In just 21 days you can acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to develop applications on your computer and apps that run on Android phones and tablets. With this complete tutorial you’ll quickly master the basics and then move on to more advanced features and concepts. Completely updated for Java 8, this book teaches you about the Java language and how to use it to create applications for any computing environment and Android apps. By the time you have finished the book, you’ll have well-rounded knowledge of Java and the Java class libraries. Using your new skills, you will be able to develop your own programs for tasks such as web services, database connectivity, XML processing, and mobile programming. No previous programming experience required. By following the 21 carefully organized lessons in this book, anyone can learn the basics of Java programming. Learn at your own pace. You can work through each chapter sequentially to make sure you thoroughly understand all the concepts and methodologies, or you can focus on specific lessons to learn the techniques that interest you most. Test your knowledge. Each chapter ends with a Workshop section filled with questions, answers, and exercises for further study. There are even certification practice questions. Completely revised, updated, and expanded to cover the latest features of Java 8 Learn to develop Java applications and Android apps using NetBeans and Google’s new Android Studio -- two excellent (and free!) programming platforms Covers new features of Java 8 such as closures, the most eagerly anticipated language feature in years Easy-to-understand, practical examples clearly illustrate the fundamentals of Java programming Discover how Swing can help you quickly develop programs with a graphical user interface Find out about JDBC 4.2 programming with the Derby database and XML parsing with the open source XOM class library Learn how to use streams to write programs that communicate with the Internet, including socket programming, buffers, channels, and URL handling.  Contents at a Glance WEEK 1: The Java Language DAY 1 Getting Started with Java DAY 2 The ABCs of Programming DAY 3 Working with Objects DAY 4 Lists, Logic, and Loops DAY 5 Creating Classesand Methods DAY 6 Packages, Interfaces, and Other Class Features DAY 7 Exceptions and Threads WEEK 2: The Java Class Library DAY 8 Data Structures DAY 9 Working with Swing DAY 10 Building a Swing Interface DAY 11 Arranging Components on a User Interface DAY 12 Responding to User Input DAY 13 Creating Java2D Graphics DAY 14 Developing Swing Applications WEEK 3: Java Programming DAY 15 Working with Input and Output DAY 16 Using Inner Classes and Closures DAY 17 Communicating Across the Internet DAY 18 Accessing Databases with JDBC 4.2 and Derby DAY 19 Reading and Writing RSS Feeds DAY 20 XML Web Services DAY 21 Writing Android Apps for Java APPENDIX A Using the NetBeans IDE APPENDIX B This Book’s Website APPENDIX C Fixing a Problem with the Android Studio Emulator APPENDIX D Using the Java Development Kit APPENDIX E Programming with the Java Development Kit