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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.
