On to Java 1.2 (2nd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: This is the best book available for learning Java. (1.2)
Review: 1999 Edition, Java 1.2: If you want to learn Java, get this book and get it now. I wasted my money on 10 other Java books before I bought this one and not ONE of them even came close to getting me to understand the Java language like this book did. It's easy and exciting to read as you learn more and more in each subsequent "how-to" section. If you want a book full of Java applets then buy one of the other 10,000 books out there, or visit a web site. If you want to learn Java, do yourself a favor and go buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Easily Consumed Wisdom
Review: A perfect selection for someone who is an experienced programmer and wants to pick up Java quickly. This book is full of good content, little or no time is wasted while progressing from section to section (incidentally, every paragraph has a section number, which are used throughout the book to cross-reference important points - closest thing to hyperlinking on paper!). This book is definitely geared for someone who wants ground-up Java explained by a programmer to a programmer.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction to Java
Review: Basically, what all those 5-star reviewers say is true, but they either didn't really work through the book or they are leaving out some critical information. I found errors in this book and when I tried to report them, the website listed on the back was no longer active and there was no response to emails. Months after reporting the problems, their site still said there were no known errors.

Upon reaching the halfway point in the book, I found the project would not run as given in the text. I went to their website (which, like I said, appeared to be abandoned) and found some different code for the chapter I was on, but that wouldn't even compile! Luckily, I also had Geary's Graphic Java book and was able to get past the error using his approach. I felt that errors like this, along with the complete lack of support, were quite unacceptable from a second edition. Now they have a follow-up edition which appears to be simply rewritten for Java 2. The website referenced no longer exists and you now get redirected to Winston's book site, which does not even pretend to support this book! The last update to the known bugs was in 1997!!! I've sent him at least two emails on his errors since then!

I also found the segment numbering scheme to be distracting and strange. The "segments" are 1 or 2 paragraph subsections; they are numbered sequentially throughout the book. The author will say "please refer to segment number 238..." and I see this more like a GOTO in programming and therefore a cop-out by authors that didn't want to bother with numbering sections in the normal manner. This is just a personal peeve and I would only take off one star at most for it.

Rating:
Summary: support for errors is non-existent
Review: Basically, what all those 5-star reviewers say is true, but they either didn't really work through the book or they are leaving out some critical information. I found errors in this book and when I tried to report them, the website listed on the back was no longer active and there was no response to emails. Months after reporting the problems, their site still said there were no known errors.

Upon reaching the halfway point in the book, I found the project would not run as given in the text. I went to their website (which, like I said, appeared to be abandoned) and found some different code for the chapter I was on, but that wouldn't even compile! Luckily, I also had Geary's Graphic Java book and was able to get past the error using his approach. I felt that errors like this, along with the complete lack of support, were quite unacceptable from a second edition. Now they have a follow-up edition which appears to be simply rewritten for Java 2. The website referenced no longer exists and you now get redirected to Winston's book site, which does not even pretend to support this book! The last update to the known bugs was in 1997!!! I've sent him at least two emails on his errors since then!

I also found the segment numbering scheme to be distracting and strange. The "segments" are 1 or 2 paragraph subsections; they are numbered sequentially throughout the book. The author will say "please refer to segment number 238..." and I see this more like a GOTO in programming and therefore a cop-out by authors that didn't want to bother with numbering sections in the normal manner. This is just a personal peeve and I would only take off one star at most for it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I agree with all the reviewers who gave this book 5 stars. And want to add that this book is a good, quick read. I started looking into Java with the O'Reilly books (Java in a Nutshell and Java Examples in a Nutshell), and while those are also good and more in-depth I would recommend this book first. It is simply more intuitively organized and a breeze to read. I can't explain the presence of the one star reviews, except to say that this is not a book for people completely new to programming. This is the best book if you are adding Java to OO languages you alread know.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book on Core Java Programming
Review: I have read many books on Java, and I can state unequivically that On To Java is by far the most practical guide to core Java syntax and programming idioms that I have read. If you want to fully understand how to use basic Java programming elements, this is the only good book I have found. Programming explanations, examples and excercises are very clear and build in increments up to very full programs. Even experienced programmers can gain a lot of insight into the structure of Java by this remarkably clear treatment of Java programming; however, the best audience is those who are new to Java, particularly those who have wasted a lot of time getting lost in books that primarily cover OO theory (without showing application) or specific API's (i.e, books that you read and then realize you still cannot write proper code). Ironically, by focusing on concrete examples, On To Java provides one of the clearest explanations of the tenets of OO (as opposed to theory-laden treatments).

There are large sections of Java technology that this book does not cover, including JDBC and EJB, but there are plenty of books that specifically target these subjects. If you read On To Java, you will be well-prepared to tackle any API-specific book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Intro to Java
Review: On to Java is an excellent introduction to the language. After reading through On to C++, I became a big fan of Patrick Henry Winston. Like On to C++, On to Java is extremely well written and allows one to quickly convert knowledge of C++ into knowledge of Java, although knowledge of C++ is not required to use this book.

The breakdown of the book into small tutorial bites is one of its strengths, but as a result makes On to Java not very comprehensive. None the less, the book covers all of the basics of the language quite well. The use of essentially the same example throughout the book strengthens it as a tutorial, but weakens it somewhat as a reference text.

Rating:
Summary: Makes sure you understand from the ground up
Review: There are more or less some differences among all the programming languages. One might think that being a veteran in one language automatically makes one the master of other languages immediately. Often, it's the minor syntax that are the easiest to get wrong and spent the most time debugging. This book will make sure you really know the nuts and bolts of Java; it doesn't assume some part is not important.

Rating:
Summary: Java, just Java
Review: This is probably the best introductory text on Java that I have read. First, what this book is not: It is not about beans, servlets, applets, J2EE, etc. This is a book about the Java language, much the way the orginal K&R was about the C programming language, pure and simple. On To Java does not attempt to go to the same lengths to instill an OOP mindset as does Bruce Eckel's excellent Thinking In Java, but it teaches just enough OOP along the way.

I REALLY liked this book because each concept is covered in a very succinct manner in a chapter just a few pages long. No long-winded discussions here: each paargraph has been distilled down to the fewest sentences necessary to get th epoint across. The author has also taken the unique approach of numbering each paragraph so that locating referencs to earlier material is easy.

When it comes to learning a new programming language, I'm a hands on kind of person. On To Java uses a simple movie rating application, and builds it chapter-by-chapter. The book provided me with just enough hands-on to be useful, and the example code was short and to the point (a complaint I have about Eckel's book, by the way).

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who has already been introduced to the concepts of programming and has some previous programming experience.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Introduction to Java
Review: This is the best introduction to Java available. It is clear, concise, and very accurate. It takes the reader on a very carefully crafted odyssey of the Java language in easily digestible bits. It is uses proven pedagogical principles (Winston is an excellent teacher (based only on my readings of his books). In addition, Winston carefully develops sound SW engineer practices without being dogmatic. He also points out alternatives without being critical. He points out Java's advantages without sounding like an adolescent evangelist. Winston carefully and correctly uses the English language to make his points simply and directly. "On to Java" is easy to read and enables a learner new to Java to get a solid foundation painlessly and quickly.

Winston's "On to Java" is in a word...Awesome!

If you need an introduction to your first computer language or a starting point for a study of computer science you won't find a better Java book. As a bonus it is very affordable.

My other favorite introductory level books are: "A Gentle Introduction to Symbolic Computing" by David Touretsky "A Taste of Smalltalk" (I have forgotten the author's name)