Java in a Nutshell, 9th Edition

Preface

This book is a desktop Java reference, designed to sit faithfully by your keyboard while you program. Part I, “Introducing Java”, is a fast-paced, “no-fluff” introduction to the Java programming language and the core runtime aspects of the Java platform. Part II, “Working with the Java Platform”, is a reference section that blends elucidation of core concepts with examples of important core APIs. The book covers Java 25, but we recognize that some shops may not have adopted it yet—so where possible we call out when specific features were introduced. We use Java 25 syntax throughout, including var and lambda expressions.

Changes in the Ninth Edition

The eighth edition of this book covered Java 17, whereas this edition covers Java 25. The updated release process of Java has continued since Java 9, with certain releases now badged as long-term support releases. So, Java 25 is the current LTS release at the time of this writing, with Java 21 and 17 preceding it.

With the ninth edition we have tried to update the concept of what it means to be a “Nutshell” guide. The modern Java developer needs to know more than just syntax and APIs. As the Java environment has matured, such topics as concurrency, object-oriented design, memory, and the Java type system have all grown in importance for all developers.

In this edition, we have taken the approach that only the most recent versions of Java are likely to be of interest to the majority of Java developers, so we usually only call ...