Reference

Java Fundamental Classes Reference (Java Series)

Format: Paperback
Author: Mark Grand
ReleaseDate: May, 1997
Publisher:
Rating:

Out of date -- don't buy
0. This book documents version 1.2 of JDK. Sun is up to version 1. 3 and has made dramatic additions since 1. 0. 2. Don't buy something so out of date.

Very good if you prefer hard copy
Also, most computer books lag behind the actual software they cover. As others have pointed out, there isn't much here that isn't in the freely available JDK documentation. There are a few indispensable "classic" computer books out there, but they're all about stuff like UNIX, TCP/IP, and C, targets that don't move as quickly as Java does.

But I don't think I'm the only professional programmer in the world who appreciates having printed documentation. It's handy to be able to take a book on the road, or to the nearest couch, and flip through the pages at my leisure. I like putting a finger in one page and a pencil in another while I flip to a few cross-references. I doubt that online docs will ever really replace the Real Thing for me.

O'Reilly is one of the two or three best computer book publishers out there (Addison-Wesley and Prentice-Hall are also excellent, but pricey). This book is typical of O'Reilly's stuff: practical, dependable and inexpensive. I do Java GUI programming full-time, and I've used this book a lot. So far as I can tell, every method for every class is covered at just the right level of detail. If you want an authoritative, exhaustive reference that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, look no further.

VEry poor reference book
This is very much like the API doc on the web, there is NO example. This book does not worth your money. Better save your money to find a better ref book such as the Chan & Lee.