Java Programming For Dummies ^{3rd Ed.}

Everything You Need to Create Java 2 Applets!

If you want to use Java 2 — and not just read about it — this is the book for yoiu. Find out how to add oomph and interactivity to your Web site with some nifty applets, provide a friendly user interfcae to your corporate database, or develop games, Java Programming For Dummies, 3^rd Edition, brings you all the practical information and sample code you need to get programming in Java 2 — right away.

Inside, find helpful advice on how to:

• Master the latest Internet standards in Java 2
• Write Java 2 code you can use again and again in different applications
• Produce dynamic Web pages that respond to user input
• Create sprites, bots, and other applets that can run on all kind of computers — PCs, Macs, and UNIX workstations
• Transfer mini programs without losing or corrupting data
• Develop multi-user games you can play across the Internet

• Introduction
• Who Are You?
• About This Book
• How This Book Is Organized
• Part I: Hello, Java
• Part II: Javanese
• Part III: Caffeinated Pages
• Part IV: Only Java
• Part V: The Part of Tens
• Part VI: Appendixes
• About the CD-ROM
• Icons Used in This Book
• What Now?
• Part I: Hello, Java
1. Java and the World Wide Web
• The Internet: A Reality and an Idea
• The World Wide Web: Narrowing the Search
• Intranets: Internal corporate Web sites
• Java: The Magical Flying Program
• May I borrow that program?
• It's portable
• Multiply by 300 — or 1,500…
• May this compiler be safe from…
• Web page intelligence
• An Open System
• New and Improved: Java 2
2. Writing a Simple Program: Yet Another HelloWorld
• Some News about Java Programs
• The bad news
• The good news
• A typical Java applet
• HelloWorld with Attitude
• From the Programmer's Mind to the Computer's Chips
• Compiling
• Putting an applet on the page
• The virtual chip
• Inside the Computer's Chips
• Scratch pads
• Blueprints
• Write, compile, run, revise, compile, run…
• Writing the code for your applet
• Compiling your applet
• Installing your applet in a Web page
• Testing your applet
• If you get error messages
• Creating HelloWorld: Just do it!
3. Jumping to Java from HTML
• HTML: The VAV (Very Abbreviated Version)
• Text markup
• Finctional markup
• Links to other documents and files
• Images in Your Web Pages
• Using the <IMG> tag
• making a graphic link
• At Last: Including Applets in Your Web Pages
• Using the <APPLET> tag
• Passing parameters: A Brief detour back to Java
• Movies and Talking Pages
• Talking Back to the Internet
4. The Object All Sublime: Object-Oriented Programming
• A Primer on Object-Oriented Programming
• A Closer Look at a Class and an Object
• Managing your objects: Define, declare, instantiate
• Constructors and other methods
• The Pix Applet Using Inheritance
• Defining a Rectgl Step-by-Step
• Class and Method Definitions: Rules of Punctuation and Grammar
• How to Work Less and Enjoy Programming More
• Using inheritance to build on your work
• Planning ahead: Using abstract classes
• PixLabel
• And lest we forget it: Circle
• Putting the applet all together
• The Cartoon Version of "Hello, World!"
• Part II: Javanese
5. Where's the Action?
• Everything in Its Place
• FlowLayout
• BorderLayout
• Building a screen layout
• So, What's the Big Event?
• Monkeying with the mouse
• Keyboarding input
• Button, Button
• The Programmer's Activity Box, Version 1.0
• Conducting a beta test
• Try breaking the code
• A class can listen to itself
• Handling Events in Java 1.0
6. Choices, Choices, Choices: if, else, and switch
• Selection and Why You Need It
• Listening to the user
• The if statement: When a simple "yes" will do
• if…else: When you want a choice
• The switch statement: When you have many choices
• More Reasons for Being Selective
• You don't have to do everything the user tells you
• Know when you're up against the wall
• Follow the rules
• Grammar Lessons
• The grammar of a simple Java if statement
• if… or else
• Boxes within boxes, ifs within ifs
• A, B, C, D, or None of the Above
• If and switches together
• Whose default is it, anyway?
• You don't have to take a break
• Logic Chopping (Or Chopping for Logic)
7. Round and Round: for and while
• Iteration and Why You Need It
• I'd like a dozen of those, please
• How many would you like?
• You'll know when it's done
• More Grammar Lessons
• The grammar of a Java for statement
• An example of a for loop
• The road from parameter "repetitions" to int r
• a nesting ground of fors
• Counting by twos
• The Grammar of while
• Decoding a label
• Give me a call
• Keeping score
• Locating the nearest exit
8. Anatomy of a Class
• Classes with Class
• No Trespassing
• Variables
• Instance variables
• Class variables
• Telling the world about variables
• Object Under Construction
• How Do You Do That?
• More than one way to circle the globe
• So's your old man: Laws of heredity
• Managing a Large Family
• Abstract classes and interfaces
• Packaging
• Codebase
• A JAR full of classes
9. Recycle This Code
• Getting Started
• Looking it up
• Setup
• Response
• An Activity Box for More Mature Programmers
• Button
• Checkbox
• The checkbox group, AKAZ radio buttons
• You have a choice
• You have more than one choice
• Put it in writing
• Go to the Library More Often
• Look out for the window
• More layouts
• A Little Code for Dessert
• If you don't want to grow your own, buy some JavaBeans
• Why should VB programmers have all the fun?
10. Finding Your Type
• About Data Types
• Categorizing Your Numbers
• Describing whole numbers
• Describing fractional numbers
• What you can do with numbers
• Numbers on an object wrapper
• Using Special Mathematical Functions
• Categorizing Your Letters
• Describing characters
• Working with strings in Java
• The String Methods
• Editing methods
• Comparison methods
• Analyzing methods
• Other Data Types
• Part III: Caffeinated Pages

11. A Calendar Class
• Can We Meet Next Friday?
• Strategy
• Choosing your ancestors wisely
• Don't write code if you don't have to
• Making yourself (or your applet) at home on a page
• Code Me Some Code
• Listening to the Web page
• Painting a pretty face
• Handling current events
• Do you have a calendar?
• The Complete and Unexpurgated Code
• Calendar applet
• MonthCanvas Class
• Finishing Touches
• Controlling the color
• Commenting about comments
12. A Ticker Tape Class
• I/O, I/O, into Streams We Go
• Fetching a File from the Server
• Examining the parts
• Opening the input text file
• Handling Exceptional Occurrences
• Running Your Tasks by a Thread
• The Complete and Unexpurgated Code
13. Sprites Faster Than a Speeding Rabbit
• The Strategy for Displaying Moving Graphics
• Avoiding screen flicker
• Displaying graphics files
• Bouncing the Image around
• The Complete and Unexpurgated Code
• If You Want to Do It Yourself
14. JavaBots: Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!
• The Wild Rumpus
• The Man behind the Screen
• Up and running JavaBots
• Give that programmer arrays!
• Vectors
• Random behavior generating a color
• The Complete and Unexpurgated Code
15. An Applet for Teacher
• Learning from a Reference Document
• The Secrets of Successful Quizzing
• I've been framed
• Teach me how to read
• What's the score?
• In Plain Javanese
• And the Answers
16. Shopping Up a Storm
• Designing a Shopping Cart
• Specials of the Day
• I've got a little list
• And I'm sending it to you
• There's more than  one way to frame an applet
• When I say "jump"
• The price is right
• A Shopping Cart Full of Code
17. Fun with Fractals
• Give a Friend a Fractal
• An Explanation of Animation
• Comparing Java animation to GIF
• Using Java animation intelligently
• The Code
• Using numRows, numCols, and numColors
• The inner adapter class
• Using initColors
• Setting up the interface
• Listening for buttons
• Julia and Mandelbrot
• Using run()

• Part IV: Only Java

18. Java Stands Alone
• Java without a Browser
• The main difference in standing alone
• Some code to play with
• Printing: At last
• Why Write in Java When I Could Learn C++?
• Java is easy to understand
• Java helps to bug proof and virus proof
• Java supports new standards
• Why Write in C++ When I Know Java?

• Part V: The Part of Tens

19. Ten Common Mistakes
• Missing () {}
• Lost or Forgotten Imports
• Spellng Rong
• Incorrect Signatures
• A Method That Gives Nothing in Return
• The Wrong Kind of Equality
• Tight Loops
• Going Public
• Trusting Yourself Too Much
20. Ten Hot Pages to Peek At
• Blue Skies for Java
• Home Ideas Applet Area
• SmartMoney
• HotWired
• Interactive Physics and Math
• Fred
• Eliza
• Playsite
• Coastiekids games
• Java Lobby
21. Ten Web Sites for Java Lore
• JavaSoft
• Big Blue
• Gamelan
• Java World
• Java Report
• Java Applet Rating Service
• Java Newsgroup
• Java Woman
• Java User Groups
• Java Programming For Dummies Resource Page
22. Ten Tenets of Style
• Logically Group the Elements of Your Code
• Use Indentation and Alignment to Chunk Code
• Use White Space and Blank Lines to Group Code
• Use Short Comments to Clarify the Code
• Write Comments for Javadoc
• Give Methods and Variables Meaningful Names
• Capitalize Constants
• Use Capitalization to Add Meaning to Names
• Commit No Violence over Matters of Style
• Write Code Like a Novel
23. Ten Facts about the Other Java
• Java Is a Large Island
• Jakarta Is a City
• Wayang Kulit Are Shadow Puppets
• Gamelan Is an Orchestra
• The Dalang Is the puppet Master
• Garuda Is a God
• The Kris Is a Weapon
• Batik Is an Art Form
• Java Is a Land of Volcanoes
• Yes, They Write Java in Java

• Part VI: Appendixes

There exists better Java books, even introductionary ones.