 | Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com | August Release--5.0 Update. Java 5.-0 Program Design is about the fundamentals of programming and software development using Java. It is targeted for a first programming course and has been designed to be appropriate for people from all disciplines. The authors assume no prior programming skills and use mathematics and science at a level appropriate to first-year college students. The breadth of coverage and the arrangement of the chapters provide flexibility for the instructor in what and when topics are introduced. Key to Java 5.0 Program Design is an introduction to problem solving. The basics of problem-solving techniques are introduced in chapter one and then reinforced during the explanations of Java programming and design. In addition, software engineering design concepts are introduced via problem studies and software projects. This updated version of Java Program Design takes advantage of the improvements to the language introduced with Java 5.0. The additions are especially important for beginning programmers because they help make program design and development a clearer and more straightforward process. Key Handles: • Good Problem Solving Techniques • Wide Variety of Examples • Placement of Objects first—Aids students in Problem Solving • 5.0 update is included in this revision |
Average Customer Rating:   Middle of the road The information presented in this book was organized efficiently, however some of the information was not presented effectively to describe the processes. The sidebar notes were very helpful as were the end of chapter reviews. Overall, I learned a great deal using it. One improvement is to make the code available for the programs contained in the book on a CD-ROM or via website. Good, but it needs more material, more details. First of all, do not buy this book unless it is a requirement for a college class. And even then I suggest getting a used copy or searching the internet for the lowest price. This book is NOT in the same league as "Beginning Java" by Ivor Horton or any other self-teach-yourself books. With that said, "Java 5.0 Program Design" does accomplish its goal as a basic introduction to the Java language.
Most of the chapters are well written, but the format of the book is a little bit distracting to say the least. There are parts where code is shown in one or two pages, and the analysis of a particular piece of that code is shown two, three, even four pages later. It is this constant flipping of the pages that gets into your nerves from time to time. Nevertheless, the book does give good coverage of the topics that includes, and it is precisely here where the book's biggest flaw becomes apparent. Mr. Cohoon, and Mr. Davidson do not include many of the more in-depth (harder) topics such as streams.
When a new concept is presented it is usually accompanied by very few examples of how it can be used in different situations. Furthermore, there were times when I was left scratching my head as to what the code is doing; for example when a program tried to reproduce the behavior of the windows command prompt.
Of course, not everything in the book is bad. The questions and problems at the end of each chapter are helpful to understand the features of Java and the extra chapters in GUI programming are fun to read. But until the authors decide to include more material and cover it in more detail this book is not a must have for the beginner programmer or a useful reference for the professional Java developer. Self Study Utopia! Well, the concepts at the beginning of the book (chapter 1 and 2) are conveyed in a rather "jump right into it" - style. And one needs a little guidance at the beginning to set the mood for the Java learning process. However, once this is achieved, each chapter thereafter is very well written.
A lot of the books out there have a very steep curve for understanding, as they give a lot of terms and concepts, which one has to swallow down without actually tasting them. This book, however, is written in such a way that it bestows you with not just the knowledge, but a bit of the experience in the application of the knowledge as well. Each chapter sets out to solve one problem, and in the process of solving the problem you learn what the chapter has to teach. A nice approach.
This book is ideal for beginners, and dito for self study. People with no programming knowledge at all, (like me), will need a little help at the beginning, but thereafter its a smooth ride to the finish.
What I suggest for a complete beginner is to pick up the "Beginning Java for Dummies" book, read it, and then set out to read this book. |  |
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