Books for Students of Java
A. O’Riordan, updated for 2014
The recommended textbook for the CS5015 course is
Java For Everyone: Late Objects, 2nd Edition, Cay Horstmann, Wiley, 2012
This is freely available to read online through UCC’s
license for ProQuest Safari Online. Go to
http://proquestcombo.safaribooksonline.com/ and click
on Start Using Safari (ACADEMIC LICENSE &
PUBLIC LIBRARY USERS) and select Java
Development from the Featured Categories.
The companion site has student resources such as the
source code examples, worked examples, video tutorials,
and the online-only chapters (last five chapters and
appendices). Use http://bcs.wiley.com/hebcs/Books?action=index&itemId=1118063317&bcsId=6907 to
browse by resource or chapter.
Other Java textbooks available through Safari Online include:
Head First Java, 2nd Edition, Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates, O'Reilly, 2005
Java™: How to Program, 9th Edition, Paul Deitel, Prentice Hall, 2011
Beginning Programming with Java® For Dummies®, 3rd Edition, Barry Burd, For
Dummies, 2012
The Sierra and Bates book is a tutorial introduction to Java in O’Reilly’s visual Head-First
style. Deitel is a comprehensive text on Java suitable for beginners.
Java textbook guide
There are many good resources freely available online but you may find it useful to have a
good Java textbook. There are dozens of Java textbooks on the marketplace, differentiated by
style, approach, depth of coverage and target audience. I have attempted to give some
guidance by listing (the latest editions of) some of the most popular ones below.
Some of these are in the Boole library in the Computing section (Q+1) or available as
electronic editions (search catalogue) but not always the current edition unfortunately!
Be aware that there have been different versions of Java. We will be using the latest called
Java 7. Books covering the previous version of Java 5 or 6 are also fine as there are only
small differences from a beginner’s point of view. Older books that cover Java 2 (also called
J2SE 1.2, 1.3 or 1.4) and JDK 1.1 are out of date.
Introductory level
Java Software Solutions: Foundations of Program Design, 7th Edition, John Lewis and
William Loftus; Addison Wesley, 2012.
Comment: The textbook I used in previous years, nice short examples
The Java Tutorial: A Short Course on the Basics, 4th Edition, Sharon Zakhour, Scott Hommel,
Jacob Royal, Isaac Rabinovitch, Tom Risser, Mark Hoeber; Prentice Hall, 2006 (free on-line
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/ or via ProQuest Safari Online.)
Comment: Tutorials provided by Oracle themselves
Objects First With Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ, 5th Edition, David J. Barnes
and Michael Kolling, Prentice Hall, 2012
Comments: Objects-first approach using the interactive BlueJ environment; good introduction
to object orientation
Java Concepts 7th Edition, Cay Horstman, Wiley, 2012
Comment: Popular text now in its 7th edition
The Art and Science of Java, Eric Roberts, Addison-Wesley, 2007
Comment: Follows the recommendations of the Association of Computing Machinery’s Java
Task Force
Comprehensive textbooks
These cover additional topics such as data structures, Java networking, Java Web
programming
Big Java, 4th edition, Cay S. Horstmann, Wiley, 2010
Comment: A good comprehensive Java textbook; expanded version of Java For Everyone
Java: How to Program, 9 th Edition, Harvey & Paul Deitel & Associates, Prentice Hall, 2011
Comment: Available on ProQuest Safari Online
Introduction to Java Programming Comprehensive Version, 9 th Edition, Y Daniel Liang,
Prentice Hall, 2012
Comments: Good comprehensive fundamentals-first Java textbook
Java reference
The Java Language Specification, Java SE 7 Edition, James Gosling, Bill Joy, Guy L. Steele
Jr., Gilad Bracha, and Alex Buckley, Oracle Press, 2013
Comment: Technical reference for core language
Java Precisely, 2nd Edition, Sestoft, MIT Press, 2005
Comments: Succinct summary of main features; for those you can already program
Advanced Java
Thinking in Java, 4th Edition, Bruce Eckel, Prentice Hall, 2006
Comment: Excellent for more detailed treatment
Effective Java, 2nd Edition, Joshua Block, Prentice Hall, 2011
Comment: Available also using ProQuest Safari Books Online
Core Java (two volumes), 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2012
Comment: Classic detailed coverage
Learning Java, 4th Edition, Patrick Niemeyer and Daniel Leuck, O'Reilly Media, 2013
Comment: V. good book but not really a textbook
Java Power Tools by John F. Smart, O'Reilly, 2008
Comment: Covers popular tools such as Ant, JUnit, etc.
end.