The Java Bookshelf: 6 Must-Read Guides
Whether you’re a novice in Java or have years of experience, you can always enhance your knowledge and skills with books. Sure, practice means the most for a coder, but theory can give you direction and help look at problems in a new light, describe fundamental concepts that you can apply in practice.
A good source of theory is books.
So in this article, you’ll find six must-read Java books that you should add to your library. They cover various topics, including Java principles, framework, data structures, providing valuable resources for all Java programmers, from novices to experts.
Today in this article, we will cover below aspects,
Why Do Books Still Matter?
Good question. The abundance of learning tools might make you think that books are a thing of the past. But reading is still your best ally because it allows you to exercise your analytical and comprehension abilities. And what better way to do that than with a piece written by an expert in your field.
That’s why books are important for progressing the never-ending learning curve of any programmer. Though you can also opt for alternative reading materials provided online like this java programming Blog from CodeGym.
Great Java Books You Should Check Out
If you look at the piece from CodeGym’s blog about Java books, the author agrees that “Head First Java” is a top choice for beginners, so let’s start this list it.
Head First Java
- Authors: Kathy Sierra & Bert Bates
- Suitable for beginners
This publication is quick and enjoyable, engaging you with a combination of riddles, great images, mysteries, and soul-searching conversations with famous Java objects.
This piece is a complete introduction to object-oriented coding and Java, despite the lighthearted presentation of this page-turner. It covers everything from the basic to expert level.
What else should you expect? A visually rich format created with your brain in mind. Instead of a text-heavy technique that drives you to sleep, you’ll understand Java through issues and challenges that will occupy your imagination.
If you’re one to collect hard copies, this title can become a great addition to your bookshelf. You’re more than likely to refer to it even after gaining some hands-on experience.
Java: A beginner’s Guide
- Author: Herbert Schildt
- Suitable for beginners
Herbert Schildt, a best-selling coding author, starts with the fundamentals, such as writing, constructing, and running a program. This book gets you up and running with keywords, grammar, and constructs that make up the backbone of the language.
Multicore programming, generic versions, lambda expressions, modules, and Swing are among the most sophisticated features covered in the book. An introduction to JShell, Java’s interactive programming tool, is given as an extra.
Most importantly, it’s presented in a clear, sharp, and straightforward manner so you don’t get your brain into trouble just reading it. The guide offers example code accompanied with an annotation that explains the programming principles demonstrated.
Head First Design Patterns
- Author: Eric Freeman and Elisabeth Robson
- Suitable for beginners
If you want to become an efficient conder, understanding and applying design patterns is essential. How do they solve various difficulties? What is the best way to use them? You can find the answers in this book.
It also includes several helpful tools, such as workouts and memorization maps, that aid in learning design patterns. This book is an excellent way to start if you want to master basic Java design patterns and object-oriented design concepts.
Thinking in Java
- Author: Bruce Eckel
- Suitable for beginners to experts
You truly know a language when you start thinking in it. And this guidebook will show you how to do that. It contains over 600 functioning Java applications in over 650 compilation files, all of which have been rewritten for the latest edition of Java.
Thinking in Java starts with an object-oriented foundation for both novices and professionals, then goes to design patterns, XML, concurrency, and other topics. Overall, this is a book that will continue to be helpful to you even after you have spent years learning and writing in Java.
Effective Java
- Author: Joshua Bloch
- Suitable for professionals
For experienced Java programmers, this is a must-read book. The writing style of the author will engage you with topics but you’ll also learn a lot about the language and its APIs.
This book can be read on vacation while traveling or at your workplace. It’s simply fantastic. There’s no question that after reading this book, you’ll be a sharper problem-solver. But it’s only suitable for the ones who already have experience in Java.
Clean Code
- Author: Robert C. Martin (aka Uncle Bob)
- Suitable for advanced coders
Even terrible code can get the job done. However, if regulation isn’t well-written, it can knock a development team to its knees. Clean code presents a good view of how code should be written to be understandable and manageable.
Clean Code is broken down into three sections. The first section discusses the principles, patterns, and techniques for writing clean code. The second section contains a series of increasingly complicated case examples. Each case study is an activity in code cleanup, in which you’ll learn how to turn a sloppy codebase into a clean and effective one.
The payout comes in the third section, a single chapter featuring a list of heuristics and “smells” obtained during the case study creation. As a result, we have a knowledge base that outlines how we think about writing, reading, and cleaning a code.
Clean Code is a hard one. Don’t skip through it; fight your way through it. It is well worth your time.
Conclusion
While practice is key to developing practical skills, reading exercises your comprehension and analytical skills. After all, where else can you learn fundamentals, get inspiration and ideas to solve problems, and tap into the experience of fellow coders?
The six titles reviewed in this article can support your journey from beginner level to senior developer. Each book adds a penny to your piggy bank of knowledge and explores a multitude of concepts helping you to become a true professional.
Do you have any comments or ideas or any better suggestions to share?
Please sound off your comments below.
Happy Coding !!
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