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Hi Herb!

 
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Hi just wanted to know if the book covers the entire Java language or is it just an add-on for the new features of Java 5?
 
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It IS called Java: The Complete Reference
 
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Vedhas,

Check this
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0072230738/ref%3Djranch-20/002-9948568-4104022
 
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Vedhas,
Looking at the table of contents (the link was given in an earlier posting), I see that Herb tries to cover everything -- hence the name "The Complete Reference" (as Sonny so helpfully mentioned).

Of-course, in my experience, any book that calls itself a "Complete Reference" should really call itself a "Complete Introduction".

Entire books have been written about topics that Herb covers in his book in a single chapter. And at around 1,000 pages, there is no way that this book can claim to be a "reference" for these topics. Hence it can be regarded as an "introduction". It shows you what is available in java and gives you an idea of how to use it and when it would be helpful for you -- but if you really want to know the ins and outs of a particular topic, then no way can this book be your reference.

In my opinion, Herb's book is obviously aimed at people who are starting out with programming in java. The book's table of contents reminds me of similar titles like "Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days".

Perhaps someone can tell me the advantages of Herb's book over something like the "Java Tutorial"?

Good Luck,
Avi.
 
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Vedhas:

Java: The Complete Reference, J2SE 5 Edition covers the entire Java langauge and its core libraries. It also discusses Java Beans, Swing, applets, servlets, and shows how to apply Java.

Of course, the book includes comprehensive coverage of all of the new features in J2SE 5. But, as just stated, it fully covers the entire langauge.


Avi:

Like most good programming books, Java: The Complete Reference, J2SE 5 Edition works for both beginners and experienced pros. However, it is important to understand it is not my "beginner's book." For someone that is just starting out in Java, I would recommend my book Java: A Beginner's Guide. This is my Java tutorial, which is widely used.

Finally, my complete references are just that: complete references. It would be a mistake to confuse them with anyone else's book.
[ March 16, 2005: Message edited by: Herb Schildt ]
 
Vedhas Pitkar
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The reason why am I asking is that you had written an add-on book featuring only the Java 5 features.Got confused with that.Any way, I started on Java by reading your Complete Ref Java 2 (found it to be excellent )& hope to continue the same with Java5.
With reference to Avi's post, the style of your book makes it more suitable for beginners as compared to Bruce Eckels' Thinking In Java TIJ or Cay Horstman's Core Java.
 
Avi Abrami
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Herb,


my complete references are just that: complete references. It would be a mistake to confuse them with anyone else's book


Obviously I didn't expect you to claim anything other than your books being complete references

So why not put your money where your mouth is, and make available one or two chapters (apart from the "introduction") so that people can judge for themselves the worth of your book.

Good Luck,
Avi.
 
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Avi:

My publisher (McGraw-Hill) controls what chapters are made available as samples. So the matter is beyond my control.

The J2SE 5 Edition is simply the newest edition (the 6th) of my book Java: The Complete Reference. This book is widely used and widely available, having sold approximately 1,000,000 copies worldwide throughout its 6 editions. The best way to see if the book is right for you is to borrow one from a co-worker or friend. You should have no trouble finding one.
 
Avi Abrami
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Herb,


So the matter is beyond my control


Your publisher never listens to anything you have to say? I find that hard to believe. You can't lose anything by suggesting to him, can you?


borrow one from a co-worker or friend


None of my co-workers or friends have copies. Israel is not the USA. Java programming books are extremely difficult to locate. One of the only ways for us to obtain java programming books is via Amazon. Hence, if you want to reach a vaster audience (and possibly sell a lot more than one million copies), you would do well to advertise. Put a couple more chapters up on the Web!

Good Luck,
Avi.
 
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