Get Programming with Java (MEAP - Manning Early Access Program) (Peggy Fisher)（Z-Library）

【One-Line Pitch】 A hands-on, lesson-sized introduction to Java that trades theory dumps for concrete examples, "try this" exercises, and end-of-unit capstone projects. Best for complete beginners or self-taught learners who want to write real code from day one rather than wade through academic computer-science prose. 【Book Arc】 - **Opening (~0%–10%)**: Environment setup and first contact — installing the JDK and NetBeans, understanding that every Java project needs a file with a `main` method, and getting a first program to print to the console. Solves the "where do I even start" problem. - **Early (~10%–30%)**: Core object-oriented foundations — defining classes, adding fields and methods, creating objects, and applying visibility modifiers (`public`/`private`/`protected`) with a clear access table across packages and subclasses. Also covers control flow and loops, including the enhanced for-each loop. - **Early–Middle (~30%–45%)**: Data structures in practice — fixed-size arrays versus `ArrayList`, when to use each, and manipulating collections of objects (adding, removing, replacing, sizing, printing). - **Middle (~45%–55%)**: Inheritance and polymorphism applied to a running business scenario — a payroll example where hourly versus salaried employees need different earnings logic, including overtime calculation. - **Late (excerpts do not cover)**: The blurb promises file processing, collections, and design patterns, but the stratified excerpts stop before these topics appear in detail. - **Ending (excerpts do not cover)**: Capstone projects are described as closing each set of lessons, but no capstone content is present in the excerpts. 【Key Takeaways】 - **The book is lesson-driven, not chapter-driven** (Opening): short, concise lessons with "try this" exercises and Quick Check questions after each one, so you learn by doing rather than by reading long explanations. - **Classes are blueprints; objects are the things you build from them** (Early): the Car class example walks from bare fields to getters, setters, and behavior methods, making the class/object relationship concrete rather than abstract. - **Visibility modifiers control real access boundaries** (Early): a comparison table shows exactly which classes in which packages can reach `public`, `protected`, default, and `private` members — a practical reference you will reuse constantly. - **The `this` keyword resolves naming collisions** (Early): when a setter parameter shares a name with a field, `this` disambiguates which one you mean; the book flags this as a common beginner stumbling block. - **Data integrity belongs in setters** (Early): the Car example adds validation rules (year between 1900 and 2050, MPG between 0 and 100, string length limits) inside setter methods, teaching defensive coding early. - **Arrays versus ArrayLists is a fixed-versus-flexible decision** (Early–Middle): arrays hold a fixed list of same-type elements; ArrayLists grow and shrink, and the book shows both with add/remove/size operations on real object collections. - **Inheritance solves variation in business logic** (Middle): the payroll example uses a superclass/subclass structure so hourly and salaried employees share a common base while overriding earnings calculation, including the 1.5x overtime rule. - **Every concept is immediately applied** (throughout): the running Car, Student, and Employee examples mean you are never learning syntax in isolation — each new feature extends code you already understand. 【Reading Tips】 - **Deep-read the Early section on classes, visibility, and `this`** — these are the load-bearing concepts for everything that follows. Skim the environment setup if you already have a working JDK and IDE. - **Do the "try this" exercises and Quick Checks** rather than reading past them. The book is designed so that the exercises are where the learning actually sticks; the prose is deliberately thin. - **Type the code, don't copy it.** The book emphasizes case sensitivity (`System` with a capital S, file names matching class names exactly) — these are the errors that will bite you, and typing them yourself is how you internalize the rules. - **Use the payroll example as a template.** When you reach inheritance, trace how the earnings method branches on employee type; this pattern (shared base, varied behavior) recurs in real code constantly. - **Treat the capstone projects as checkpoints.** If a capstone feels hard, go back to the relevant lessons rather than pushing forward — the book is structured so each unit builds on the last. 【Coverage Limits】 The stratified excerpts cover roughly the first half of the book — setup, OOP fundamentals, arrays/ArrayLists, and the start of inheritance. File processing, collections API depth, and design patterns are promised in the blurb but not represented in the excerpts, so this guide cannot speak to their treatment.