Java Introduction

Like any human language, Java provides a way to express concepts. If
successful, this medium of expression will be significantly easier and more
flexible than the alternatives as problems grow larger and more complex.
You can’t look at Java as just a collection of features; some of the features make no sense in
isolation. You can use the sum of the parts only if you are thinking about design, not simply
coding. And to understand Java in this way, you must understand the problems with it and
with programming in general. This book discusses programming problems, why they are
problems, and the approach Java has taken to solve them. Thus, the set of features I explain
in each chapter are based on the way I see a particular type of problem being solved with the
language. In this way I hope to move you, a little at a time, to the point where the Java
mindset becomes your native tongue.
Throughout, I’ll be taking the attitude that you want to build a model in your head that
allows you to develop a deep understanding of the language; if you encounter a puzzle
you’ll be able to feed it to your model and deduce the answer.