Java in a Nutshell, Second Edition A Desktop Quick Reference for Java Programmers

By David Flanagan
Second Edition  January 1900 
Pages: 628
ISBN 10: 1-56592-262-X | ISBN 13: 9781565922624
(Average of 0 Customer Reviews)

This book has been updated—the edition you're requesting is OUT OF PRINT. Please visit the catalog page of the latest edition.

The latest edition is also available on Safari Books Online.

Book description

This second edition of the bestselling Java book describes all the classes in the Java 1.1 API, with the exception of the Enterprise APIs. And it still has all the great features that have made this the Java book most often recommended on the Internet: practical real-world examples and compact reference information. It's the only quick reference you'll need.
Full Description

The bestselling Java in a Nutshell has been updated to cover Java 1.1. If you're a Java programmer who is migrating to 1.1, this second edition contains everything you need to get up to speed on the new features of Java 1.1. Or if you are just now jumping on the Java bandwagon, Java in a Nutshell still has all of the features that have made it the Java book most often recommended on the Internet. An advanced introduction to Java for C and C++ programmers teaches you everything you need to know about the language, while the complete quick-reference contains descriptions of all of the classes in the Java 1.1 API, with the exception of the Enterprise APIs. Java in a Nutshell also fully describes the syntax of the Java language, making it the only quick reference that a Java programmer needs. The second edition of Java in a Nutshell covers Version 1.1 of the Java Development Kit (JDK). It includes all of the material from the first edition, as well as the following updated information for Java 1.1:
  • A detailed overview of all of the features in Java 1.1, both on a package-by-package basis and in terms of overall functionality.
  • A comprehensive tutorial on "inner classes" that explains how to use all of the new types of inner classes: static member classes, member classes, local classes, and anonymous classes.
  • Practical, real-world example programs that demonstrate the features in Java 1.1, including object serialization, the new AWT event handling model, internationalization, and a sample Java Bean.
  • A complete quick reference for all of the classes, methods, and variables in the core Java 1.1 API. The quick-reference pages include indicators that make it easy to find the 1.1 material. In addition, cross-reference material is now provided directly on each reference page.
With the 1.1 release, Java has grown too large to fit in a single book, even in quick-reference form. Thus, we see the need to split Java in a Nutshell into multiple volumes. This volume, the "original" Java in a Nutshell, documents the most commonly used features of Java and is an indispensable reference for all Java programmers. We may publish a separate volume that will cover the Java "Enterprise APIs", which include the database connectivity, remote method invocation, and security features, as well as other forthcoming components, such as CORBA IDL support and the electronic commerce framework. And as other new Java APIs are developed and released, we may consider adding new volumes to the Java in a Nutshell series.

Browse within this book

Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Colophon


Featured customer reviews

Write a Review


Java in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition Review,  June 03 1999
Submitted by Jordan Lim   [Respond | View]



I've been doing programming in C during my university
years and I have to switch to Java when I started
my first job (current job). I was a little nervous
because I'm not sure whether I can learn all the things
that I need to know about Java in such a short
period because I will be assigned to a project.
I was told that O'Reilly's Java series are good reference
for programmers who want to start learning Java.
So I went to a local bookshop and found this book,
"Java In A Nutshell". It is an excellent book for
programmers who are familiar with C or C++. It gives you
the quick introduction to the syntax of the Java
language, so that a C programmer can program in Java
right away. Right now, whenever I'm assigned to a
project, I always keep this book beside my keyboard
as my reference when I program.

Thanks David for the time you spent in writing
this book. It really helps me a lot.


Java in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition Review,  November 27 1998
Submitted by David Clark, Dept Computer Science, Uni   [Respond | View]



This is the ideal format and length for experienced
programers. The only weakness is the assumption that everone
knows C/C++. (It is not much help to a Lisp programmer to
be told the switch statement is much the same as in C.)
The first part should be rewritten as a concise guide to
the constructs of the language in a language independent way.



Java in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition Review,  October 29 1998
Submitted by Jens Kleinjung   [Respond | View]



Hello, it is very helpful and time-saving to have the examples of the book on the net. It allows the reader to see the result of the code immediately. This possibility could be highlighted somewhere in the introduction. I enjoy working with O'Reilly books because of the clarity and the clever presentation: a combination of tutorial and reference. Jens

Read all reviews


Java in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition Review,  July 22 1998
Submitted by Sarel Aiber   [Respond | View]



The first edition was invaluable, and in the new edition Flanagan keeps
delivering the goods.

Although not a beginner's book, the programmer wishing to move to
Java from C or C++ will find this book great for the transition. It has
lost some of the tutorial value of the first edition (mainly due to the
exclusion of some examples), but is still one of (if not the) best
general reference for the Java language.

Certainly good value for money.


See larger cover