• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

JAVA Book

 
Greenhorn
Posts: 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi all

i am new to java, i using " the complete reference java2 ed3", is this good book to start with, otherwise plz suggest me antoher good book for beginner.

thank you
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 295
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi,

Welcome to Javaranch......

Well, answering your question, I would suggest using the "Head First Java". Thinkin in Java is also a better option. But the former one would explain concepts in a very good, friendly, and lively way. This is my personal experience.

Secon thing, thouhgt of letting you know. You might have to change your name, in accordance to the Javaranch Naming Policy. The facilitators here, might let you know.

Make merry, around the Ranch.

Cheers,
Ram.
 
Greenhorn
Posts: 25
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Java 2 Complete Reference is a good book to get started. Here are some more resources that can be useful.

Herbert Schildt Java 2 A Beginner's Guide

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/getStarted/cupojava/index.html
http://java.sun.com/learning/new2java/index.html
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/java/newto/

--------------
Naveen Vooka
www.devsquare.com
DevSquare - Online Application Development
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 60
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Thinking In Java by Bruce Eckel is excellent. You can download a copy for free: http://mindview.net/Books
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 3061
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
In my opinion, a book with the title "The Complete Reference" is NOT a good book for a beginner. Typically a "reference" is meant for intermediate or advanced programmers that need to look up the details for something they are already familiar with. There are other books that are targeted towards beginners such as "Head First Java" by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates. Some of the other suggestions here are good, too.

Layne
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 32
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Layne contrary to what you are suggesting the "Complete Reference" is a very good book for beginners,it is not your standard reference. It goes much beyond that, it clearly spells out all the concepts making no assumption of any prior programming experience.When I started out in java in 2002 that was the book I used. I agree that the "Head First" series is really interesting and a totally different approach to teaching,infact I own all the head first series books but Complete Reference is for beginners too.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 91
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yes, part 1 of The Complete Reference is an intro to Java. I'd probably choose Head First Java over The Complete Reference, though, since it walks you through the development of a really fun little app and teaches you the syntax details along the way, whereas the Complete Reference just teaches you the syntax details without explaining to the beginnner why he or she should be interested in those details.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 99
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Just Java(TM) 2 - if you like toutorials books

from the book intro:
An international bestseller for eight years, Just Java(TM) 2 is the complete, accessible Java tutorial for working programmers at all levels. Fully updated and revised, this sixth edition is more than an engaging overview of Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE 1.5) and its libraries: it's also a practical introduction to today's best enterprise and server-side programming techniques. Just Java(TM) 2, Sixth Edition, reflects both J2SE 1.5 and the latest Tomcat and servlet specifications.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 33
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Cnu-
I am also new to Java. My course uses the Head First book written by Sierra and Bates. If you want code samples and such, this is NOT the book of choice. It does explain the concepts very well, but there are no labs of sort or really any code to follow. The explanation, for example, on arraylists, is extremely vague. I would definately reccomend a core reference volume of sorts to learn Java, not the Head First book.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 60
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
HEAD FIRST JAVA is a good book to learn the fundamental concept.
it is the good book for beginners
 
author
Posts: 14112
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Moving to Bunkhouse Porch...
 
Greenhorn
Posts: 27
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
But what about topics covered in these books???

Advanced topics like Servlets, JSP are not covered in detail in all these books
 
Ilja Preuss
author
Posts: 14112
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Originally posted by Pramod Bisht:

Advanced topics like Servlets, JSP are not covered in detail in all these books



Well, if you are new to Java, you probably shouldn't start with advanced topics anyway...
 
Greenhorn
Posts: 8
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
hello friends,
i am very new to this community. i am basically an ECE student. i very recently (sep 2005) started studying java. i have been searching for months for a good book like "head first java". it is this kind of books i had been searching for months asking shopkeepers, explaining my expectations... finally i got my treasure.
the reasons for my search of such books is very well explained in the first few pages of "head first java". the fact is though i knew, book should be friendly and easy, i did not know about our dear brain's reaction to how we study. now i got this tresure for java.
i need for other languages too. especially C, C++ , C sharp and C blunt
please suggest if we have such very very very good books for them also. [ EFH: Request to take discussion offline, taken offline. ]

to kathy: Mrs.Kathy, you are great! you are the one of the very few persons i find, who are in the same line of thinking. we are all the same kind of people. we have the same mindset. i thank god, that i found you.

R.Parthiban
[ October 13, 2005: Message edited by: Ernest Friedman-Hill ]
 
With a little knowledge, a cast iron skillet is non-stick and lasts a lifetime.
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic