Certification

Java Software Structures for AP Computer Science (for the AB Exam)

Format: Hardcover
Author: John Lewis
ReleaseDate: 14 January, 2005
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Rating:

not limited to studying for the AP Computer Science exam
Bespeaks a good future for the language. As a Java programmer, I was interested to see from Lewis' text that Java is now in the syllabus for Advanced Placement Computer Science.

The book is not strictly confined to explaining Java. It starts with a chapter on the general methodologies of software engineering. Giving the spiral model for software development, for instance. And also briefly introducing UML, which is now a standard for describing software functionality.

On Java itself, Lewis jumps immediately into the key object oriented concepts. Like polymorphism and inheritance. Explaining that Java, unlike C++, does not allow multiple inheritance. You should be aware that Lewis does not (much) go over the basic syntax of Java, unlike full texts on Java. The emphasis here is given in the book's title - software structures. So you need some prior acquaintance with elementary Java.

Most of the chapters then flesh out what Java provides for you in various useful classes that are part of the default package for the language. Collections are an important part of this. Crucial concepts like what is an iterator, and how to use this to step through the members of a collection. Plus the idea of interfaces. A very nice and powerful attribute of Java. Interfaces are vital in building complex programs, where you can cleanly separate implementation from a class's API.

Other chapters delve into useful tools (for that is what these are) like HashMap and Hashtable. And you can see how common computing ideas like queues, stacks and trees are implemented in Java. Hopefully, you will appreciate how much you get for free in this language. These classes have been thoroughly debugged and are so useful to the professional programmer that you might become.

In a way, it is too limited to think of the book as being restricted to studying for the AP computer science exam. The scope is broader. The book is useful to anyone who wants or needs to study these aspects of Java.