learning java
 

I want to learn java this summer, since I have a lot of free time. I have never tried learning java before. However I do have intermeidate experience with C++ and Perl. What approach (books, tutorials) do you suggest I take in order to learn java in the most effiecent way over a three month period. I am also very interested in learning java to program games. I know that may be jumping the gun a little bit, but thought I would mention it. Any insight and or help will be greatly appriciated.

ok first of all, you'll need more than the summer to learn java, secondly good luck, and last but not least you might want to look into the tutorials on the sun java site

I would not recommend Java for game programming. As much as I love Java, games are much slower and a bit harder than games written in C++ or C. I would recommend learning Java How to Program but since you already have C++ experience. Good ahead by reading Learning Java by Patrick Niemeyer. It is an excellent, so what fast paced book.

i suggest this book. I am/had using/used this book in my programming classes. it covers the basics, OOP, GUI, applets and intro to data structures. It is easy to read and geared toward beginers to programming. you could easily skip right in to java OOP, but it would help to check a the differences between C++ and java. you will have to rely on java docs for more Class method/OOP stuffs as you go onbecuase there is so much of it that the book cannot have all the detials the java language in one book. well it could be done, it would jus be a big heavey book. I have some files if you want to help with java.

As for games if you know some C/C++ use it along with these libraries
SDL and Allegro for some 2D game programming options.

I love the core series, and i would recommend these two :

Vol1 and Vol2

If you got intermediate experience with C++, as you say, it would not take you more than a weekend to learn Java. Here is a tutorial you may find interesting: http://www.meshplex.org/

I would also recommend those books! Cay Horstmann is a great author!

definitely not true, he knows C++ and Perl, he can learn Java in a month or so....

but C++ for games. please...

I can't disagree with you more there. Java is a perfectly reasonable option for developing games. I doubt that the OP would be wanting to create the next top selling next gen game, so performance shouldn't be such an issue. As Java is managed code, he may probably find it easier to develop these games.

Check the following benchmarks of Jake2, a Java port of the quake 2 engine.

http://bytonic.de/html/benchmarks.html

Its also a great idea if you wan't to play some of your greatest mini inventions on your mobile phone ;)

Back to the OP, I would recommend finding a "Java for C++ programmers" book or article online. A quick google should dig up a healthy load. Being an intermediate programmer you may find many java books a bit slow.

Re: learning java
 

I would not recomend Java for game programming.
When I did it flickers a lot when it comes to heavy machine work.
However u can try some cool Java books here:
http://freebooksandarticles.com/latest/programming/java
http://pspxworld.com/book/programming/java.php
A Java GUI Programmer's Primer may be a good one to start with.