To my siblings, Chad "Co-Chillin Bug" Cadenhead and Kelly "Home Sweet Home Girl" Cadenhead, from their older brother "Pa-T Melt." It's a shame we're the only ones who address each other by our secret rap names. Rogers
To the folks at Sams.net--especially David Mayhew, Mark Taber, Deborah Frisby, Scott Meyers, Heather Stith, Bob Correll, Brad Seifert, and Lorraine Schaffer. Their work made a great contribution to the book, and I have deep admiration for them (to the extent that such feelings do not create an uncomfortable workplace under the federal guidelines regarding sexual harassment).
To my agent, Brian Gill, who talked me out of quitting two hours early and renaming this book Teach Yourself Java 1.1 Programming in Two Contiguous 11-Hour Time Periods.
To my wife, M.C., and my son, Max. You make me feel like the protagonist of a Frank Capra movie after all the obstacles have been overcome, the end credits are about to roll, and several of our first-generation immigrant neighbors are expressing their happiness through song.
Rogers Cadenhead (rogers@prefect.com) is a writer, computer programmer, and Web developer whose inner child is a knuckleball pitcher with the worst walk-to-strikeout ratio in the American League. He previously co-authored Teach Yourself SunSoft Java WorkShop in 21 Days for Sams.net and contributed to Java Unleashed 2nd Edition, Laura Lemay's Web Workshop: ActiveX and VBScript, and Developing Intranet Applications with Java. He also writes a question-and-answer trivia column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and New York Times News Syndicate. He lives in North Texas and occasionally harbors members of the Dallas Cowboys when they need to dodge a subpoena. Visit his home page at http://www.prefect.com/rogers.
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Computer programming is not as hard as people think.
It might not be a good idea to give up one of this book's secrets so quickly, especially when you might be reading this section at a bookstore. You could memorize this knowledge and put Teach Yourself Java 1.1 Programming in 24 Hours back on the shelf.
However, you'll figure out how easy programming can be as you spend a few hours with this book. Anyone can learn how to write computer programs--even if they can't program a VCR--and the Java language is a great way to do it. This book is aimed at non-programmers, new programmers who hated learning it, and experienced programmers who want to quickly get up to speed with Java. It uses Java 1.1, so you'll be learning the most up-to-date way to create programs with the language.
Java is the most exciting programming language that has been released in a decade because of the things it makes possible. You can add animation to a World Wide Web page, write games and useful utilities, create programs that sport a graphical user interface, and design software that makes the most of the Internet.
This book teaches Java programming from the grounds up. It introduces the concepts in English instead of jargon, with plenty of step-by-step examples of working programs you can create. Spend some time with this book--24 hours, say--and you'll be writing your own Java programs, confident in your ability to use the language and learn more about it. You also will have experience with skills that are becoming increasingly important, such as network computing, graphical user interface design, and object-oriented programming.
These terms might not mean much to you now. In fact, they're probably just the kind of things that make programming seem like a secret ritual known only to a small group of humans with a language of their own and a unique approach to wellness. However, if you can use a computer to create an attractive resume, balance your checkbook, or create a home page, you can write computer programs by reading Teach Yourself Java 1.1 Programming in 24 Hours.
If you do put this book down at the store without buying it, please reshelve it with the front cover facing outward on an endcap with access to a lot of the store's foot traffic.
