Java For Dummies. 9 Ed

Title Page....5 Copyright Page....6 Table of Contents....9 Introduction....17 About This Book....17 Foolish Assumptions....18 Icons Used in This Book....19 Beyond the Book....20 Where to Go from Here....20 Part 1 Getting Started with Java....21 Chapter 1 All about Java....23 What You Can Do with Java....24 Why You Should Use Java....25 Gaining Perspective: Where Java Fits In....26 Three Ways to Write Computer Programs....28 A word you can use to impress people....29 Imperative programming....29 Object-oriented programming....30 Functional programming....33 Whats Next?....35 Chapter 2 All about Software....37 Get Ready for Java....37 The Inside Scoop....40 What is a compiler?....41 What is a Java virtual machine?....44 Developing Software....48 Spoiler Alert!....49 Chapter 3 Using the Basic Building Blocks....51 Speaking the Java Language....51 The grammar and the common names....52 The words in a Java program....53 Checking Out Java Code for the First Time....55 Understanding a Simple Java Program....57 The Java method....57 The main method in a program....59 How you finally tell the computer to do something....60 Brace yourself....62 BEGIN THE BEGUINE....64 CAPITAL PAINS....65 STOLEN SEMICOLON....65 MISCELLANEOUS MISCHIEF....65 And Now, a Few Comments....66 Adding comments to your code....67 Whats Barrys excuse?....69 Using comments to experiment with your code....70 Part 2 Writing Your Own Java Programs....73 Chapter 4 Making the Most of Variables and Their Values....75 Varying a Variable....76 Assignment statements....78 The types of values that variables may have....79 How to hold the line....82 Numbers without decimal points....83 Combining declarations and initializing variables....85 Experimenting with JShell....87 The Atoms: Javas Primitive Types....90 The char type....91 The boolean type....94 Creating New Values by Applying Operators....95 Initialize once, assign often....99 The increment and decrement operators....99 Assignment operators....104 The Molecules and Compounds: Reference Types....106 Javas String type....107 Javas Random type....107 Coding with classes, objects, and their methods....108 Reserving a variable name....108 Reserving a variable name....108 Creating an instance and making a variable refer to the instance....109 Calling a method....110 What did he just say?....111 Chapter 5 Controlling the Flow by Making Decisions....113 Making Decisions (Java if Statements)....114 Guess the number....114 She controlled keystrokes from the keyboard....115 Reading double values: a cautionary tale....116 The if statement....117 Equal, equal....118 Brace yourself....119 Your intent to indent....119 Elseless in Helsinki....120 Forming Conditions with Comparisons and Logical Operators....123 Comparing numbers; comparing characters....123 Comparing objects....124 When one line isnt enough....127 Javas logical operators....128 Vive les nuls!....130 (Conditions in parentheses)....132 An import declaration....133 Warning! Explicit content!....136 The Nesting Habits of if Statements....138 Choosing among Many Alternatives....139 Javas glorious switch statement....139 Express yourself....143 Your grandparents switch statement....145 Free fall....146 Chapter 6 Controlling Program Flow with Loops....151 Repeating Instructions Over and Over Again (Java while Statements)....152 Count On Me....155 The anatomy of a for statement....157 The world premiere of Als All Wet....158 You Can Always Get What You Want....161 Who moved my file?....164 Reading a single character....164 On the var side....165 File handling in Java....166 Block on the while side....167 Part 3 Working with the Big Picture: Object-Oriented Programming....171 Chapter 7 The Inside scOOP....173 Defining a Class (What It Means to Be an Account)....174 Declaring variables and creating objects....176 Using an objects fields....177 One program; several classes....178 The road not taken....179 Defining a Method within a Class (Displaying an Account)....180 An account that displays itself....182 The display methods header....184 Sending Values to and from Methods (Calculating Interest)....187 Passing a value to a method....190 Returning a value from the getInterest method....191 Giving Your Numbers a Makeover....193 Hide-and-Seek....196 Good programming....197 Public lives and private dreams: Making a field inaccessible....199 Enforcing rules with accessor methods....201 Streamlining Java....202 Experiments with Variables....206 Putting a variable in its place....207 Telling a variable where to go....209 Passing Parameters....213 Pass by value....213 Returning a result....214 Pass by reference....215 Returning an object from a method....217 A final word....219 Chapter 8 Constructing New Objects....221 Defining Constructors (What It Means to Be a Temperature)....222 What is a temperature?....223 What is a temperature scale? (Javas enum type)....223 Okay, so then what is a temperature?....224 What you can do with a temperature....227 What does a temperature look like?....230 Constructing a temperature; a slow-motion replay....231 The default constructor....233 The Easy Way to Create a Class....236 Constructors dont have to be dull....239 Equality for all!....242 Chapter 9 Piles of Files: Dealing with Information Overload....245 What It Means to Be an Employee....246 Putting your class to good use....248 She reads keystrokes from the keyboard....250 Working with Disk Files....253 Cutting a check....257 Repeat after me....258 Reading from a file....259 Wheres your file?....260 You can decide where to put your file....261 Reading a line at a time....261 Clean up after yourself....263 Chapter 10 Saving Time and Money: Reusing Existing Code....265 Defining Subclasses (What It Means to Be a Full-Time or Part-Time Employee)....266 Creating a subclass....269 Creating subclasses is habit-forming....273 Using Subclasses....274 Making types match....275 The second half of the story....276 Changing the Payments for Only Some of the Employees....278 A Java annotation....279 Using methods from classes and subclasses....280 Yet Another switch....284 Doing Something about the Weather....286 Constructors for subclasses....288 Using all this stuff....289 Constructor madness....290 Part 4 Smart Java Techniques....295 Chapter 11 Putting Variables and Methods Where They Belong....297 Making a Package....298 Package deal....298 Using the Player class....300 Running the code....303 One class; nine objects....304 Some notes on formatting....305 Its All About Access....307 Access for Java modules....308 Access modifiers for classes....309 Public classes....309 Nonpublic classes....310 A word or two about method-local variables....310 Access for members (fields and methods)....311 Members in the same class....311 Members in different classes....311 Making Static (Finding the Team Average)....317 So much static!....319 Meet the compact constructor....319 Displaying the overall team average....320 All about static import....322 All about static references....323 Why static members dont always play well with others....324 Chapter 12 Using Collections and Streams....329 Using an ArrayList....330 A new way to do looping....334 Import a module in one fell swoop....335 Using generics....336 You have options....336 Wrap it up....337 Are we done yet?....339 Once and again....340 Sorting and Searching....340 Another Kind of Collection Class....342 So many collection classes!....344 Functional Programming....345 Problem-solving the old-fashioned way....346 A familiar problem....347 Lambda expressions....348 The interpretation of streams....350 Getting a stream from a collection....352 Filtering the items in a stream....352 Getting a value from each item in a stream....353 Summarizing the items in a stream....353 Why bother?....356 Method references....359 Some black sheep among the lambdas....360 Chapter 13 Using Arrays to Juggle Values....365 Getting Your Ducks All in a Row....365 How to book hotel guests....367 Tab stops and other special things....368 Make life easy for yourself....369 Array versus ArrayList: The Ultimate Showdown....372 Do You Have a Room?....373 Writing to a file....375 What else can go wrong?....376 Array Madness....377 Return to Sanity....379 Arrays of Objects....381 Using the Room class....383 The conditional operator....386 How to Argue with Your Code....387 Settling the argument....388 Checking for the right number of program arguments....390 Chapter 14 Looking Good When Things Take Unexpected Turns....393 Garbage In....394 Making things right....398 The parameter in a catch clause....398 Do it yourself....401 Who will catch the exception?....403 Catching two or more exceptions at a time....410 The Buck Stops Here, Except When It Doesnt....411 Catch it soon....412 Catch it later....414 Checked or unchecked?....416 Try, Try Again!....418 Chapter 15 Fancy Reference Types....423 Javas Types....423 The Java Interface....424 Declaring two interfaces....425 Implementing interfaces....427 Putting the pieces together....429 Abstract Classes....433 Caring for your pet....436 Using all your classes....438 Relax! Youre Not Seeing Double!....440 Chapter 16 Oooey GUI Was a Worm....443 Getting Started with GUI Applications....444 Setting up your computer....444 Installing the JavaFX plug-in....445 Installing Scene Builder....446 Creating a bare-bones JavaFX project....447 Running your bare-bones JavaFX project....450 Adding Stuff to Your JavaFX Project....452 Wheres my Scene Builder application?....452 Building a scene....453 Tweaking some code....456 Running your new project....457 Part 5 The Part of Tens....459 Chapter 17 Ten Packs of Java Websites....461 This Books Website....461 For Business Issues Related to This Book....461 Download the Java Development Kit....462 Your Grandparents Java Download Site....462 The Horses Mouth....462 Join Java User Groups....462 Find the Latest News about Java....462 Find News, Reviews, and Sample Code....463 Got a Technical Question about Anything?....463 Become Involved in the Future of Java....463 Chapter 18 Ten Bits of Advice for New Software Developers....465 How Long Does It Take to Learn Java?....466 Which of Your Books Should I Read?....466 Are Books Other than Yours Good for Learning Java?....466 Which Computer Programming Language(s) Should I Learn?....467 Which Skills Other than Computer Coding Should I Learn?....467 How Should I Continue My Learning as a Software Developer?....468 How Else Should I Continue My Learning as a Developer?....468 How Can I Land a Job Developing Software?....469 I Still Dont Know What to Do with My Life....469 If I Have Other Questions, How Can I Contact You?....470 Index....471 EULA....499