Thinking In Java 3rd Edition Available Online

slothdog writes "Bruce Eckel has made the new 3rd edition of Thinking in Java (and other books) available online. This is a more introductory-level book, although there is a work in progress on Thinking in Patterns and one on the way entitled Thinking in Enterprise Java. All in all, an excellent book for someone not yet familiar with Java. Kudos to Bruce for making it available for download!"

Comments

3 or 4 years ago...

[Pengo]

3-4 years ago I downloaded the first online revision of his ebook. I printed out all 200+ pages and went through it one chapter at a time. After about 2-3 weeks, I was working away in JAVA and that book was probably one of the more influential elements in my career as a programmer. I am glad that Bruce has made his material free for use. I have since purchased copies of thinking in JAVA and thinking in C++. The Thinking in JAVA book has probably taught me more about OOP than any other book I have read on the subject.

I recommend that books to anyone that would like to venture into the wild world of JAVA, whether you be an experienced programmer or someone who would like to be one some day. :) Bruce has a way of putting his concepts and lessons across in ways that are comprehensible and easily graspable. At the time when I picked up that book, I had considered JAVA as a language to add to my plate, but found the task of teaching myself JAVA quite daunting. Since I have been working exclusively with JAVA and am still learning new things all the time.

Thinking in C#?

[Schnapple]

A while back I checked out his site and he had given someone the rights to translate Thinking in Java (2nd Edition, I presume), into Thinking in C#. It was available for download was a "Version 0.1" where any code in red was still Java - black code was translated into C#. I'm not sure how much text was neccessary to translate, but it was essentially "ported" to C#.

Apparently at the beginning of November they changed it to where instead of being a free unrestricted download it's a $10 unprintable PDF. This was done since universities were cancelling their orders for the book since students could print it out (using university resources no less), which they decided was unfair to them (the author/publisher). The book itself isn't out until February.

Now here's the question I have - what does this say about C# or Java that the universities (presumably) aren't doing this same thing with Java? They don't mind that anyone can download TiJ for free and print it out, but they do mind for TiC#? In his FAQ Eckel goes on about how it's a good thing professors can use his book in classes before it comes out for real - now that's a bad thing?

I guess the main thing is that it smacks of the same sort of drama that surrounded the University of Waterloo and their teaching of C# (they were to recieve $1M from Microsoft, but then Waterloo decided to stew on the idea for a year).

Re:Thinking in C#?

[Nicolay77]

I've read their books about C++ and Java in parallel and I can tell you: IT DOES MAKE SENSE.

It's even the other way around, this way you can really understand all the special features/nuances of the language.

Of course some chapters appear/dissapear completely, as some concepts has no translation. (STL in C++ and Threads in Java).

But it really makes sense.

Re:SWT?

[ProfKyne]

Is there an abridged version of the 3rd edition that only has the changes? I am just now finishing the TIJ 2nd Edition, which I purchased in hardcopy because I found the first three chapters (which I read from the free download) to be extremely informative and enlightening.

Yes, it's taken me months to get through the thousand pages in this book (i have a full time job and a life, so no, I didn't finish it in a few weeks), but I'd like to read the things he's added to the 3rd edition.