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Java

Posted by Lukasz Walczak
Lukasz Walczak
6,620 Points

Java books with not a lot of code in them :)

Hi, guys!

I've got plenty of free time at work :), but I'm not able to take a laptop with me. I've got Head First Java which is great, but it's a waste of time if I don't have a screen in front of me.

Are there any books about Java with not a lot of code in them? Explaining some major ideas, giving examples of use case, etc. etc.

Many thanks in advance

2 Answers

Livia Galeazzi
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Livia Galeazzi
Java Web Development Techdegree Graduate 21,083 Points

Well, all books on actual java syntax are kind of usueless without a laptop. But I highly recommend those:

Those are more about programming practices, how to think, how to write good code in a professional way, and much less about how exactly to write method XY. Both use some code examples in java to illustrate the concepts from time to time, but you won't need a laptop to follow.

Lukasz Walczak
Lukasz Walczak
6,620 Points
Lukasz Walczak
Lukasz Walczak
6,620 Points

I've heard about Clean Code and asked one programmer about it, but he said to concentrate on writing the actual code at the beginning of the journey.

But since I can't write code without a laptop, at least I can read about, right? :)

Thanks, Livia!

Livia Galeazzi
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Livia Galeazzi
Java Web Development Techdegree Graduate 21,083 Points

It's true that some things about Clean Code will not really make sense until you actually have some projects under your belt. But others are pretty straightforward and will help you build good habits from the start, like formatting, naming, how to organize classes and so on. Some things you already know about, because the teachers here have all read Clean Code and are trying to give you these good habits; so it will reinforce that, and maybe help you understand why that's important. Some stuff will stay at the back of your mind, and one day you'll find yourself asking "should all that code be in a single method?" or "maybe I should put some of this in another class?" and look back at the book. It's the kind of book you need to read several times to get the most of it.

But indeed, if you have the choice between coding and reading, coding should have priority.