Copyright © 1996 by Peter Norton
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. For information, address Sams.net Publishing, 201 W. 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290.
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Creating the perfect book on Java programming required a great deal of effort-long hours, days without sleep, grueling research, and much more. I want to personally thank everyone who poured their heart into this book.
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William served in the Persian Gulf War as a combat crew member on an Electronic Warfare aircraft. During the war, he flew on numerous combat missions into Iraq and was awarded nine medals for his wartime service including one of our nation's highest flying honors, the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. He has written many books, articles, and essays. His book-length projects include nine fiction titles and six nonfiction titles. Watch for the upcoming release of his FrontPage Unleashed from Sams.net in August 1996. When he's not writing or working, he spends time with his family, his favorite time of the day being when he reads to his youngest child.
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monospace | This computer font is used to represent code, whether onscreen or typed by you, and for filenames, directory names, and other nonstandard words. |
italic monospace | I use italic computer font when the text is a placeholder or a variable rather than absolute code. |
italic | Italic type is used to call your attention to new terms. |
Note |
Notes tell you about interesting facts that aren't really necessary to your understanding of Java; they're just for your information. |
Tip |
Tips contain tidbits of information that you might not learn elsewhere, or sometimes just tell you about a different way of doing something. |
Warning |
Warnings mean watch out-you can get into some trouble! Make sure you understand a warning before you follow any instructions that come after it. |
Peter's Principle |
I'll use the Peter's Principle icon to tell you about a rule that you might adopt as a standard operating procedure. It's like a tip that you can implement to improve general situations, and you can always use the principle as a rule to live by. |
Looking Ahead |
I include these boxes to give you a peek at what's coming up later and tell you how what you're currently reading will help you then. |
The capability icon is intended to alert you to a situation or condition that you should track. It means that situation is dynamic and that better facilities are becoming available all the time.
Watch for the development issue icon to tell you how to implement or expand some function. In some ways it might be like the troubleshooting icon in that it tells you about a possible problem, but it will always offer some solution to the problem.
Each time you see the performance icon I'll be telling you about a technique you can use to make your product more efficient. I may offer some alternatives so that you can choose which method is best for you.
When you see this icon it means that there is a possibility for something to go wrong. The text shows you how to identify the problem and suggests a method for solving it.