Data Structures and Other Objects Using Java (2nd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Does Hash tables well
Review: I only needed to use the Hash table section. It was complete and the examples were easy to follow. The author explained hash tables in general, then he implimented one in java from scatch, and then it showed how to use the java api hash table classes. Very good job by MR. Main! I also read the hash table section in Core Java 1.1 volume I, but that book did not really explain hash tables very well.

Rating:
Summary: I have one too many java books in my stock
Review: I read a lot of confusing books by java experts that sometimes forget to go back to the simple basics when teaching simple minded readers. However, this book is for continuing readers of java who had some, but not expert training, experience in writing programs. What I liked most of this book is how he gives pointers on what to look out for while programming, and provides alternate solutions that would be better off in the long run than what general programmers tend to come up with. I also liked how he distinguished between specification and implementation to improve group/team environments (especially for large programs). His specifications before each class gave me a very intuitive idea of what is being asked rather than being confused with all that code. Once I got the general idea, I was able to under the code more. By following the convention that I described about the way he helps the readers, data structures became very clear to understand, especially when it comes to implementing such structures in Java. Its better to read this book slowly one chapter at a time than to jump into the middle, if you want to get a thorough established view of what is going on.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Book
Review: So far this is the most clearly written and easily understood Computer Science text book that I have come across and used in a class. With most of the attention paid toward ADT's, our class not only learned them, but also the Java programming language on top of it! I highly recommend this book. Little if any bugs too!

Rating:
Summary: Very confusing book,
Review: The book is very weak for learning how to use data structures. I found the sample code to be buggy, but you can find updates and most of the code in the book on his website. However, there was a unique and easy to understand approach to explaining the code, but there's very few examples of situations on how and where to use, If data structures is a new concept to you, then look elsewhere. Yes this was my first experience with data structures, and I stayed lost or confussed most of the time.

Rating:
Summary: Very confusing book,
Review: The book is very weak for learning how to use data structures. I found the sample code to be buggy, but you can find updates and most of the code in the book on his website. However, there was a unique and easy to understand approach to explaining the code, but there's very few examples of situations on how and where to use, If data structures is a new concept to you, then look elsewhere. Yes this was my first experience with data structures, and I stayed lost or confussed most of the time.