The bestselling Java in a Nutshell has been updated to cover Java 1.1. If you're a Java programmer who is migrating to 1.1, this second edition contains everything you need to get up to speed on the new features of Java 1.1. Or if you are just now jumping on the Java bandwagon, Java in a Nutshell still has all of the features that have made it the Java book most often recommended on the Internet. An advanced introduction to Java for C and C++ programmers teaches you everything you need to know about the language, while the complete quick-reference contains descriptions of all of the classes in the Java 1.1 API, with the exception of the Enterprise APIs. Java in a Nutshell also fully describes the syntax of the Java language, making it the only quick reference that a Java programmer needs.

The second edition of Java in a Nutshell covers Version 1.1 of the Java Development Kit (JDK). It includes all of the material from the first edition, as well as the following updated information for Java 1.1:

• A detailed overview of all of the features in Java 1.1, both on a package-by-package basis and in terms of overall functionality.
• A comprehensive tutorial on "inner classes" that explains how to use all of the new types of inner classes: static member classes, member classes, local classes, and anonymous classes.
• Practical, real-world example programs that demonstrate the features in Java 1.1, including object serialization, the new AWT event handling model, internationalization, and a sample Java Bean.
• A complete quick reference for all of the classes, methods, and variables in the core Java 1.1 API. The quick-reference pages include indicators that make it easy to find the 1.1 material. In addition, cross-reference material is now provided directly on each reference page.

With the 1.1 release, Java has grown too large to fit in a single book, even in quick-reference form. Thus, we see the need to splitJava in a Nutshell into multiple volumes. This volume, the "original" Java in a Nutshell, documents the most commonly used features of Java and is an indispensable reference for all Java programmers. We may publish a separate volume that will cover the Java "Enterprise APIs", which include the database connectivity, remote method invocation, and security features, as well as other forthcoming components, such as CORBA IDL support and the electronic commerce framework. And as other new Java APIs are developed and released, we may consider adding new volumes to the Java in a Nutshell series.