How do I learn Java5 or Java6?

Question

I'm a very experienced Java programmer who has spent my entire time working with Java 1.4 and earlier. Where can I find a quick reference that will give me everything I need to know about the new features in Java5 and later in a quick reference?

Answer 1

Here's a good place to start:

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/relnotes/features.html http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/releases/j2se15/

Answer 2

Java 5 new features

Java 6 new features

The real meat is in Java 5. Generics, Autoboxing, Annotations.

Answer 3

I can recommend Bruce Eckel's "Thinking in Java" 4th edition. He goes over a bunch of basic stuff you can skip, but his treatment of new 1.5 features is very thorough, especially the chapter on generics. And it is a good Java reference to own.

Answer 4

Dietel : How to program Java

This book is highly recommended. Teaches everything, does it well. Starts with simple Hello World and ends up in you writing your own BASIC compiler. handles databases as well. Does everything, uml, design. Just can't say enough about it.

And it is also beautiful book, I mean in design and color and it is not dry.

Answer 5

I would thoroughly recommend Java Concurrency in Practice by Brian Goetz, Tim Peierls, Joshua Bloch, and Joseph Bowbeer. It focusses solely on good concurrency coding, but includes excellent guidance on the new concurrency features in the Java 5 and 6 libraries.

Of course, it is no help at all on the other features, but if you ever deal with threads (and if you have a GUI, then you have threads), then this book is indispensable.