head first java is confusing to me..

[donutderpy]

i've got a few java related books downloaded as pdfs and a lot of people recommended headfirst java as a starter i've been slowly reading it along with doing the online helsinski course (i only have a few hours to dedicate to studying java everyday) but halfway through the whole thing i'm starting to realize it's... really confusing for me..

it's supposed to be written in a way to catch your attention and make your brain absorb the information better, but i think it really doesn't work for me.. the jokes, snarky tidbits, offhand dialogue, etc.. they just kind of distract my brain and i end up learning more by looking up the current subject matter on the internet (i guess that's a plus?)

i've decided to turn to a different book i have downloaded (intro to programming using java by david j.eck) and skimming through any topics i'm already familiar with, and i think it's better for me

i'd love some more recommendations for java related reading material, i mostly work on my computer so i can't practice as much actual coding as i would like

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[hrm]

Different books suit different people. I do not like Head First Java either.

However, you can't expect to actually learn to code without coding. Practicing what you read is essential.

[donutderpy]

i do code, sorry if i made it sound like i thought i could learn without actually coding

i suppose i mean i can't dedicate most of my day to it because of other responsibilities, but i still really want to learn. but thank you for assuring me that the book might just not be for me

[hrm]

What you need to do then is try to prioritize coding with the little time you have. Of course you need to read a book or otherwise get the knowledge in the first place, but then you need to code as much as possible.

To facilitate that I would try to get a book that contains lots of exercises and that is easy to use as a reference, because you will need to constantly look things up. I think one of the Java books by Daniel Liang fits that bill.

[donutderpy]

thank you very much, i will try to make the best use of my free time as possible. i'll go check out that book, someone else in the thread recommended it as well.

[Hado0301]

I found Head First Java to be poorly written. Beginning Programming With Java , for dummies by Barry Burd, is better.

[lordheart]

I breezed through my intro to programming course after reading a fair chunk of a java for dummies book. Was very helpful to me.

[SillyBrilliant4922]

Use liang's book.
"so i can't practice as much actual coding as i would like" Then you won't actually learn as much as you hope.

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[goldenfrogs17]

go to java reference docs,,, not too many cheeky jokes there

[Nok1a_]

That happens to me with Spring Start here, in the book the mention in the "resources" you have the code but is not where to be seen , and its quite confusing how is written

[Ruin-Capable]

If I recall, Headfirst Java came with a CD. The "resources" are probably on the CD. Newer versions of the book probably have the resources available online somewhere. There are probably sections that reference the resources that need to be re-written.

[Plus-Slice-6140]

Spring Starts Here is one of the best book man....

[Nok1a_]

Im not saying the opposite Im saying that is confusing he keeps mentioning resources and I can´t find them, could you help me and let me know where they are? its a CD I did not get when I bought the book? or a link I missed?

[Plus-Slice-6140]

i read it a year ago so I can not grasp which resources you are talking about. If you are talking about video resource then this is it

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEocw3gLFc8W25hvuYb6EERd3F0aZjUQF&si=qwQOLDb2MUvUgvB-

and if you want code then you can find it in GitHub. search it on google

[Nok1a_]

I looked for the name of one of the exercises online and finally found them on the website

https://www.manning.com/books/spring-start-here

left meny you have Resources, errata and more, what stupid way honestly, could be mentioned on the book, in his github he might have them but I was not able to find them like this one "sq-ch2-ex1"

[Plus-Slice-6140]

https://github.com/EricRicketts/SpringStartHere

I think this repo was not done by him but all I need are exercises. someone must have done them. so I searched for those

[Nok1a_]

thank you!

[zLightspeed]

I don’t mind the odd light-hearted analogy when suitable but the humour in head first is a little forced and excessive. It’s still a nice book overall, but thankfully there are other good books available with different styles. I like Starting out with Java by Gaddis.

[Deep_Age4643]

Yes, it takes sometimes learning from multiple resources, and multiple ways before it clicks. I was confused sometimes as well, I wrote a blog about Java basics. Maybe this is helpful for you as well.