Java Resources

Java is a product of Sun Microsystems. Here are some Web sites that contain Java resources online, most of them at Sun:

• http://developer.netscape.com/tech/java/ Netscape's "Java Developer Central" contains a good amount of useful information.

• http://java.sun.com This is the main Java site, and it's filled with information.

• http://java.sun.com/docs/ The Java documentation is available online here. It's a good place to refer to.

• http://java.sun.com/j2se/ You can find Java 2 Standard Edition 1.4, which is the current version of the Java software development kit, at this site.

• http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/docs/index.html This is the Java documentation for version 1.4.

• www. javaworld .com This site carries a great number of Java resources and discussions.

Here's another list you might want to look into; these are free online tutorials that you can use to develop your Java skills:

• http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/index.html Sun's own Java tutorial, which is very extensive

• www.thejavatutorial.com/ A useful Java tutorial

• www.javacoffeebreak.com A good online Java tutorial

• www-105.ibm.com/developerworks/education.nsf/java-onlinecourse-bytitle/FCCCC34D4124A8C086256997006B7146?OpenDocument IBM's Java tutorial with some outstanding features

Here's an important note: Java programming is not for everyone. Java is a complex language, and to cover it fully would take thousands of pages. We can't ignore it because it has come to play such a big part in the XML world. If you're not into programming, though, you can skip the Java chapters (this and the next two chapters) and continue on with the rest of the book. Many people prefer to get their Java XML applications written by someone else, and that's fine. However, these days, to really work with XML, it often comes down to working with Java sooner or later.