Java just keeps growing, adding features, functionality, complexity, and tempting developers to growl with frustration. The new 1.4 release of Java 2 Standard edition increases the size of the platform by 50%, to 2757 classes in 135 packages. How are you going to figure out what this means for your applications? As always, Java in a Nutshell has the answers. The new 4th edition still contains an accelerated introduction to the Java programming language and its key APIs so you can start writing code right away. And with more than 250 new pages, author David Flanagan quickly brings you up to speed on new features that come with version 1.4:

• High-performance NIO API

• Support for pattern matching with regular expressions

• A logging API

• A user preferences API

• New Collections classes

• An XML-based persistence mechanism for Java Beans

• Support for XML parsing using both the DOM and SAX APIs

• User authentication with the JAAS API

• Support for secure network connections using the SSL protocol

• Support for cryptography

The book contains O'Reilly's classic quick-reference for all the classes in the essential Java packages, so you can dive in and find what you need to make the new 1.4 version work for you. For as long as Java developers have existed, Java in a Nutshell has been ready, willing and able to take you right to the heart of the program, turning those frustrated grrrrss into purrrss of satisfaction. No wonder readers of Java Developer's Journal voted this the "Best Java Book" the past two years in a row!

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 29 Ratings

Way too terse to be useful - 2005-01-30
Reviewer Rating:
This book is way too terse to be useful. Modern Java development tools will help you use the correct class method signatures anyway. Buy the posters instead and give yourself a visual overview instead.

Best guide for the working programmer - 2004-07-01
Reviewer Rating:
This isn't a textbook. It's a handbook, and gives good, clear descriptions of every corner of the Java language. Java isn't a big feature-sodden language, but has a few obscure corners. If you just can't remember the syntax for up-reference from an inner class, you'll find it fast and explained well.

The API guide is fairly complete, but terse. Well, it has to be - the API keep growing. No one book could hold a complete description of everything. Sad to say, earlier editions had more complete API descriptions. The second, for example, had a very good introduction to reflection. As the Java API grew, however, the old descriptions had to shrink to make way for the new, and the reflection discussion was squeezed out. Still, it gives a good quick look at the API. This isn't as complete as the Javadoc API information, but is hugely more browseable. Use this to direct your query into the right area, then use Sun's Javadoc to get the details.

If you have room for only one Java book, make it this one.

-- wiredweird

2007 PS to the 2004 review: Flanagan's new edition on Java 5 supercedes this version of the classic. The new version has all the strengths of earlier editions. It covers language basics and Java 5 extensions even better, except for some rough spots in generics. It covers the fast-growing standard library even worse. If coding Java pays your paycheck, then upgrade. If you work on legacy or casual code, the 3rd or 4th edition, plus easy access to javadoc, might still serve you well enough.

I love my nutshell - 2004-06-10
Reviewer Rating:
I keep this book by my side and reference it at least twice a week. An integral part of my Java programmer's desktop library.

The best offline reference for Java - 2006-07-13
Reviewer Rating:
For those that find that Javadoc hard to read (like me) or aren't "always on" the internet, this is a great alternative. The first few chapters are particularly - short, sweet and to the point - a cross between Javadoc and a cookbook and is quite readable.

Decent yet lacking - 2005-03-23
Reviewer Rating:
Java: In a Nutshell (4th ed.) is a decent reference manual for quick lookups. Be forewarned: it's very terse. This helps and hurts it; the Java language is pretty hefty itself, so concise reference is valuable, however sometimes I've found it to be a little bit on the lacking side when I really needed fast and easily understandable reference.

Not a must-have, but definitely not a waste.

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