Preface

Contents:
Contents of this tutorial
Changes Since the First version
Related Books
Java Resources
Java tutorial Web Sites
Conventions Used in this tutorial
Request for Comments
Acknowledgments

This tutorial is a desktop quick reference for Java developers; it covers version 1.1 of the Java language and API. It also includes introductory and tutorial material for C and C++ developers who want to learn Java. It was written to sit faithfully by your keyboard for easy reference while you program. The wild success of the first version has shown that this is exactly what Java developers want, and I've retained the "no fluff" explanations and the to-the-point reference material in this second version. I hope that new readers will find this tutorial useful, and that old readers will find it even more useful than the last one!

Contents of this tutorial

This tutorial is divided into five parts:

• Part I: Introducing Java
• This first part of the tutorial introduces Java and Java developing, with a particular emphasis on helping C and C++ developers make the transition to Java. If you are already familiar with Java 1.0 developing, you can skip the three chapters in this part.
• Part II: Introducing Java 1.1
• This second part of the tutorial contains two chapters that introduce the new features of the Java 1.1 API and the new language features in Java 1.1.
• Part III: Developing with the Java 1.1 API
• This part contains example programs that demonstrate many of the new features of Java 1.1. You may find that these examples are a good starting point for your own programs, and you should feel free to adapt them for your own use. As explained below, this example section has changed a lot since the first version of this tutorial.
• Part IV: Java Language Reference
• This part of the tutorial contains reference material that describes the syntax of the Java language and the tools provided with the Java Development Kit (JDK), among other things.
• Part V: API Quick Reference
• This part is a quick reference for the Java API; it forms the bulk of the tutorial. Please be sure to read the How To Use This Quick Reference material, which appears at the beginning of the part. It explains how to get the most out of the reference material.