Introduction to programming in Java

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1. PamarApr 2017
   This is a really interesting question - the main problem with identifying a single book is that while Java core syntax is relatively terse (you can for example check out Precisely Java for an example: https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20110810052030/http://www.d...) the language delivers only through massive usage of the standard libraries. And this really makes it a completely different beast from C - a gap that kept growing at each subsequent version of Java (you may notice that Java Precisely hasn't been updated after Java 5, btw).

   Personally if I had to get back into Java today I would start by exploring Introduction to Programming in Java: An Interdisciplinary Approach by Robert Sedgewick & Kevin Wayne. The 2nd Edition has just been published (early April 2017) - but take in account that I am suggesting this basing myself exclusively on the reputation of the authors, and I haven't read it.

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2. ndiddyJul 2025
   Sure, why not. Obviously if you mean "do you have an example of that exact class hierarchy being shown in an introductory Java textbook" no I don't, you win. However, the example of a program that uses a class inheritance hierarchy defined at compile time to represent all the different types of shapes it can operate with is used all over the place, and that's what I was referring to. Some examples:

   Introduction to Programming in Java by J. N. Patterson Hume and Christine Stephenson, page 392

   Object-oriented Programming with Java by Barry J. Holmes and ‎Daniel T. Joyce, page 544

   Understanding object-oriented programming with Java by Timothy Budd, page 304

   Teach yourself Java by Joseph O'Neil, page 184

   Java in a Nutshell by Benjamin J. Evans, page 128

   Java for Students by Douglas Bell and Mike Parr, page 490

   Data structures and problem solving using Java by Mark Allen Weis, page 84

   See here for a good article that goes over the downsides of this approach, and how it hurts both readability and performance: https://www.computerenhance.com/p/clean-code-horrible-perfor...

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3. douglasisshinyJan 2013
   As someone who has semi-recently started getting back into programming, this is a big deal for me. Starting with Ruby (reading The Well Grounded Rubyist) -- I read the book, felt like I understood a lot of it well except some of the more advanced stuff, but was stumped when considering my own practice problems and how to solve them.

   Providing small, challenging problems is a very valuable resource. I'm currently reading An Introduction to Programming in Java (as preparation for the Princeton Algorithms course on Coursera). While the book may not be the best Java book, each section has 40+ programming exercises. Sometimes the exercises are boring, but I do most of them anyway because they are in themselves a learning exercise.

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