David Flanagan has updated his learn-by-example guide with coverage of regular expressions (new to the core Java API), extended I/O coverage, new Java internationalization information, and extensive coverage of the new Java GUI features. He's also added a sneak peek at some new features in Java version 1.5, due to release late in 2004.

Preface; I. Learning Java; 1. Java Basics Hello World; FizzBuzz; The Fibonacci Series; Using Command-Line Arguments; Echo in Reverse; FizzBuzz Switched; Computing Factorials; Recursive Factorials; Caching Factorials; Computing Big Factorials; Handling Exceptions; Interactive Input Using a StringBuffer; Sorting Numbers; Computing Primes; 2. Objects, Classes, and Interfaces; A Rectangle Class Testing the Rect Class; A Rect Subclass; Another Subclass; Complex Numbers Computing Statistics An Integer List; Tokenizing Text; II. Core Java APIs; 3. Input/Output; Files and Streams; Working with Files; Copying File Contents; Reading and Displaying Text Files; Listing Directory and File Information; Compressing Files and Directories; Filtering Character Streams; Tokenizing a Character Stream; Random Access to Files; 4. Threads; Thread Basics; Thread-Safe Classes; Threads and Thread Groups; Deadlock; Timers; 5. Networking; Downloading the Contents of a URL; Using a URLConnection; Sending Email Through a URLConnection; A Simple Network Client; A Generic Client; An HTTP Client; A POP Client; A Simple Web Server; A Proxy Server; A Generic Multithreaded Server; Sending Datagrams; Receiving Datagrams; 6. New I/O Locking Files; Copying Files; Regular Expressions and Character Decoding; File Copying with Buffers; Advanced Byte-to-Character Conversion; Tokenizing Byte Buffers; A Simple HTTP Client; The Daytime Service; A Multiplexed Server; A Multiplexed Network Client; 7. Security and Cryptography; Running Untrusted Code; Loading Untrusted Code; Message Digests and Digital Signatures; Cryptography; 8. Internationalization; A Word About Locales; Unicode; Character Encodings; Handling Local Customs; Localizing User-Visible Messages; Formatted Messages; 9. Reflection; Obtaining Class and Member Information; Invoking a Named Method; Proxy Objects; 10. Object Serialization; Simple Serialization; Custom Serialization; Externalizable Classes; Serialization and Class Versioning; III. Desktop Java APIs; 11. Graphical User Interfaces; Components; Containers; Layout Management; Event Handling; A Complete GUI; Actions and Reflection; Custom Dialogs; An Error Handler Dialog; Displaying Tables; Displaying Trees; A Simple Web Browser; Describing GUIs with Properties; Themes and the Metal Look-and-Feel; Look-and-Feel Preferences; The ShowBean Program; 12. Graphics; Graphics Before Java 1.2; The Java 2D API; Drawing and Filling Shapes; Transforms; Line Styles with BasicStroke; Stroking Lines; Filling Shapes with Paint; Antialiasing; Combining Colors with AlphaComposite; Image Processing; Image I/O; Custom Shapes; Custom Strokes; Custom Paint; Advanced Animation; Displaying Graphics Examples; 13. Printing; Printing with the Java 1.1 API; Printing with the Java 1.2 API; Printing with the Java 1.4 API; Printing Multipage Text Documents; Advanced Printing with Java 1.4; 14. Data Transfer; Simple Swing Data Transfer; A Clock with Drag and Copy Support; Data Transfer Architecture; Droppin

"This essential, learn-as-you-go tutorial invites new and seasoned Java developers to let go of worries about the complexity and sophistication of Java and simply jump in and try effective new programming techniques and code. It's a very good place to start if you're thinking of trying something new." Industrial Networking & Open Contol, April 2004 "This is not, perhaps, for the gnarled old 'sandals and beard' developer at the back of the office, but if you're a junior developer, or perhaps a highly experienced developer moving into Java for the first time, you won't find much better reading, and doing, than this." - Davey Winder, PC Plus, Nov (Rating 9/10)