The best-selling guide for serious programmers of Java technology—fully updated for the Java 1.4 SDK!
The experienced developer's guide to the Java program environment-now fully updated for the Java(tm) 1.4 SDK.
New coverage: regular expressions, New I/O, assertions, Preferences, Swing enhancements, logging, and more
Even more of the robust code examples professional programmers need
Ask any experienced Java technology programmer: Core Java delivers the real-world guidance you need to accomplish even the most challenging tasks. That's why it's been an international best seller for seven straight years. Core Java II, Volume 1 covers the fundamentals of Java 2, Standard Edition, Version 1.4, including major enhancements ranging from regular expressions to high-performance I/O. You'll find state-of-the-art discussions of object-oriented Java platform development, updated coverage of Swing user interface development, and much more. Best of all, this new Sixth Edition delivers even more of the robust, real-world programs previous editions are famous for—updated to reflect the latest SDK features and improvements!
State-of-the-art information for Java platform developers, including:
Swing GUI development—including input validation and other enhancements
Building reliable code—including chained exceptions, stack frames, assertions, and logging
The high-performance New I/O API: memory-mapped files, file locking, and character set encoders/decoders
Regular expressions using the powerful new java.util.regex package
Java 1.4 platform Preference Class: the new cross-platform repository for configuration information
Dynamic proxy classes, inner classes, the Java platform event model, streams, file management, and more
It is lean, terse (but all the more readable for the economy of words that are directed (and funny at times) rather than self-aggrandising verbosity) but is is focused right at that which you need to know. These guys just dish it up: it's like ok, here's what you need to know, and here's how it works...and have a fully functional program to see it in practice and in context.
This is without question a highly usable and worthy book. It might be a little too fast for the complete novice, but anybody with some programming should be okay. These guys will guide you and feed you bite sized peices that are relevant and succinct.
If you like bloat and prattle...don't buy this book. You need a story book. This is for see the hill- take the hill kind of people who don't have time to wade through pages of drivel. But of course, you still have to earn it: you needs some brains!
Covers the basics and should put you in good stead for the the next onslaught: Core Java 2 - Advanced!
Good for experts, not so good for everyone else, June 24, 2003
Reviewer:
A reader
If you're an experienced C++ programmer, this book might be right for you. However, this book starts too quickly for someone who doesn't have experience with this language or an equivalent language. For example, the "Welcome to Java" program in chapter 1 uses an array and a loop without explaining the details of this syntax works. If you're an experienced programmer, you can probably follow along. Otherwise, you might want to opt for another book. I think Murach's Beginning Java 2 is one of the best for people new to object-oriented programming.
One problem with Core Java is that the topics aren't presented in an effective order. Often, skills that are critical to most Java applications are presented after skills that aren't usually necessary. For example, handling exceptions (a skill that's critical to all types of Java applications) isn't covered until after chapters on graphics programming and Swing components (which aren't necessary for many types of Java applications).
Another problem is that topics aren't broken down into manageable chunks. For example, Swing components are presented in a single chapter and that chapter is a monster -- over 100 pages long. Although there's some good material in this chapter, it's hard to digest due to its sheer size.
To be fair, there are some good things about this book. The author is obviously an expert programmer, and some of the code examples are useful and illuminating. But if you don't have a lot of experience with other object-oriented languages, you might want to start with another book.
本类阅读TOP10
Lean, mean and right on the money!, January 2, 2003 
Good for experts, not so good for everyone else, June 24, 2003