Java Documentation

Using Java Documentation

Before you get too far into learning Java, don't be surprised if you find yourself wondering whether some class has some other method that I don't describe in this book-or whether some other class may be more appropriate for an application you're working on. When that time comes, you'll need to consult the Java help pages.

Complete documentation for Java is available from the Sun Java Web site at java.sun.com/javase/reference. Although this page contains many links to documentation pages, the two you'll use the most are the Java SE API documentation pages and the Java Language Specification pages. The following sections describe these two links.

Tip

If you don't have a reliable high-speed Internet connection, you can download Java's documentation by using the download links on the main java.sun.com/javase/reference page. Then, you can access the documentation pages directly from your computer.

Java Language Specification

If you're interested in learning details about some element of the Java language itself (rather than the information about a class in the API class library), click the Java Language Specification link near the bottom of the page. That takes you to a set of pages that describe-in sometimes-excruciating and obscure detail-exactly how each element of the Java language works.

Frankly, this documentation isn't that much help for beginning programmers. It was written by computer scientists for computer scientists. You can tell just by looking at the table of contents that it isn't for novices. The first chapter is called Introduction (that's not so bad), but then Chapters 2 and 3 are titled "Grammars" and "Lexical Structure." And it just gets more arcane from there.

That's why you're reading this book, after all. You won't even find a single sentence more about Lexical Structure in this book (other than this one, of course). Even so, at some time in your Java journeys you may want to get to the bottom of the rules that govern such strange Java features as anonymous inner classes. When that day arrives, grab a six pack of Jolt Cola, roll up your sleeves, and open the Java Language Specification pages