Marc Laffan

I ask because Scala For The Impatient seems to be geared a lot more towards students, specifically students of computer science (For example, you'll need a grasp on mathematical notation to know what an interpunct is, what the product of two numbers means, etc). It doesn't seem very friendly unless you attended a computer science undergrad, which is an issue I haven't seen in any other software development book I've read so far (I'll admit that the range of books under my belt is limited).

It also seems a bit unfocused at the best of times and doesn't explain some syntax that it uses (For example, I couldn't find an explanation anywhere for what an underscore was meant to be used for and the book jumps from subject to subject quite quickly, sometimes not going in-depth enough). Is this going to be fixed for Java For The Impatient?

Lastly, are you going to get rid of the application developer/library developer distinction for the chapters Cay? I didn't find it particularly useful (Although I'm not a library designer, so am absolutely open to correction on this one), and thought that a simpler classification would have been more useful (Like how you classified the developer/designer difficulty levels into A1/A2/A3, etc).

Thanks for making the books! I'm thoroughly enjoying your Scala exercises (There's nothing like a good brain teaser) and will be enjoying your Java exercises when this book comes out.

I'm currently putting together a blog post (http://marclaffan.com/posts/21) but I'm not very experienced in making tutorials. I want to make a preeeetty big post that covers beginner to intermediate Java, but I'm not 100% certain on where each feature should be categorised, or even included/excluded.

I've put a list of topics and resources at the very end of the post (As a means of temporarily saving them), but I'm sure that I'm missing something. I'm also not convinced on how beginner-friendly the pacing or order of teaching is in my post, as I kinda glance over some fundamentals pretty quickly. The beginning could definitely be polished up a bit, but I think scoping this tutorial is more vital right now.

Any ideas?

Android uses Java so it should be pretty easy dude.

Once you get the hang of the activity/fragment lifecycle, know what widgets you can use and understand how to use database cursors, you'll have covered a sizeable amount of beginner Android.

I'd liken it to learning Rails if you already knew Ruby, as despite it not being a web app, it is kinda MVP/C.

I ask because I have a copy of the second edition, but have not read it yet. I went through Head First Android Development and learned a lot, but was under the impression that the Nerd Ranch Guide was a bit more advanced than HFA. So  I gathered that I should read HFA first then continue onto the Nerd Ranch Guide book.

I don't have any plans to read the Nerd Ranch Guide book anytime soon (I've got four more books queued up already), but will eventually get around to it.

So to get to my point, are the changes sufficient that I should just get the third edition of your book or does the second edition cover enough for me to get the majority of value out of it?

Thanks!

-Marc

No problem Dóra, if you're looking for more "digestible" sources of info, you could also try the following on Reddit:

Gamedev
Indie Dev
True gamedev
Dev Blogs

Tim Cooke wrote:As with most things, it depends.

Why do you ask?

Mainly to get an idea of where I could/should be spending my time to become a better developer. I'm a Java dev at the moment and I'm learning Android, Design Patterns and a few other things to keep myself upskilling.

Videogames you say...

Honestly, just look through that list and you'll find an AI book to suit you. Bear in mind that AI outside of videogames is very different, so don't expect to become an expert in general AI from this.

For example, do you think they should know concurrency inside and out?

Should they be able to recite Effective Java 2 form memory? I'm using Hyperbole regarding Effective Java of course, but what do you expect to see in a Seniors toolbelt?

Ah, so it's essentially new questions on the same material. So it'd be a good idea to have the OCA book first right?

Also, are the online questions just the ones from the book or are there additional ones (Kinda like Enthuware)?

Thanks again!

I'm studying for the OCA Java 8 exam and have the study guide for it. Just wondering what's different in this book and whether it'll help me or not.

Also, roughly, what is covered by this book in the OCP sections? I ask because I am genuinely learning a few interesting things from the OCA book that I'm using in my personal projects, but I have no idea what the OCP exam covers.

Lastly, are there any other books you guys have out in Java? The OCA book rocks!

Thanks,
Marc

Yakov Fain wrote:Yes, this book doesn't require the knowledge of AngularJS.  If you're the beginner, you should start with reading Appendices A and B that cover the new syntax of ECMAScript 6 and TypeScript.

TypeScript is easier to learn for Java devs than JavaScript.

Dependency Injection is the fabric of Angular 2 and the book covers it in a separate chapter, plus all code samples use it throughout the book.

Getting started with a new project is simplified - the tool called Angular CLI generates and pre-configures it for you.

Regards
Yakov

So when compared to Rails for example, how quick would it be to create say, a blog?

I haven't used JavaScript since 2010, and sparingly at that. I haven't touched Angular yet at all. I'm more of a Java/Android/Rails kinda guy.

Will I get any use out of this book if I'm starting out with zero experience in typescript/angular?

Also how does the book teach dependency injection? I'm very interested in learning DI.

I'd also like to know if the book centers around building an application, kind of like how the Rails tutorial books do it.

Thanks folks!
Marc

Claws break into skin,
kitten Walt needs attention,
but Java must run

This is probably unclear, so I should say that we rescued a little white kitten a few days ago. We named him Walt, after Walter White (White coat of fur!).

He can barely meow at the moment, but his teeth have developed and he loves biting everything around him. He also likes climbing on peoples shoulders and sleeps A LOT.

As for the rest of the Haiku, I'm pretty much always doing something in Java.

Ah, I see.

Both are vital, but there is a mix of precedences in there.

I'll focus on Java for now and bear your advice in mind when I am satisfied with my level of Java.

There never was a huge focus on Design Patterns in my old place of work or old college, so this was an important question for me to ask.

So... Thank you!

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