With more than 700,000 copies sold to date, Java in a Nutshell from O'Reilly is clearly the favorite resource amongst the legion of developers and programmers using Java technology. And now, with the release of the 5.0 version of Java, O'Reilly has given the book that defined the "in a Nutshell" category another impressive tune-up.

In this latest revision, readers will find Java in a Nutshell, 5th Edition, does more than just cover the extensive changes implicit in 5.0, the newest version of Java. It's undergone a complete makeover--in scope, size, and type of coverage--in order to more closely meet the needs of the modern Java programmer.

To wit, Java in a Nutshell, 5th Edition now places less emphasis on coming to Java from C and C++, and adds more discussion on tools and frameworks. It also offers new code examples to illustrate the working of APIs, and, of course, extensive coverage of Java 5.0. But faithful readers take comfort: it still hasn't lost any of its core elements that made it such a classic to begin with.

This handy reference gets right to the heart of the program with an accelerated introduction to the Java programming language and its key APIs--ideal for developers wishing to start writing code right away. And, as was the case in previous editions, Java in a Nutshell, 5th Edition is once again chock-full of poignant tips, techniques, examples, and practical advice. For as long as Java has existed, Java in a Nutshell has helped developers maximize the capabilities of the program's newest versions. And this latest edition is no different.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 32 Ratings

in a nutshell - meh - 2008-02-27
Reviewer Rating:
I am a programmer, and in a programming language book, I expect to find syntactical diagrams of the language. Anyone can read those, we should not have to glean the diagram from the wordy explanation. It's fine to have all the verbiage, but head each section with the syntax diagram.
Also, this book goes into lengthy explanations of what object oriented programming is NOT, as on page 104. This is a very bad practice in teaching. Only teach what is correct, not what some novice might ignorantly think. I have gotten better fundamentals in Java free on the w3c site.

Perfect for C++ programmers transitioning to Java - 2009-06-21
Reviewer Rating:
I needed to come up to speed with Java after a few years of C++, and this book was just the ticket!

Not only the author is very knowledgeable, but also his prose is clear, pedagogical and concise. None of the idiotic humour that sadly accompany many programming books, and yet it never reads dusty or boring.
Difficult to condense Java in a nutshell, but this is a superlative attempt.

The second half of the book is a Java library reference, but it does give you more than just the Javadocs. At any rate, the book is worth the money for the first half alone. Well done!

For other programmers transitioning from C++, as a second read I highly recommend Bloch's "Effective Java (second edition)", and if you have some time to spare and you do multithreading, you will also need Goetz's "Java Concurrency in Practice". Enjoy!

this Nutshell has become a Bomb Shelter - 2008-02-23
Reviewer Rating:
I used to like this Nutshell book, but it seems to have grown a little too big for its bridges. Maybe it's not O'Reily's fault. Maybe it has more to do with Java growing so much. But earlier versions were quick and to the point. This is now overly verbose.

This is no longer a sleek Nutshell. Its a back-breaking bomb shelter with 10ft thick walls.

Excellent reference, but could lose the last 2/3 of the book - 2008-01-14
Reviewer Rating:
I very much like this as a reference, but at this point I feel like most of the back 2/3 of the book is unnecessary bulk. The front portion, however, is excellent.

Good reference book , but a little heavy - 2008-01-02
Reviewer Rating:
This is a great book for those Java programmers who want a rapid reference. The only drawback of this book is its weigth: the large part of the book is made of a Java reference (very similar to the official JavaDoc) that in my opinion is not so helpful, as if I need the documentation for a specific class I can browse the official documentation online.
Anyway, the first part of the book is well written and gives many examples that can help both new and experienced programmers to understand the main features of Java 5.

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