7 replies to this topic

[instantcake]

the school I'm going to next year has competitive programming(yay, finally), but I have a problem. they only use java and I know NO java at all. I know c/c++(both!) and have programming experience but what are some good books for learning java?

[deskchecked]

I picked up Java from tutorials on the web. You should have no trouble at all if you're well-versed in C++.

If you're really after a dead-wood book, I've heard good things about Thinking in Java by Bruce Eckel, and Effective Java by Joshua Bloch.

[Sinipull]

a good book is Bruce Eckel's "Thinking in Java". Also, It's free.

[instantcake]

deskchecked said:

I picked up Java from tutorials on the web. You should have no trouble at all if you're well-versed in C++.

If you're really after a dead-wood book, I've heard good things about Thinking in Java by Bruce Eckel, and Effective Java by Joshua Bloch.

yep I love dead-wood books(by that I mean thick books, not accrual physical books(too heavy!)) and thank you

[semprance]

My courses recommended-text is Java, Java, Java: Object-Oriented Problem Solving. It's never failed me yet :)

You can preview some of it here.

[H2O Pure]

I've learnt most of my java with online tutorials and forums. Most of the textbooks i've gone through focus on the programming concept as much as the Java syntax.
Take a look at:
Java Tutorials - Table of Contents
The Java Boutique: Step by Step Java Tutorial

Not Java but also helpful in other languages:
W3Schools Online Web Tutorials

Hope that helps :)

[357mag]

1. Absolute Java
2. Java A Beginner's Guide
3. Java How To Program

The first is written by Walter Savitch. The second is written by Herb Schildt. The third is written by the Deitel people. Schildt kinda has a bad reputation among some people. He uses weird names for variables, and some of his other coding conventions are questionable. But I still read his books and like them because I realize no author or book is perfect, and even though Herb's style of coding is questionable, he gives lots of real cool example programs which other books don't and that's a big plus. And he explains things pretty good.

Then there's Head First Java in which the authors are taking a different approach to the teaching process. It's not really a beginner's book though. You've got to have done some programming before to know what they're talking about.

[WingedPanther]

I've been working through Amazon.com: Java The Complete Reference, Seventh Edition (Osborne Complete Reference Series) (9780072263855): Herbert Schildt: Books which is pretty good for an experienced programmer, and includes lots of warnings about pitfalls for C++ programmers.