Learning Java

Using This Book

This book is organized roughly as follows:

• Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 provide a basic introduction to Java concepts and a tutorial to give you a jump start on Java programming.

• Chapter 3 discusses tools for developing with Java (the compiler, the interpreter, the JAR file package). It also covers important concepts such as embedding Java code in HTML support and object signing.

• Chapter 4 through Chapter 8 describe the Java language itself. Chapter 8 covers the language’s thread facilities, which should be of particular interest to advanced programmers.

• Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 cover much of the core API. Chapter 9 describes basic utilities, and Chapter 10 covers I/O facilities.

• Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 cover Java networking, including sockets, URLs, and remote method invocation (RMI).

• Chapter 13 through Chapter 18 cover the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) and Swing, which provide graphical user interface (GUI) and image support.

• Chapter 19 covers the JavaBeans™ component architecture.

• Chapter 20 covers applets, the area in which Java saw its initial success.

If you’re like us, you don’t read books from front to back. If you’re really like us, you usually don’t read the preface at all. However, on the off chance that you will see this in time, here are a few suggestions.

If you are an experienced programmer who has to learn Java in the next five minutes, you are probably looking for the examples. You might want to start by glancing at the tutorial in Chapter 2. If that doesn’t float your boat, you should at least look at the information in Chapter 3, which tells you how to use the compiler and interpreter, and gives you the basics of a standalone Java application. This should get you started.

Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 are essential if you are interested in writing advanced networked applications. This is probably the most interesting and important part of Java.

Chapter 13 though Chapter 19 discuss Java’s graphics features and component architecture. You should read this carefully if you are interested in Java applications for the Web.