[Closed] Java coding reference book

You can get the official Java tutorial in book format: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Java-Tutorial-Short-Course-Basics/dp/0134034082/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447335848&sr=1-1&keywords=the+java+tutorial

Try [url= http://www.headfirstlabs.com/books/hfjava/ ]Head First[/url] it has quizzes and crosswords you can do away from the computer

Or something a bit more serious [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Effective-Java-Edition-Joshua-Bloch/dp/0321356683 ]Effective Java[/url]

Nutshell!

Do they still print that?

[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Java-Nutshell-Benjamin-J-Evans/dp/1449370829/ ]Nutshell?[/url]

Cool. I think I need that.. my first copy had about 150 pages, second had three times that.. time for a third maybe.

+1 for Head First.

They are still around

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didn't think much of the java in a nutshell book at all...

why do Java programmers wear glasses ??

(because they can't C#)

Head First looks like a good idea, however the latest edition is from 2005. I understand the basics won't change much but would have at least expected a new addition within the last 10 years

If you're looking to code Android apps, work your way through the Google tutorials. A Java reference book will not be particularly helpful since the app lifecycle is vastly different to "traditional" Java.

If it's not for Android, why Java? Can you use C# instead?

I learned Java from reading the second edition nutshell cover to cover. Then went on to make a successful career, thanks to that book 🙂

It wont cover the changes to [url= http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/8-whats-new-2157071.html ]generics, lambda functions and JavaFX[/url] buts it's probabaly still a good introduction to the core language.

I'd avoid Swing if you can

If it's not for Android, why Java?

Why not? Gotta pick one.

If you're looking to code Android apps, work your way through the Google tutorials. A Java reference book will not be particularly helpful since the app lifecycle is vastly different to "traditional" Java.

If it's not for Android, why Java? Can you use C# instead?

At the moment it's non-Android Java EE that I need to get into for a job at a junior level which may be coming available.

LOL @GrahamA superb.

I learned Java from reading the second edition nutshell cover to cover. Then went on to make a successful career, thanks to that book

that might say a lot...

still think it is a poor book, where C# in a nutshell is an excellent book.

I learnt my Java from Goslings book, then the effective java book by Bloch, then doug lea concurrent java, all 3 good books.

Also read thinking in java, bruce eckel, which is free and not bad

http://www.mindview.net/Books/TIJ/

that might say a lot...

Don't be an arsehole.

I liked nutshell because it explained the subject in technical terms to someone who was already a coder, without trying to fill pages and be stupidly pally and friendly and 'oh don't worry about this techy stuff, it's easy!' which I hate.

some nutshell books are good, that one wasn't. Maybe it is better now that another bloke has got involved with it instead of just that flanagan guy. From what I can remember it read like a procedural programmers attempt at writing a java book

Books? 😕

Don't we all use Google and Stackoverflow now? 😉

(well, outsource guys do at least. Half the questions on SO are from the outsourced clearly posting the task they've been asked to do and are waiting for someone to post them the code. That or students doing the same for an exam).

Though more seriously, last time I touched a reference book was many years ago. I do use the above, but certain specific reference sites in particular (MDN for example for JavaScript - [u]not[/u] the more useless w3schools that come up top in search results. MSDN for C# reference etc). SO I use for those niggly issues that should work but there's some bug or undocumented "feature" and chances are someone on SO has an answer - not always the correct one though.