Learn to Program with Java - Softcover

Smiley, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0072131896 ISBN 13: 9780072131895

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education, 2001

Synopsis

More than 100,000 programmers owe their careers to Professor John Smiley. In this unique guide, the guru himself will teach you, in a classroom setting, how to program in Java. Learn from more than 100 questions and answers as well as real-world programming projects.

About this title

Review:

Whether you are brand-new to programming in general or coming to Java from another language, John Smiley's Learn to Program with Java offers a truly approachable tutorial designed with the beginner in mind. Covering Java syntax and essential programming concepts, this text can be used at home to simulate a semester’s worth of Java study.

Like Smiley’s previous titles, the salient feature of this text is the author’s scenario-based presentation style. Instead of addressing the reader directly, Smiley simulates the experience of about 18 first-semester programming students facing Java for the first time. As the students develop a grade calculation project in Java (and improve it with object-oriented features later on), basic questions are raised and answered with the reader "overhearing" the author's consistently clear and patient explanation of key programming concepts.

While this approach is certainly not for those in a hurry, it can do the trick for the programming newbie. With an extensive Q and A for each step, Smiley covers most every conceivable obstacle and confusion. (The questions presented here are drawn from his extensive real-world teaching experience.)

After covering the basics of today's iterative software development cycle (a reminder to plan before you write any code), the book implements a grade-averaging program used for several departments at a hypothetical college. Smiley rehearses the discussions of the potential users of this application, as well as the students who then build it. The simple program is a good one as it allows the author to introduce basic Java syntax, as well as fundamental programming concepts (like variables and loops), without getting too bogged down in complexity.

Once the basic program has been built, Smiley introduces using objects to solve the same problem. His guide to basic object-oriented design, as well as how to code basic objects in Java, is once again clear and sensible. If the "big picture" behind using objects has eluded you, the practical presentation offered here may well help things click. By the end of the book, the final version of the program gets enhanced with support for arrays, plus a basic graphical user interface built with simple Swing components.

Most introductory programming texts try to cover everything at once, a temptation that’s especially great with the rich (and complex) Java platform. The streamlined set of lessons here help make this title a good choice for Java newbies who want a patient and really approachable beginner’s tutorial. --Richard Dragan

From the Back Cover:

The easiest technical book you'll ever read. Open it up and see for yourself!

Join Professor Smiley's Java class as he teaches essential skills in programming, coding, and more. Using a student-instructor conversational format, this book starts at the very beginning with crucial programming fundamentals. You'll quickly learn how to identify customer needs so that you can create an application that achieves programming objectives just like experienced programmers. By identifying clear client goals, you'll learn important programming basics like how computers view input and execute output based on the information they are given then use those skills to develop real-world applications. Participate in this one-of-a-kind classroom experience and see why Professor Smiley is renowned for making learning fun and easy.

-Learn programming fundamentals like Selection structures, loops, and arrays
-Cover object-oriented programming techniques like inheritance, method overloading, and interfaces
-Use swing to develop a graphical user interface and event-driven programs
-Build object-oriented Java programs from scratch
-Develop a real-world project
-Get a solid foundation of Java knowledge with chapter-by-chapter reinforcement of information and more than 200 example programs

About the Author:

John Smiley, MCP, MCSD, MCT, is president of Smiley and Associates, a computer consulting firm. He is also the author of eight books, and a computer science professor at Penn State University in Abington, Holy Family College, and Philadelphia University.

About this edition

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0072131896
• ISBN 13: 9780072131895
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 622