedia seminars.
• Thorough coverage of fundamentals; demonstrates advanced topics.
• Explains sound object-oriented principles.
• Hands-On Java Seminar CD available online, with full multimedia seminar by Bruce Eckel.
• Live seminars, consulting, and reviews available. See www.MindView.net

Download seven free sample chapters from Thinking in Java, Fourth Edition. Visit http://mindview.net/Books/TIJ4.