Introduction to Programming Using Java, Seventh Edition

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Introduction to Programming Using Java is a free introductory computer programming textbook that uses Java as the language of instruction. It is suitable for use in an introductory programming course and for people who are trying to learn programming on their own. There are no prerequisites beyond a general familiarity with the ideas of computers and programs.

There is enough material for a full year of college-level programming. Chapters 1 through 7 can be used as a textbook in a one-semester college-level course or in a year-long high school course. The remaining chapters can be covered in a second course.

The Seventh Edition of the book covers “Java 7.” The most recent version of Java is 8, but this book has only a few very short mentions of the new features in Java 8. The home web site for this book is http://math.hws.edu/javanotes/. The page at that address contains links for downloading a copy of the web site and for downloading PDF versions of the book. The web site—and the web site download—includes source code for the sample programs that are discussed in the text, answers to end-of-chapter quizzes and a discussion and solution for each end-of-chapter exercises. Readers are encouraged to download the source code for the examples and to read and run the programs as they read the book. Readers are also strongly encouraged to read the exercise solutions if they want to get the most out of this book.

In style, this is a textbook rather than a tutorial. That is, it concentrates on explaining concepts rather than giving step-by-step how-to-do-it guides. I have tried to use a conversational writing style that might be closer to classroom lecture than to a typical textbook. This is certainly not a Java reference book, and it is not a comprehensive survey of all the features of Java. It is not written as a quick introduction to Java for people who already know another programming language. Instead, it is directed mainly towards people who are learning programming for the first time, and it is as much about general programming concepts as it is about Java in particular. I believe that Introduction to Programming using Java is fully competitive with the conventionally published, printed programming textbooks that are available on the market. (Well, all right, I’ll confess that I think it’s better.)

 

The Seventh Edition of “Introduction to Programming using Java” is not a huge update from the sixth edition. In fact, my main motivation for the new version was to remove any use of applets or coverage of applets from the book. Applets are Java programs that run on a web page. When Java first came out, they were exciting, and it seemed like they would become a major way of creating active content for the Web. Up until the sixth edition, the web pages for this book included applets for running many of the sample programs. However, because of security issues and the emergence of other technologies, applets are no longer widely used. 

Furthermore, the most recent versions of Java made it fairly difficult and unpleasant to use the applets in the book. In place of applets, I have tried to make it as easy as possible for readers to download the sample programs and run them on their own computers. Another significant change in the seventh edition is that arrays are now introduced in Chapter 3 in a basic form that is used throughout the next three chapters. Previously, arrays were not introduced until Chapter 7, after objects and GUI programming had already been covered. Much of the more advanced coverage of arrays is still in Chapter 7. Aside from that, there are many small improvements throughout, mostly related to features that were new in Java 7.

When you begin a journey, it’s a good idea to have a mental map of the terrain you’ll be passing through. The same is true for an intellectual journey, such as learning to write computer programs. In this case, you’ll need to know the basics of what computers are and how they work. You’ll want to have some idea of what a computer program is and how one is created. Since you will be writing programs in the Java programming language, you’ll want to know something about that language in particular and about the modern computing environment for which Java is designed.

As you read this chapter, don’t worry if you can’t understand everything in detail. (In fact, it would be impossible for you to learn all the details from the brief expositions in this chapter.) Concentrate on learning enough about the big ideas to orient yourself, in preparation for the rest of the book. Most of what is covered in this chapter will be covered in much greater detail later in the book.