The legendary author Bruce Eckel brings Java to life with this extraordinarily insightful, opinionated and downright funny introduction. Thinking in Java introduces all of the language's fundamentals, one step at a time, using to-the-point code examples. More than virtually any other book, Thinking in Java helps you understand not just what to do -- but why. Eckel introduces all the basics of objects as Java uses them; then walks carefully through the fundamental concepts underlying all Java programming -- including program flow, initialization and cleanup, hiding implementations, reusing classes and polymorphism. Using extensive, to-the-point examples, he introduces error handling, exceptions, Java I/O, run-time type identification, and passing and returning objects. He covers the Java AWT, multithreading, network programming with Java -- even design patterns. The best way to understand the real value of this book is to hear what readers of the online version have been saying about it: "much better than any other Java book I've seen, by an order of magnitude..." "mature, consistent, intellectually honest, well-written and precise..." "a thoughtful, penetrating analytical tutorial which doesn't kowtow to the manufacturers..." "Thank you again for your awesome book. I was really floundering, but your book has brought me up to speed as quickly as I could read it!"For both beginner and experienced C and C++ programmers who want to learn Java.

* From the basics of object development, all the way to design patterns and other advanced topics.

* By the author of the best-selling Thinking in C++ -- winner of the 1995 Jolt Cola Award!

* On-line version has already received tens of thousands of hits -- there's a huge built-in demand for this book!

Perfect for migrating to Java from a fellow object-oriented language (such as C++), the second edition of Thinking in Java continues the earlier version's thoughtful approach to learning Java inside and out, while also bringing it up to speed with some of the latest in Java 2 features. This massive tutorial covers many of the nooks and crannies of the language, which is of great value in the programming world.

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