Computers are so much a part of our daily lives that many of us take them for granted. You turn on your PC, connect to the Internet and check your stocks, your e-mail, or the weather report, write a note to Grandma, or relax for half an hour by shooting make-believe lasers at make-believe aliens. But if you ever wonder ?how do they make a computer do that?? then you may be a candidate for
Beginning Programming with Java? For Dummies®. If you?re ready to take the plunge into programming, Java is a wonderful place to start.
You can write Java code for any operating system. A cool device called the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) will translate your code so it can be understood by your Windows system, your neighbor?s Mac, or your nerdy cousin?s Unix box. Java is a good place to begin learning programming. And not only can programming be fun, it can also be a lucrative career.
Author Barry Burd breaks down Java programming into fun and manageable bites ? or bytes. He walks you through downloading and setting up the Java compiler, JVM, and Java API, and then away you go! You?ll be able to Explore the parts of a program Discover methods, variables, values, and types Find out how the computer turns your program into the zeros and ones it understands See how your computer makes decisions and how your program directs its choices Create loops, use arrays, and program with objects and classes Translate the mysteries of some common error messages ? and fix the problems they reveal
Once you discover the joys of Java programming, you just might find you?re hooked. You?ll be able to make that machine do your bidding, at least some of the time. You may find yourself thinking of programming like a game of strategy, in which it?s up to you to find the secret passageway, decipher the magic words, and save the princess. Sound like fun? Here?s the place to start.
User review
Great!
Definitely worth the money.
This has, and will continue to be, an invaluable resource for me when coding in Java. I'll most likely end up owing my degree to this book!
User review
A decent read, but don't expect to be programming anything real after this book
I got this book because of the good reviews, but I promptly returned it and got Head First Java, which is much more comprehensive. I got over the usual `for dummies` annoyances like the constant joking and the constant referrals to other chapters. What I couldn't get over was that this book did not go far enough. I know that it is for beginners, but this book really doesn't teach you very much at all. If it was to be a real beginner's book, maybe the author should have spent more time discussing HOW the code works and much less on the actual Java language. There also should be exercises to do on your own, and there aren't any at all. That would have offered the most value for beginner programmers.
In short, if you just want to read about programming, get this book. If you actually want to do some of it, this book isn't for you.
User review
Beginning,,. with Java is for Java 5 =and= Well done
Java 6 has been out for years. If you want the lastest and greatest, get an updated version. Java 5 programs are still out there to be maintained. And learning with Java 5 ain't gonna hurt anybody. *** These `Dummy` books are wonderfully editted. Excellent quality for beginners. *** They also have an advanced book, but then the `Head First` series and real text books and the Sun microsystems online materials are much better. *** For your first programming book, perfect.
User review
What I expected,,,,
I wish the textbook had more sample codes. It does a decent job of going over the basics of programming. Between this book and my textbook its making my intro to programming class better.
User review
Great beginners book
This is a great book for someone just starting out with programing, and wants to learn a quick introductory course in java. It will teach you the fundamentals in a way that even the newist beginner can understand.
