Building Java Programs 3rd Edition: Everything You Need To Know About The Book!

One of your most essential resources if you are looking for the best way to venture into Java Programming is books, and there is no better book than Building Java Programs 3rd Edition by Stuart Reges and Marty Stepp.

The book cleverly provides comprehensive solutions for the self-check problems in each chapter, helping beginners learn and practice their Java programming skills. It also offers detailed step-by-step guidance and explanations for chapter exercises, allowing learners to effectively understand and apply programming concepts.

Whether you’re a career seeker or an experienced developer, Building Java Programs 3rd Edition is an excellent guidebook for building your understanding of Java programming concepts and enhancing your software development skills. Coming up next, we take a closer look at the book!

What is the Book Building Java Programs (3rd Edition) all About?

In eighteen chapters, Stuart Reges and Marty Stepp masterfully crafted a brilliant asset for anyone aspiring to learn how to build a Java program.

Chapter One:

The book’s first chapter serves as a gentle entry point to the world of Java. Titled Introduction to Java Programming, it lays the groundwork for a beginner-friendly approach that emphasizes understanding the basics before jumping into complex code.

Instead of throwing jargon and syntax at you, the chapter takes a conceptual approach, introducing the basic idea of computers and programs. You’ll learn about algorithms, the recipes that guide computers through tasks, and how those recipes translate into lines of code. The authors relate these concepts through engaging analogies and everyday examples, ensuring you grasp the core principles before diving deeper.

This chapter also introduces the basic building blocks of Java: variables, expressions, and statements. You’ll get a taste of how these elements work together to form simple programs, like displaying messages or reading input from the user. The emphasis is on understanding what each element does, not memorizing syntax at this stage.

Finally, the chapter concludes with a preview of the journey ahead, hinting at the exciting projects and challenges that await. This leaves you both curious and equipped, ready to take the next step in your Java programming adventure.

Chapter Two:

Chapter 2 of Building Java Programs, 3rd Edition propels you from the friendly introduction to Java fundamentals into the exciting realm of building actual programs. Titled Primitive Data and Definite Loops, it equips you with the tools to control data and repeat actions – the essential ingredients for crafting interactive experiences.

You’ll begin by delving into primitive data types: numbers, characters, and booleans – the building blocks of information your programs can handle. You’ll learn how to assign values to variables, those handy storage bags for data, and manipulate them using basic arithmetic and relational operators. Think of it as learning the alphabet of the program language.

Next comes the power of definite loops, repetitive structures that let your programs execute the exact instructions a predetermined number of times. Imagine having a robotic assistant who tirelessly performs a task based on your precise instructions – that’s the magic of loops! The chapter explores several loop types, like the for loop, to tackle diverse tasks like counting sequences, accumulating sums, and printing patterns.

But coding isn’t just about raw logic; it’s about communicating clearly. The chapter also introduces string concatenation, the art of joining individual characters or strings to form larger ones. This unlocks the ability to build meaningful messages, user prompts, and even basic text-based games.

By the end of Chapter 2, you’ll graduate from basic programs like “Hello, World!” to programs that employ numbers, repeat tasks, and build simple text outputs. You’ll feel the growing power of code at your fingertips, ready to tackle more complex challenges in the coming chapters.

Chapter Three:

In the third chapter of the book, the training wheels come off! Titled Introduction to Parameters and Objects, the chapter unveils the world of functionality and interaction. You’ll learn how to send data into functions like ingredients to a recipe, empowering them to perform specific tasks on that data. The chapter introduces the parameters of the vessels for this data, allowing functions to be flexible and reusable.

In this chapter, you will get to know objects, the fundamental building blocks of Java programs. Think of them as self-contained data bundles and behaviour, like miniature robots with specific duties. You’ll discover how to create and control objects, opening doors to building complex programs with interacting components. This sets the stage for exciting adventures in the chapters ahead, where you’ll build interactive games, handle graphics, and explore the true power of object-oriented programming.

Chapter Four

In Chapter 4, Decision Making and Cumulative Algorithms, the book takes a crucial turn, empowering you with the logic tools to control your program’s flow. You’ll master the mighty if/else statements, the gatekeepers that guide your program based on conditions like user input or calculations. Think of them as branching paths in a story— the code chooses which path to take depending on the circumstances.

This chapter also delves into the fascinating world of cumulative algorithms, where previous results feed into future calculations. You’ll learn how to build programs that keep track of running totals, averages, and even complex formulas, opening doors to data analysis and problem-solving with iterative calculations. With these new tools in your arsenal, you can tackle programs that make decisions, react to inputs, and perform increasingly sophisticated tasks.

Chapter Five

Chapter five of the book is titled Program Logic and Indefinite Loops, and it introduces the concept of program logic and how it can be used to solve problems. The authors then discuss indefinite loops, which are loops that continue until a certain condition is met. The chapter covers the use of while loops and do-while loops to implement indefinite loops. The chapter also covers the use of break and continue statements to control the flow of a loop. The chapter concludes with a discussion on nested loops and their implementation.

Chapter Six

Titled File Processing, the book’s sixth chapter reviews the basics of file input and output in Java. It starts with introducing the PrintStream class and how it can be used to write files. The chapter then moves on to reading data from files using the Scanner class. It covers topics such as reading from a file line by line, reading from a file word by word, and reading from a file character by character. The chapter also covers advanced topics like processing directories and working with binary files. Overall, the chapter provides a comprehensive introduction to file processing in Java.

Chapter Seven

Chapter seven introduces the concept of arrays in Java programming. The chapter starts with an overview of arrays and their uses, followed by a discussion of how to declare, initialise, and access arrays in Java. The chapter also covers topics such as array traversal, array algorithms, and array lists. The chapter concludes with a set of practice problems that help reinforce the concepts covered in the chapter.

Chapter Eight

The book’s eighth chapter focuses on procedural programming and treating a program as a sequence of actions or commands. This chapter discusses object-oriented programming, which views a program as a group of objects interacting. It introduces the concept of procedural programming in Java. The chapter starts with an overview of procedural programming and its uses, followed by a discussion of how to write procedural programs in Java. The chapter also covers topics such as methods, parameters, return values, and void methods. The chapter concludes with a set of practice problems that help reinforce the concepts covered in the chapter.

Chapter Nine

This chapter is about code reuse and inheritance in Java programming. The chapter starts with an overview of code reuse and its benefits, followed by a discussion of how to write reusable code in Java. The chapter then introduces the concept of inheritance and how it can create classes that capture common codes and behaviour. The chapter covers superclasses, subclasses, overriding methods, and polymorphism. The chapter concludes with a set of practice problems that help reinforce the concepts covered in the chapter.

Chapter Ten

The chapter starts with an overview of ArrayLists and their uses, followed by a discussion of how to declare, initialize, and access ArrayLists in Java. The chapter also covers basic ArrayList operations, ArrayList searching methods, and adding to and removing from an ArrayList. The chapter also introduces the concept of wrapper classes and how they can be used with ArrayLists.

The second part of the chapter covers the Comparable interface in Java. The chapter explains the concept of natural ordering and how it can be used to sort objects in an ArrayList. The chapter also covers topics such as compareTo and implementing the Comparable interface.

The final part of the chapter presents a case study on vocabulary comparison. The case study covers efficiency considerations, computing vocabulary, computing overlap, and writing a complete program. The case study provides a practical example of how ArrayLists can be used in real-world applications.

Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11 of the book is about the Java Collections Framework, which is also the title of the chapter. The chapter starts with an overview of the framework and its uses, followed by a discussion of how to use ArrayLists, LinkedLists, and arrays in Java. The chapter also covers basic ArrayList operations, ArrayList searching methods, and adding to and removing from an ArrayList. The chapter also introduces the concept of wrapper classes and how they can be used with ArrayLists.

The chapter explains the concept of natural ordering and how it can be used to sort objects in an ArrayList. The chapter concludes with a case study on vocabulary comparison. The case study provides a practical example of how ArrayLists can be used in real-world applications.

Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12 of the book highlights recursion in Java programming. The chapter starts with an overview of recursion and its uses, followed by a discussion of how to write recursive programs in Java. The chapter also covers recursive thinking, recursive problem-solving, and recursive backtracking. The chapter also introduces the concept of recursive data structures and how they can be used to solve complex problems. The chapter concludes with a set of practice problems that help reinforce the concepts covered in the chapter.

Chapter Thirteen

The thirteenth chapter is about searching and sorting in Java programming. The chapter starts with an overview of searching and sorting algorithms and their uses, followed by a discussion of how to implement sequential and binary search algorithms in Java. The chapter also covers sorting algorithms, selection sort, insertion sort, merge sort, and quick sort. The chapter concludes with a set of practice problems that help reinforce the concepts covered in the chapter.

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14 of the book is about stacks and queues in Java programming. The chapter starts with an overview of stacks and queues and their uses, followed by a discussion of how to implement stacks and queues in Java. The chapter also covers stack and queue operations, stack and queue searching methods, and stack and queue algorithms. The chapter also provides a real-world example of data that could be modelled using a stack, such as the plates in a cafeteria or the undo/redo feature of a software application.

The chapter explains the concept of natural ordering and how it can be used to sort objects in a stack or queue. The chapter also covers topics such as compareTo and implementing the Comparable interface. The final part of the chapter presents a case study on the maze solver problem. The case study covers topics such as depth-first search, breadth-first search, and writing a complete program. The case study provides a practical example of how stacks and queues can be used in real-world applications.

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter fifteen introduces the concept of implementing a collection class. The chapter begins with a discussion of the limitations of arrays and how they can be overcome using a collection class. The authors then introduce the ArrayList class, a dynamic array that can grow and shrink. The chapter covers the implementation of the ArrayList class, including using arrays, resizing, and the add, remove and get methods. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the equals and toString methods. Overall, this chapter comprehensively introduces the ArrayList class and its implementation.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16 of the book explains the difference between a linked list and an array list. While an array list stores all its elements in a single large array, a related list stores each element inside its container object called a node. The nodes are connected by references. The chapter also covers the implementation of linked lists, including adding and removing elements and traversing the list. The chapter concludes by discussing the performance characteristics of linked and array lists.

Chapter Seventeen

The seventeenth chapter is about Binary Trees. The chapter covers the basics of binary trees, including how to create and traverse them. It also covers more advanced topics such as recursive tree algorithms, tree balancing, and tree traversals. The chapter contains a total of 19 exercises that cover a wide range of topics, including counting nodes, printing leaves, and trimming trees.

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter eighteen of the book introduces the concept of hashing. The chapter begins with a discussion of the limitations of arrays and how they can be overcome by using a hash table. The authors then introduce the HashSet class, which is a collection that uses hashing to store elements. The chapter covers the implementation of the HashSet class, including using arrays, resizing, and adding, removing, and containing methods. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the equals and toString methods. Overall, this chapter comprehensively introduces the HashSet class and its implementation.

In conclusion, Building Java Programs 3rd Edition Programming Projects Solutions” is a valuable resource for beginners learning Java programming. With detailed step-by-step information and complete solutions to chapter exercises, this book helps learners practice their coding skills effectively.