Java in a Nutshell, 7th Edition

Preface

This book is a desktop Java reference, designed to sit faithfully by your keyboard while you program. Part I is a fast-paced, “no-fluff” introduction to the Java programming language and the core runtime aspects of the Java platform. Part II is a reference section that blends elucidation of core concepts with examples of important core APIs. The book covers Java 11, but we recognize that some shops may not have adopted it yet—so where possible we call out if a feature was introduced in Java 8, 9, or 10. We use Java 11 syntax throughout, including var and lambda expressions.

Changes in the Seventh Edition

The sixth edition of this book covers Java 8, whereas this edition covers Java 11. However, the release process of Java changed significantly with the advent of Java 9, so this book is released only a year after Java 9 arrived. Java 11 is also the first long-term support (LTS) release of Java since Java 8, so it seems likely that many Java shops will jump straight to Java 11 from Java 8.

With the seventh 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—even among mainstream 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 ...