"We'll be doing this next project in Java."

Unfortunately, you're a C++ programmer, or maybe a Python programmer. How are you going to get up to speed in a hurry? There are lots of Java books for beginners, telling you all about what a computer is and how it represents everything in bits. You don't need that. At the other extreme, there are thousand-page tomes that you aren't going to get through in a few days, if ever. You need something in-between.

This book is intended to fill that gap. It's written for the programmer who doesn't need to be taught how to program, just how to do it in Java—and who needs to get started in a hurry.

Java is covered from the inside out. First, all the things that go inside a class, most of which are practically identical to C++. After that, all the various and complicated kinds of classes and interfaces and how they relate to each other in large-scale programs.

Testing is essential, so (unlike most Java books) JUnit is covered in detail. Then, in case you need to go in that direction, some functional programming, a little about parallel programming, and more than enough to get you started in building GUIs (graphical user interfaces) and doing animation.

There's a lot in this little book and, despite my best efforts, you won't learn Java in a weekend. But it should be a good start.

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