(Part 2) Top products from r/learnjava

1. IDE. The quicker you start the better you will be. Writing code in Java without IDE is possible, but in real development you will use IDE. SO the quicker you start lerning one of it (all useful tricks) then better for you. The only disadvantage is, as my class mate said "when you are using IDE you will end up with typing 'syso' and CTRL+space to complete syntax, without remembering that it is 'System.out.println()'". Because of that, some resources recommend to use text editor. But I think better way is to use IDE from start.
   
   
2. I'm not in the point yet to tell you when.
   
   
3. In London and into Java? London Java Community is one of the biggest local JUGs around the world. Check http://www.meetup.com/Londonjavacommunity/. We have plenty of events around Java, where you can learn new stuff. It's maybe not as useful for beginners as for advanced developers (I consider myself as beginner too), but you can find your place there. Also we have in plan to run computer club under the wings of Graduate Developers Community (more beginners friendly) which is associated with LJC.
   
   Anyway London is a great place if you want to be involved in any community, there is plenty of them.
   
   
4. I recommend "Java, A Beginner's Guide" by Herbert Schildt (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Java-Beginners-Guide-5th-Edition/dp/0071606327). I tried few others, but this one is the best in my opinion.
   
   PM me if you are interested to join LJC. I'm quite active member of it and we are almost same age (34).
   
   Another thing is, if you think that 10 weeks course (even intensive) teach you Java, then you are wrong. I don't think anyone can say I learn all Java.

Look for a good simple book on swing and get reading. It sounds like a reasonably simple project so you probably won't need to read a huge amount of a book to get enough basics together to make a working assignment but it's up to you and how far you want to go.

I like this book but I can't say how it would read to a beginner since I already had a lot of experience with Java in general before I picked it up. Good luck mate

Coming to Java after a bunch of other languages, I found The Java Programming Language and Effective Java really helpful.

The first is a massive, and incredibly dry tome, but it leaves out nothing. Every question I had about the language was answered somewhere in the book. No technical details were ignored or glossed over. If you're looking for something really technical, it's hard to complain!

Effective Java is more useful as a sort of crash course in Java design patterns. The chapters are more conversational, but they give a really good sense of what professional idiomatic Java looks like, and how to think about the language. If you read through it, and understand the thought process behind each chapter, you'll have a really good sense of what good Java looks like.

I used Core Java Vol 1 9th edition by Cay Horstmann: http://www.amazon.com/Core-Java-I--Fundamentals-9th/dp/0137081898/

I thought it was pretty good as a beginner. Chapters 3 to 6 are especially useful and good.

I was in the same position like you. I tried all the various sources. but the explaination in the 'Data Structures and Algorithms in Java' book helped me lot to understand all the data structure and algorithm very clearly.

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Tip:

• Read about one algorithm or data structure topic.
  
• close the book
  
• Now try to write the same program on paper. (not on a laptop)
  
• Notice the places where you stuck during writing a program.
  
• Open the book and compare your code with code in the book and see your mistake.
  
• Repeat till you write correct program without any help.
  
  ​
  
  This way you will improve super fast.
  
  ​
  
  Book link:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Data-Structures-Algorithms-Java-2nd/dp/0672324539

I don't know about its lighthearted-ness, but Cay's texts are usually pretty decent and somewhat 'friendly'. There is Core Java for the Impatient covering Java 8 as well as a newer version that covers Java 9.

I find this book very useful and complete, I'm a seasoned java developer, been here since 2008, it's been so long that I actually start forgetting some stuff... and this book has helped me overcome that rusty memory, easy to read and full of details


https://www.amazon.com/Java-Complete-Reference-Herbert-Schildt-ebook/dp/B07KSQ9RKF/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=3T8G8YTK04S6H&keywords=java+the+complete+reference+11th+edition&qid=1550625639&s=gateway&sprefix=java+the+com%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

IMHO books if you're an absolute beginner (which you are).
You need a solid foundation, few online courses can give you that.

My favorite, very pedagogic writing style
Head First Java is also reknown (the teaching style just happens to not be my cup of tea) .
Both books are well known, you can find them online.

I'll second the Core Java series.

If learning programming from the beginning though I really like Absolute Java

There's also a C++ version of the textbook. Used both in college CS. Good books.

I personally think Building Java Programs: A Back To Basic Approach, 4th edition by Stuart Reges and Marty Stepp is really helpful. It's what I started with.

I don't know how far you are into your academic career, but here's a pro-tip/lifehack from someone who got through a master's degree in an unrelated discipline: If the professor doesn't require the latest edition (just ask them), don't get the latest edition. Get one or two editions back, if they're not super-old, and the $25 2011 edition or the 32 cent 2008 edition are probably more than adequate for an introductory book. Hell, the most referred to book (one I love) -- Head First Java, 2nd Edition -- is from 2005, and it's still relevant even if it doesn't cover the most recent language developments.

It's very rare that a college book for anything other than highly advanced courses or cutting-edge technology will have anything necessary in the most recent editions. I don't know how many thousands of dollars I saved over my academic career buying two versions back, and never personally encountered a single problem since the majority of what they do is reorganize pages, add a graph, and call it "9th version" or something. I took a few books and did side-by-side comparisons and have never found anything worthy of $100-200 price tags versus $3 or less -- most often things like a picture moved to the opposite page or an updated index.

Again, this is most especially true for beginner courses, and you should always talk to your instructor. But in the off-chance anything is missing, you can just ask a classmate to read the relevant chapter from their book.

But for an unrequired side book, it's hard to justify spending $100+. Maybe try the 2008 edition while googling newer features, or take a look at Head First Java (great introductory book, in my opinion).

You can pick a book on Algorithms by Sedgewick, which is quite a standard recommendation for algorithms book these days and benefit both programming exercise and problem solving at the same time.

Daniel Liang's book is quite extensive and covers and wide variety of subjects beyond just learning about variables, for loops, and OOP. He also covers advanced data structures, multithreaded programming, JDBC, servlets, sockets, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Programming-Structures-Comprehensive-Version/dp/0134670949/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MISLS3C1LLZC&keywords=introduction+to+java+programming+daniel+liang+11th+edition&qid=1557694359&s=books&sprefix=introduction+to+java+%2Cstripbooks%2C125&sr=1-1

This seems to have been recommended quite a few times on Java related subreddits: http://www.amazon.com/Java-Concurrency-Practice-Brian-Goetz/dp/0321349601

Does the bookstore sell this book from the same author. I prefer this for beginners course. It covers java 8 lambdas and stream.

Java for Dummies

https://www.amazon.com/Java-Dummies-Computers-Barry-PH-D/dp/1119175690

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Java-Programs-Stuart-Reges/dp/0133360903

Doing a deep dive into a C++ book this summer. Looking foward to asking questions in the discord.

This is the book if anyone is curious.

Sams Teach Yourself C++ in One Hour a Day (7th Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0672335670/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XHy3Cb9MTK0MN

Or if you've read it let me know what you think!

Killer Game Programming in Java https://www.amazon.com/dp/0596007302/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_7c6lxbS4XABBM

I looked this up and found it on amazon...holy fuck, sticker shock.

Never went to traditional college so never had to buy a textbook, for a self learner...is it worth it?

Anything else out there you'd recommend?

Edit: I think I was looking at the wrong thing, what I was looking at includes some course content...

https://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Programming-Pearson-Access-Package/dp/0134243935/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519140467&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=ISBN-10%3A0134243935+%2FISBN-13%3A+9780134243931