Programmer's Guide to Java SCJP Certification, A: A Comprehensive Primer

This book will help you prepare for and pass the Sun Certified Programmer for the Java Platform SE 6 (CX-310-065) Exam. It is written for any experienced programmer (with or without previous knowledge of Java) interested in mastering the Java programming language and passing the SCJP 1.6 Exam.

A Programmer’s Guide to Java™ SCJP Certification, Third Edition, provides detailed coverage of all exam topics and objectives, readily runnable code examples, programming exercises, extensive review questions, and a new mock exam. In addition, as a comprehensive primer to the Java programming language, this book is an invaluable reference tool.

This new edition has been thoroughly updated to focus on the latest version of the exam (CX-310-065). In particular, it contains in-depth explanations of the language features. Their usage is illustrated by way of code scenarios, as required by the exam. The companion Web site (www.ii.uib.no/~khalid/pgjc3e/) contains a version of the SCJP 1.6 Exam Simulator developed by the authors. The site also contains the complete source code for all the book’s examples, as well as solutions to the programming exercises.

What you will find in this book:

• Extensive coverage of all the objectives defined for the Sun Certified Programmer for the Java Platform, Standard Edition 6 (CX-310-065) Exam
• An easy-to-follow structure with chapters organized according to the exam objectives, as laid out by Sun Microsystems
• Summaries that clearly state and differentiate the exam objectives and the supplementary objectives to be covered in each chapter
• A list of Sun’s objectives for the SCJP 1.6 Exam and a guide to taking the exam
• A complete mock exam with new questions (not repeats of review questions)
• Numerous exam-relevant review questions to test your understanding of each major topic, with annotated answers
• Programming exercises and solutions at the end of each chapter
• Copious code examples illustrating concepts, where the code has been compiled and thoroughly tested on multiple platforms
• Program output demonstrating expected results from running the examples
• Extensive use of UML (Unified Modeling Language) for illustration purposes
• An introduction to basic terminology and concepts in object-oriented programming
• Advice on how to avoid common pitfalls in mastering the language and taking the exam
• Platform- and tool-independent coverage
• Information about the SCJP 1.6 Upgrade (CX-310-066) Exam

Khalid A. Mughal is an Associate Professor at the Department of Informatics at the University of Bergen, Norway. Professor Mughal is responsible for designing and implementing various courses, which use Java, at the Department of Informatics. Over the years, he has taught Programming Languages (Java, C/C++, Pascal), Software Engineering (Object-Oriented System Development), Data bases (Data Modeling and Database Management Systems), and Compiler Techniques. He has also given numerous courses and seminars at various levels in object-oriented programming and system development, using Java and Javarelated technology, both at the University and for the IT industry. He is the principal author of the book, responsible for writing the material covering the Java topics.

Professor Mughal is also the principal author of an introductory Norwegian textbook on programming in Java ( Java som første programmeringsspråk/Java as First Programming Language, Third Edition, Cappelen Akademisk Forlag, ISBN-10: 82-02-24554-0, 2006), which he co-authored with Torill Hamre and Rolf W. Rasmussen. Together they have also published another textbook for a 2-semester course in programming ( Java Actually: A Comprehensive Primer in Programming, Cengage Learning, ISBN-10: 1844809331, 2008).

His current work involves applying Object Technology in the development of content management systems for publication on the Web, and security issues related to web applications. For the past seven years he has been responsible for developing and running web-based programming courses in Java, which are offered to offcampus students.

He is also a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

Rolf W. Rasmussen is the System Development Manager at vizrt, a company that develops solutions for the TV broadcast industry, including real-time 3D graphic renderers, and content and control systems.

Rasmussen works mainly on control and automation systems, video processing, typography, and real-time visualization. He has worked on clean room implementations of the Java class libraries in the past, and is a contributor to the Free Software Foundation.

Over the years, Rasmussen has worked both academically and professionally with numerous programming languages, including Java. He is primarily responsible for developing the review questions and answers, the programming exercises and their solutions, the mock exam, and all the practical aspects related to taking the SCJP exam presented in this book.

As mentioned above, he is also a co-author of two introductory textbooks on programming in Java.