Fundamentals of OOP and Data Structures in Java

Rating:
Summary: Paperweight
Review: ... This book was written for the authors' freshman level Object Oriented Design and Data Structures course at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. In other words, it was written for a group who has no choice in what they read, as the students are forced to read and learn from this poorly written book...,If you are a professor considering this book, PLEASE, for the sake of the students, keep looking elsewhere. If you are a professional looking for a good reference or someone new to computer science who wants to learn on their own, then this book will provide nothing useful and most likely just confuse you more.

The first part of the text is meant to explain the fundamentals of Object Oriented Design and programming, specifically with Java 2. It is the worst explanation of OO I have yet to see. Even if you think you understand OO, this book will confuse you! The book assumes you have some basis in Java already. Why would the authors assume you have a basis in Java, but not in OO?

The second portion of the text focuses on building the basic data Structures in Java. They use a 'Foundations' package which they wrote themselves. This package is written and implemented in a very academic way. It deviates often from the true implementation of the Classes that are provided in the Java libraries. I will say the treatment of data structures is written mildly better than the sections on OO, but so much of the code samples are 'left as an exercise for the reader' that it is often difficult to glean useful information from the code samples....

Rating:
Summary: Academically Comprehensive for the OO Programmer
Review: Dr. Wiener and Dr. Pinion have distinguished them selves once again as long time academicians in the Object Oriented Programming paradigm. This book is not for the casual Java programmer. It becomes obvious as you study this book that the authors are truly dedicated to OOP. This excellent CS-2 level textbook is uniquely divided into two parts: (1) Foundations and (2) Data Structures. Part One provides the student of Java as well as the professional Java programmer a comprehensively in-depth review of the fundamental building blocks so necessary for competency in OOP with the Java programming language. This section is populated with rich examples to enhance student understanding. Each chapter concludes with reinforcement exercises uniquely designed to support learning objectives. The authors have developed an exceptional thread of continuity throughout Part One to lead you into Part Two. The student should not skip/jump any section for Part One is uniquely compressed stressing the absolute essentials in OOP, which in-fact superbly prepares the reader for Part Two "Data Structures."

Part Two is where the authors truly demonstrate their years of experience in academia teaching the concepts of the Abstract Data Type (ADT). Their previous teaching experience in several programming languages is brought to light in their comprehensive approach as they lead the student into this prime area supporting object-oriented software development. Again as in the first section, each chapter is uniquely inclusive of clearly designed examples to support the student's understanding of the ADT concepts so essential for the OOP student or professional programmer. The authors provide a multitude of interface code listings and classes that extend and implement other classes uniquely designed to enhance student understanding. They also provide a rich set of exercises which supports the students understanding requiring the student to complete as programming assignments. To ease the students testing their code, the authors have provided an excellent set of GUI Lab applications, which are uniquely designed for the various programming exercises.

I teach Java programming at the CS-1 level and personally have used several of the author's examples to support my class lectures in preparation for the students' entry into the second level CS-2.

This comprehensive CS-2 level textbook is well worth considering for both the academic and professional teaching environments.

Rating:
Summary: Academically Comprehensive for the OO Programmer
Review: Dr. Wiener and Dr. Pinion have distinguished them selves once again as long time academicians in the Object Oriented Programming paradigm. This book is not for the casual Java programmer. It becomes obvious as you study this book that the authors are truly dedicated to OOP. This excellent CS-2 level textbook is uniquely divided into two parts: (1) Foundations and (2) Data Structures. Part One provides the student of Java as well as the professional Java programmer a comprehensively in-depth review of the fundamental building blocks so necessary for competency in OOP with the Java programming language. This section is populated with rich examples to enhance student understanding. Each chapter concludes with reinforcement exercises uniquely designed to support learning objectives. The authors have developed an exceptional thread of continuity throughout Part One to lead you into Part Two. The student should not skip/jump any section for Part One is uniquely compressed stressing the absolute essentials in OOP, which in-fact superbly prepares the reader for Part Two "Data Structures."

Part Two is where the authors truly demonstrate their years of experience in academia teaching the concepts of the Abstract Data Type (ADT). Their previous teaching experience in several programming languages is brought to light in their comprehensive approach as they lead the student into this prime area supporting object-oriented software development. Again as in the first section, each chapter is uniquely inclusive of clearly designed examples to support the student's understanding of the ADT concepts so essential for the OOP student or professional programmer. The authors provide a multitude of interface code listings and classes that extend and implement other classes uniquely designed to enhance student understanding. They also provide a rich set of exercises which supports the students understanding requiring the student to complete as programming assignments. To ease the students testing their code, the authors have provided an excellent set of GUI Lab applications, which are uniquely designed for the various programming exercises.

I teach Java programming at the CS-1 level and personally have used several of the author's examples to support my class lectures in preparation for the students' entry into the second level CS-2.

This comprehensive CS-2 level textbook is well worth considering for both the academic and professional teaching environments.

Rating:
Summary: challenging and worth it
Review: I found this to be an outstanding introductory text. Its ultimate success, I believe, comes from the fact that the authors seem to respect both their material and the audience they're presenting it to. I get that impression because you can't coast through this book. I found this to be a refreshing strategy: the authors do not try to make learning OO "easy" so much as they appreciate the work required to understand a subject, and so coach you through the necessary mental effort required to actually learn OOP, and not just OOP buzzwords. For instance?

The narrative is clear and efficient, and the examples are rich. Instead of just illustrating what's in the text, they present subtle nuances and force the reader to think through the concepts at hand. This was effective for me, because after working through the samples I never had to try to "remember" concepts; I'd understand them. Which is to say, the examples illustrated principles, not points. Especially in the data structures portion of the book, much of the sample code is explicitly "left as a reader exercise." Frustrating at first, but again, well worth the effort.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn OOP, and not just know about it. I have subsequently read through a lot of other Java text books, and generally found them very useful and good. That wouldn't be the case if "Fundementals" hadn't given me such a strong conceptual grounding first.

Rating:
Summary: challenging and worth it
Review: I found this to be an outstanding introductory text. Its ultimate success, I believe, comes from the fact that the authors seem to respect both their material and the audience they're presenting it to. I get that impression because you can't coast through this book. I found this to be a refreshing strategy: the authors do not try to make learning OO "easy" so much as they appreciate the work required to understand a subject, and so coach you through the necessary mental effort required to actually learn OOP, and not just OOP buzzwords. For instance?

The narrative is clear and efficient, and the examples are rich. Instead of just illustrating what's in the text, they present subtle nuances and force the reader to think through the concepts at hand. This was effective for me, because after working through the samples I never had to try to "remember" concepts; I'd understand them. Which is to say, the examples illustrated principles, not points. Especially in the data structures portion of the book, much of the sample code is explicitly "left as a reader exercise." Frustrating at first, but again, well worth the effort.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn OOP, and not just know about it. I have subsequently read through a lot of other Java text books, and generally found them very useful and good. That wouldn't be the case if "Fundementals" hadn't given me such a strong conceptual grounding first.

Rating:
Summary: Selecting a Java textbook for teaching a Graduate Seminar
Review: September 8, 2000

It is customary as Professor of Computer Science at Long Island University for me routinely to review and select textbooks about Object-Oriented programming and Data Structures in Java and other programming languages for both undergraduate and graduate classes. Almost every day the Computer Science professors receive desk copies of new computer textbooks from publishing houses. Most textbooks are unacceptable for one reason or another. Either they don't cover their subject adequately; appear to be written for the author's peers rather than for the student, or coded examples don't work so the book is rejected.

Recently, while attempting to select a textbook on Object-Oriented programming and Data Structures in Java for both undergraduate and graduate seminars for the fall term 2000, I discovered one outstanding book: Fundamentals of OOP and Data Structures in Java by Richard Wiener and Lewis J. Pinson, published by Cambridge University Press, ISBN No. 0-521-66220-6.

Fundamentals of OOP and Data Structures in Java is written in a clear, concise style with numerous examples that WORK. This textbook is written with students in mind, not the authors' peers. It is evident that Professors Wiener and Pinson understand data structures, their intended use in any programming environment, and when and how to use them. Conceptually, their presentation makes this book a must for any class that focuses on Data Structures and Object-Oriented programming in Java. I particularly like "Part Two: Data Structures." This section discusses "Abstract Data Types," "Containers as Abstract Data Types," and the classic data structures themselves. No important topic is bypassed or perfunctorily treated. Clear explanations and examples abound.

Students, professors, or anyone interested in object-oriented programming and data structures in Java, BUY THIS BOOK!

Professor Dwight Peltzer Dept. of Computer Science Long Island University Brookville, NY

Rating:
Summary: Selecting a Java textbook for teaching a Graduate Seminar
Review: September 8, 2000

It is customary as Professor of Computer Science at Long Island University for me routinely to review and select textbooks about Object-Oriented programming and Data Structures in Java and other programming languages for both undergraduate and graduate classes. Almost every day the Computer Science professors receive desk copies of new computer textbooks from publishing houses. Most textbooks are unacceptable for one reason or another. Either they don't cover their subject adequately; appear to be written for the author's peers rather than for the student, or coded examples don't work so the book is rejected.

Recently, while attempting to select a textbook on Object-Oriented programming and Data Structures in Java for both undergraduate and graduate seminars for the fall term 2000, I discovered one outstanding book: Fundamentals of OOP and Data Structures in Java by Richard Wiener and Lewis J. Pinson, published by Cambridge University Press, ISBN No. 0-521-66220-6.

Fundamentals of OOP and Data Structures in Java is written in a clear, concise style with numerous examples that WORK. This textbook is written with students in mind, not the authors' peers. It is evident that Professors Wiener and Pinson understand data structures, their intended use in any programming environment, and when and how to use them. Conceptually, their presentation makes this book a must for any class that focuses on Data Structures and Object-Oriented programming in Java. I particularly like "Part Two: Data Structures." This section discusses "Abstract Data Types," "Containers as Abstract Data Types," and the classic data structures themselves. No important topic is bypassed or perfunctorily treated. Clear explanations and examples abound.

Students, professors, or anyone interested in object-oriented programming and data structures in Java, BUY THIS BOOK!

Professor Dwight Peltzer Dept. of Computer Science Long Island University Brookville, NY

Rating:
Summary: A book that fills a real need in the CS curriculum
Review: The relative newness and the complexity of Java have created an enormous amount of difficulty for those who teach it in the CS curriculums around the world. While the structure of the computer science major is also not a stable entity, there are some constants that must be covered. A course in data structures is a staple in the beginning, generally being taken after the first course in programming in the main language used in the major. The problem has been that Java is such a large language, there are so many different ways to teach the first course. This has required textbooks in data structures using Java to either assume very little or to assume too much.
This book takes a middle, very effective approach. The assumptions are that the reader has a good deal of programming knowledge, but not necessarily in Java or any other object-oriented language. Part one is devoted to a survey of object-oriented programming in general and how it is done in Java in particular. An instructor could use it to prep the students familiar with programming in other languages or to fill the holes of any material not covered in previous courses.
The main point of the book is of course the coverage and explanation of the standard data structures used in programming. These structures are described by a combination of explanation and a great deal of source code. To help prevent the cramps in the fingers and brain that would come from typing it all in, all source code is available online. This is especially helpful because exercises are included at the end of the chapters and many of them involve modification of the code in the text. Turning good code into bad code by mucking with it and then correcting it is far and away the best way to learn to program, since that is how we program anyway. This is a backhand way of saying that the exercises make excellent short, yet challenging programming assignments.
Data structures has often been the course where computer science students are set on the track to performing significant work in the field. Good data structures texts in Java have been lacking, so this book fills a significant void. Definitely worth examining for adoption.