This fifth edition of a guide to the Java language covers the latest features of Java 2, v1.4, including the new I/O API, regular expression, chained exceptions, the assert keyword, and upgrades to Java's networking classes and the Collections Framework. The book starts with an in-depth tutorial of the Java language, then examines the standard Java library and issues related to the Java development environment, and presents Java applets. Schildt has written many previous books on Java and other computer topics. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)