A Programmer's Guide to Java¿ Certification A Comprehensive Primer

bull; Provides in-depth coverage of all the important topics, in particular, extensive coverage of ALL the objectives defined for the Sun Certified Programmer for Java TM 2 Platform exam (CX-310-035) bull; Includes a complete mock exam with NEW questions and provides advice on how to avoid common pitfalls in mastering the language and passing the exam bull; Previous edition sold over 34, 000 units

Khalid A. Mughal is an associate professor at the Department of Informatics at the University of Bergen, Norway. During his extensive career, he has designed and implemented many courses on Java, object-oriented system development, and compiler techniques. He has also given seminars for the IT industry. He is the principal author of Java Som Forste Programmeringssprak (Java as a First Programming Language) published by Cappelen Akademisk Forlag, 2002.

Rolf W. Rasmussen is a system developer at Vizrt, a company that develops real-time graphics systems for TV, films, and the Web. Previously, he has worked on clean room implementations of the Java class libraries. He is coauthor, with Professor Mughal, of Java Som Forste Programmeringssprak.

0201728281AB07152003

Writing the Second Edition The exam for the Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 (SCPJ2) Platform has changed considerably since the first edition of this book was published. The most noticeable change in the current version of the exam (SCPJ2 1.4) is the removal of GUI and I/O, and the shifting of emphasis toward the core features of the language. In our opinion, the new exam demands an even greater understanding and actual experience of the language, rather than mere recitation of facts. Proficiency in the language is the key to success. The I/O and GUI topics of the first edition have been eliminated, as they have no relevance for the SCPJ2 exam. These topics are more relevant for the Sun Certified Developer for Java 2 (SCDJ2) Platform exam and, therefore, relegated to a possible future volume on the Developer exam topics. Since the emphasis of the SCPJ2 exam is on the core features of Java, the second edition provides an even greater in-depth coverage of the relevant topics. The book covers not just the exam objectives, but also supplementary topics that aid in mastering the exam topics. The second edition is still a one-source guide for the SCPJ2 exam: it provides a mixture of theory and practice for the exam. Use the book to learn Java, pass the SCPJ2 exam, and afterwards, use it as a handy language guide. The book also has an appendix devoted to the SCPJ2 Upgrade exam. To facilitate preparation for the exams, the second edition comes with a CD containing additional resources, including several mock exams developed by Whizlabs Software. We have taken into consideration the feedback we have received from readers. The many hours spent in handling the deluge of e-mail have not been in vain. Every single e-mail is appreciated and is hereby acknowledged. Preparing the second edition dispelled all our illusions about second editions being, to put it colloquially, a piece of cake. Every sentence from the first edition has been weighed carefully, and not many paragraphs have escaped rewriting. UML (Unified Modeling Language) is also extensively employed in this edition. Numerous new review questions have been added. In covering the new topics and expanding the existing ones, new examples, figures, and tables were also specifically created for the second edition. About This Book This book provides an extensive coverage of the Java programming language and its core Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), with particular emphasis on its syntax and usage. The book is primarily intended for professionals who want to prepare for the Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Platform 1.4 exam (referred to as the SCPJ2 exam), but it is readily accessible to any programmer who wants to master the language. For both purposes, it provides an in-depth coverage of essential features of the language and its core APIs. There is a great and increasing demand for certified Java programmers. Sun Microsystems has defined the SCPJ2 exam as one that professionals can take to validate their skills. The certification provides the IT industry with the standard to use for hiring such professionals, and allows the professionals to turn their Java skills into credentials that are important for career advancement. The book helps the reader master all core features of the Java language, and this mastering of the language can culminate in accomplishing the exam. It provides an extensive coverage of all the objectives defined for the exam by Sun. Since the exam objectives are selective, they do not cover many of the essential features of Java. This book provides extensive coverage of additional topics that every Java programmer should master in order to be proficient in this field. In this regard, the book is a comprehensive primer for learning the Java programming language. This book isnotacomplete referencefor Java, as it does not attempt to list every member of every class f