With each new version of Java, it gets tougher to fit this language in a "Nutshell." Java 2 Standard Edition 1.4 is some 50 percent bigger than its predecessor: 2,757 classes in 135 packages. Fortunately, David Flanagan and his coauthors are up to the challenge. Java in a Nutshell, Fourth Edition, fully updated for J2SE 1.4, contains some 250 pages of new coverage.
What's new? For one thing, lots of XML stuff -- from the new JavaBeans XML-based persistence mechanism to support for XML processing with DOM Level 2 and SAX 2.0. There are new I/O APIs, which improve Java performance in buffer management, network and file I/O, and other key areas. There's JAAS, Sun's toolset for authentication and authorization, part of the core J2SE platform for the first time. There are improvements to the collection classes, designed to simplify programming and -- again -- improve performance. There's textual pattern matching with regular expressions. There's a new API for managing user preference and configuration data.
Flanagan covers all this and more. And, as in previous editions, the comprehensive reference material is supplemented by an exceptionally concise and well-thought-out overview of Java programming. You'll crack this Nutshell -- every day. (Bill Camarda)
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. He served for nearly ten years as vice president of a New Jerseybased marketing company, where he supervised a wide range of graphics and web design projects. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.