This text is designed as a “late objects” introduction to programming using the Java programming language.  It first introduces the student to the fundamentals of data types, input and output, control structures, methods, and objects created from standard library classes. After this the student learns to write her own classes, and develop simple GUI applications. Then the student learns to use arrays.

The book also includes coverage of more advanced topics such as inheritance, polymorphism, the creation and management of packages, advanced GUI applications, and recursion. From early in the book, applications are documented with javadoc comments. As the student progresses through the text, new javadoc tags are covered and demonstrated.