Excerpts

This second edition is a major rewrite from the first edition due to the movement of Java from an Internet language to a popular commercial language that is being used to develop all kinds of information systems (IS) software. Every chapter and appendix has been written with the IS student and industry in mind. After teaching programming to IS students since 1985 and Java since 1997, I know the kinds of difficulties and questions that IS students have in learning programming in general and Java programming in particular. This experience has allowed me to anticipate the problems and challenges a beginning programmer might have in order to head off questions and eliminate problems before they even arise. The overall presentation, along with the text examples, case studies, programming notes, THINK! boxes, debugging tips, and caution boxes are mostly the result of this teaching experience. A primary goal in all of my texts has been to write to the level of the student, making my texts extremely readable and user-friendly. This feature makes the material enjoyable and easier for students to learn. A special goal of this book is to get students writing object-oriented Java programs early using IS applications, while building essential problem solving and programming skills required for today's IS solutions. Here is what is new for this second edition: Completely rewritten to conform to current Java technology emphasizing IS applications. Emphasis on problem solving throughout--Case study examples are developed and presented in a problem-solving style, beginning with a clear problem definition and proceeding through problem decomposition, algorithm and method design, Unified Modeling Language (UML) class diagrams, and Java coding. There are over 20 case studies on such topics as event-driven programming, e-commerce, inventory control, present value, payroll, consumer loan processing, data communications, professional baseball statistics, and easy equation solution. Objects-First Approach: Begin developing classes and objects as well as compiling and running Java programs in Chapter 1. Classes and objects are used while developing essential programming skills, building up to in-depth coverage of classes and objects in two new chapters on object-oriented programming, also known as OOP (Chapters 8 and 9). Two new chapters on graphical user interfaces (GUIs) using Swing components (Chapters 11 and 12). New chapter on applets and graphics (Chapter 13). New chapter on multidimensional arrays (Chapter 15). New appendix on Sun ONE Studio and JBuilder to get students started with these integrated development environments, called IDES. New appendix which provides a Systems Engineering tutorial with UML. New appendix on database connectivity using JDBC. Approach The basic approach of the book is to provide an introductory programming experience in Java for courses offered in IS (CIS, MIS, BIS), IT, and CS programs at both the undergraduate and graduate (MBA) levels. The book provides a gentle but comprehensive introduction to both Java and object-oriented programming for the IS audience. It is specifically written for IS courses with an emphasis on business applications, although perfectly suitable for traditional CS programs. The text is very readable and engaging. It uses a classes/objects-first approach with no dependency on structured programming. OOP concepts are introduced early and expanded upon while building essential programming skills. Problem solving using classes, objects, and methods begins in Chapter 2 and provides a central theme throughout the text, as seen in the 22 case studies. All the basic concepts required for a first programming course are covered. Emphasis is placed on providing simple GUI input/output (I/O) from the beginning (in lieu of console I/O), culminating with two full chapters on GUIs followed by a chapter on applets and graphics. Key concepts for writing good code are presented. Programming is a core talent that many IT managers at least need to understand, if not master. It lends to the credibility of the manager and to his/her direct reports. This book is also tailored to this audience. Pedagogical Features Chapter Introduction that provides a brief overview of what the chapter will cover. Chapter Objectives that provide a list of important concepts the student should understand after completing the chapter. Tip and Note Boxes throughout that eliminate questions before they even arise and draw attention to key concepts, including Programming Notes Debugging Tips Think! Boxes Style Tips Caution Boxes Examples that provide snippets of code that illustrate and reinforce the concepts being covered. Quick-Check Questions after each section for students to check their progress within a chapter. All answers are provided in an appendix. Case Studies, many of which are structured around IS applications, all of which follow proven problem solving and software engineering techniques. Chapter Summary that reviews the important material that the student should understand and retain. Review Questions at the end of each chapter for students to test their knowledge of the material presented within the chapter. Graded Programming Problems at the end of each chapter for students to apply and practice the material presented in the chapter. To the Instructor In today's market, it is imperative that IS students and managers know both OOP techniques and the Java language. In this text, students will understand the roles of, and relationship between, classes and objects early on, gradually building into in-depth coverage after they have mastered the language basics. The text can be taught in one or two terms, depending on the ability of the students. In a two-term sequence, I would suggest coverage through the topic of methods (Chapters 1-7). Then, begin the second term with classes and objects in-depth and finish out the book (Chapters 8-15). In any event, make sure to get the students to the keyboard the first week of class to get familiar with their Java IDE (Appendix A) and doing the "Hello World" program in Chapter 1. After that, I would suggest that they do a programming assignment at least once every two weeks. The multitude of chapter problems are written specifically for this purpose and you have the Java solutions available at a password-protected Web site (see your local Prentice-Hall sales representative to obtain a password). I tell my students that learning how to program is like learning how to play a musical instrument. You do not learn how to play an instrument by reading a book and listening to your music teacher's lectures (although this is important to the learning process). You must sit down and practice, practice, practice one-on-one with the instrument. The same is true in learning how to program. Our instrument is simply the computer. The first three appendices are important to teaching this course. Appendix A provides a "jump start" for students using the Sun ONE Studio Community Edition (formally Forte ) IDE or JBuilder Personal Edition IDE. Both are free if your students do not mind filling out a survey and being placed on an e-mailing list. Otherwise, the enterprise editions are available at a modest cost. The Sun ONE Studio Community Edition IDE has been placed on the text CD for convenience. You can also download Sun ONE Studio at www.java.sun.com and Jbuilder at www.borland.com. I suggest you download Sun ONE Studio as a bundle with the Java SDK. If you are using JBuilder Personal, make sure to download the document files since it is a separate download. I have found both to be very capable IDEs for what needs to be done in the first programming course sequence. I let"my students choose which one they want to use. Some prefer one over the other and some use both. You and your students should be aware that these IDES change versions quite frequently. You should periodically check the relevant Web site for the latest version. Appendix B provides a tutorial on systems engineering. With this tutorial the student gets an understanding of the bigger systems engineering picture. The tutorial consists of a series of modules that follow the Foo.com company programming team from a disastrous build-it, fix-it, spaghetti code program, to a structured design, and finally an object-oriented design of their program using UML. In addition, the UML module prepares the student for planning and designing their own classes in Chapter 8. The UML has become the industry standard design tool for developing object-oriented systems and it is important that your students be familiar with it. I suggest that you begin assigning the tutorial modules early, making sure that all modules have been assigned prior to the first in-depth chapter on object-oriented programming (Chapter 8). Appendix C provides a workshop on GUIs. In this appendix, the student is acquainted with the topic of graphical user interfaces through a series of hands-on GUI10X modules. These modules are designed to familiarize the student with GUI components and the related Java code so that they become familiar with the component behaviors and key concepts. This makes your job of teaching GUIs much easier in Chapters 11 and 12. There are prewritten Java programs that the student will use which are located on the text CD. The student will be asked to load a given program, execute the program, and exercise the GUI. In some cases they will be asked to modify the program code and observe the effect on the GUI and its components. I suggest that you begin assigning these experiment modules early, since they encourage the student to have fun with programming and tend to hold their interest while you are covering the more lackluster stuff, like loops and arrays. Make sure that you have assigned all the modules prior to covering the first in-depth chapter on GUIs (Chapter 11). Appendix D provides a step-by-step procedure on how to connect to a Microsoft Access database using the JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) API and SQL (Structured Query Language). This important topic can be covered at any time, but preferably after the student has been exposed to exception handling in Chapter 14. Finally, many instructors differ on when to do arrays in the first programming course sequence. Therefore, I have written the array material such that it can be done anytime after the chapter that covers methods (Chapter 7). A couple of alternatives are illustrated in the following dependency chart. To the Student The market demands that IS students know the latest programming and systems engineering techniques to solve today's complex problems. This book has been written to do just that. It has been written to provide you with an introduction to problem solving using OOP techniques and the Java language. OOP allows you to solve problems in a more natural way--the way we humans tend to think of things, thus allowing you to deal with higher levels of complexity. Java is strictly an object-oriented language. In fact, Java is more than just a language-it is a technology in its own right because it allows you to solve problems across the entire computer spectrum, from small embedded applications for your cell phone and personal digital assistant, to commercial PC and mainframe applications, to Internet applications. By the end of the text, you will have the knowledge required to solve complicated problems using the object-oriented approach that these complex solutions require. In addition to learning OOP, you will learn about GUI and graphics programming. GUIs allow you to generate professional-looking windows for your program input and output. Graphics programming provides a means of adding graphical components, such as rectangles, ovals, arcs, and polygons, to your GUIs for added effect. Here you will find that programming is really fun, allowing you to create some really cool things. Make sure that you go through all the examples and Problem Solving in Action case studies. These have been written in short, understandable modules that stress the fundamental concepts being discussed. These case studies are integrated into the text at key points in an effort to tie things together and present a methodical design approach to problem solving using the Java language. Finally, get your hands dirty early and often! Just have some fun programming. Don't be afraid to try different things. A series of GUI10X experiment modules have been provided in Appendix C to let you do just that. In Appendix C you will be asked to load a given program, execute the program, and exercise the GUI. In some cases you will be asked to modify the program code and observe the effect on the GUI. Here you will become familiar with the individual GUI component behaviors and key concepts preparing you for in-depth coverage of GUI programming in Chapters 11 and 12. All the code for these modules is included on the accompanying CD. Above all, become an active learner. You cannot become a competent programmer by just reading this book and listening to your instructor's lectures. You must get your hands dirty at the machine. Get started early by sitting down at a computer, getting acquainted with your Java integrated development environment, or IDE, in Appendix A, running the case study programs which are on the text CD as well as the GUI experiment modules in Appendix C. Start writing your own Java programs early and often. This is how you will really learn how to program in Java. To the IT Manager Programming is a core talent that many IT managers at least need to understand, if not master. It lends to the credibility of the manager and to his/her direct reports. This book is also tailored to this audience. The Java programming language has taken the commercial software development industry by storm. Much of today's Internet as well as application software is being developed using Java because of its portability and robust set of built-in classes. Java is more than a language--it is a technology of its own. Whether you are an experienced programmer or a novice, you will find that this book provides the "nuts and bolts" required to get you writing Java programs quickly. The text provides comprehensive coverage of both Java applications and applets, with an emphasis on business application programs and IT solutions using GUIs. Excerpted from Information Systems Programming with Java by Andrew C. Staugaard All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.