Ivor Horton's Beginning Java™ 2, JDK™ 5th Edition

Foreword

You are probably reading this foreword with one of several things in mind. First, is this the right book for me, is the material current, and does the text reflect the final API? Second, what should I expect to learn and where should I start reading a book of this length?

Many of the forewords I have seen will lead you through an amusing anecdote or story and then mention a little about the author, but then fail to leave you any wiser about the answer to those questions. So, to get straight to the point and to answer the second question first, this is a book that you can start from page one and read right through to the end. If you haven't read any of Ivor Horton's books before, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Ivor's style is very accessible, which makes the content easy to follow and understand. I know, because I have read this book from cover to cover.

This edition of Ivor Horton's Beginning Java 2, JDK 5 Edition is based on the J2SE 5.0 platform. The J2SE 5.0 release is one of the most significant updates to the Java platform in many years and has been three years in the making. The release involved 160 experts worldwide, all working through the Java Community Process and focused on making the platform better for all developers. I have been involved with the project since day one as the Specification Lead for JSR 176, which defines the contents of J2SE 5.0. As such, I had a great interest in making sure that this book is accurate and matches the final API set. ...