Java: An Absolute Read

Absolute Java, by Walter Savitch, Addison Wesley, 2003, ISBN 0-321-20567-7, 1088 pp., US$95.60

Walter Savitch does it yet again with Absolute Java. Following the style of his other books on C++ in the same series, he aims this book at first-year computer science students. Absolute Java covers too much material for one semester and provides enough material for a second class on Java programming. Java is easier to learn and use than C++, so Savitch has the flexibility to cover topics such as graphics programming with Swing. He spends more time on object-orientation techniques and methodologies including Java Patterns and UML than you could with C++. He also covers data structures and topics such as link lists, collections, and iterators in detail, as well as threading, JavaBeans, and applets.

Color aids and categorized notes (such as pitfalls and tips) provide details that go a long way during programming. Examples and self-test exercises further the learning process after each section by testing the student’s knowledge. The test answers appear at the end of each chapter. Savitch also provides programming projects that mimic the topic and expect the student to think outside the box. Some are hard enough that you could use them—alone or with problems in other chapters—as semester-long or group projects.

Savitch explains his examples using colored notes, arrows pointing to the section of code he’s explaining, and highlighting of the important code sections. The examples are well-documented, and screen shots show what the output would look like. Savitch inserts pictures when needed (for example, to explain how pointers and references work). They’re worth a thousand words—concise and clear, simple and yet to the point.

Java is a better object-oriented language than C++ by design, so explaining OO concepts such as inheritance, polymorphism, and multiple inheritance through Java interfaces is easier. Savitch uses examples that make the topic even easier to follow. He covers other advanced topics such as localization and binary-file creation with different UTF (the Unicode Character Set) coding settings as well. You could skip any of these topics in an introductory class without losing any content. Other chapters, such as those discussing data structures, would be better covered back-to-back, but Savitch has marked numerous sections as optional so that instructors can skip them if necessary.

The book includes a CD containing a community version of the Forte for Java Development Kit, along with a Java 2.0 Software Development Kit for students. All the book’s source code is available for download, as are example tests for instructors and slides for students. The slides are also great for instructors. Why reinvent the wheel? The package—book, CD-rom, and Web site—is simply complete. I highly recommend this book to any Java instructor.

Art Sedighi is a senior consulting engineer at DataSynapse and a freelance writer. Contact him at sediga@alum.rpi.edu; www.ArtSedighi.com.