Best Java beginners book?

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Caporegime
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Are there any beginner Java books that are considered the best?

The Oracle Academy Java 2 beginners book by Herbert Schildt that we were given in class seems to be completley **** for beginners.

This book seems to be rated the most highly on a lot of websites.
 
I found this useful during my first year at uni, it's the recommended text for the course (and a few others by the sounds of it) so the lecturers must rate it as well.
 
Phil99 said:
I found this useful during my first year at uni, it's the recommended text for the course (and a few others by the sounds of it) so the lecturers must rate it as well.
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Agreed that it's a good book, and BlueJ is a good way to learn Java - but equally some people hate it. Our course changed from teaching Java using BlueJ a few years ago because it was unpopular.
 
Good point, I'd almost managed to forget about BlueJ :p

BlueJ is very good if you have no background in Object Oriented programming as it shows everything in a more visual way, however a few people on my course found the transition from BlueJ to a 'proper' IDE like Netbeans quite difficult.

If you're learning in your own time it shouldn't be a problem, I think the main problem people had was the time between learning basics of programming with BlueJ to full GUI applications with Netbeans on our course.
 
We used the BlueJ one as well. Its a decent book, but the BlueJ dev env is completely awful. The only good thing about it is that it has the object bench which helps you run tests etc, and helps new OOers understand whats going on a bit more easily.

In short I'd say use the book, learn the basics from it using BlueJ and then dump BlueJ asap for something decent, eclipse, netbeans, whatever.

I found that a lot of people in uni who clung to BlueJ had a very hard time, for instance - BlueJ doesn't interpret as you type, so as a beginner you compile and get 500 compile errors, where as if that person had been using eclipse they would have been given instant feedback that what they had coded was ******** so things don't mount up. Keep in mind thats just one example why BlueJ is rubbish, I'm aware its not meant to be a full blown IDE, but it seriously stunts your learning once you've got the basics down.
 
I think this is the best Java book for students.

Java In Two Semester

If you just want to pass Java because you have to e.g core module then get this book. If you want to actually learn Java then get another book.

I studied Multimedia Computing and Java was core module :confused: , for Computer Science student it was optional module :mad:

I'm gonna sell my book come September/October :D
 
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pinkaardvark said:
I think you'll find C++ came long before java :)
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Uh, Java and C# have far, far, far more in common with each other than either do with C++.

Una said:
How is Java namby pamby? C# is just basically a clone of Java which runs on less platforms *shrug*
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And which isn't as well designed ;)

By the way, don't go for any 24 hour books (or 21 day books for that matter). If you're learning a programming language you should be doing it on your own terms and not rushing it.
 
Phnom_Penh said:
C++ != C#.
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hehe. Mistaking C# with C++ the crime of the century pinkaardvark.
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Inquisitor said:
By the way, don't go for any 24 hour books (or 21 day books for that matter). If you're learning a programming language you should be doing it on your own terms and not rushing it.
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These books are fine providing you take your time, I bought a 21 day C# book and it is very good.
 
It all depends on how familiar you are with programming. If you are very unfamiliar with prorgamming AND java, then i suggest the Java book by Walter Savitch. It was recommended to us but i barely read it.

You can never rush learning programming, it just doesn't work :p
 
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