HerbSchildt.com

The Web Site

 of

 Programming Author

Herbert Schildt

After writing extensively about programming for many years, the time has come for me to retire. Going forward, I will be pursuing several other endeavors, but I will also continue to follow with great interest the ongoing evolution of programming, programming languages, and computing in general. Thus, while I will no longer be actively writing about it, programming will always be "in my bones." 

Over the past several decades, I have seen many changes in both the art and the science of programming. Several of these changes were caused by innovations in computer language design and theory. For example, object-oriented-programming as championed by languages such as C++ and Java facilitated the creation of larger and more resilient applications. Other changes were due to advances in the computing landscape. For example, the advent of multicore systems,  the rise of the internet, and the ubiquitous use of handheld devices impacted the way we think about and structure programs. Throughout this sometimes chaotic, but always exciting evolutionary process, one thing has remained constant: the programmer is still at the foundation of the digital transformation.  I count myself fortunate to have lived through such a time in history. But then, the history of programming is just beginning. It is a great time to be a programmer.

As a result of my retirement, the next editions of Java: The Complete Reference and Java: A Beginner's Guide have been prepared by Dr. Danny Coward.  Danny is a Java expert, a published author, and the technical editor on several previous editions of these books.  When it came time for me to retire, Danny generously agreed to take on the task of fully revising these books for JDK 21. As a result, all revisions, updates, and new material for Java: The Complete Reference, 13th Edition and Java: A Beginner's Guide, 10th Edition were prepared by Danny. Revising books of this size is no small task and I want to thank Danny for all his efforts in preparing these editions.

I also want to thank everyone at my longtime publisher, McGraw-Hill. To become a successful writer requires a successful publisher. Each needs the other to create a quality book. (In other words,  writing and publishing form two sides of the same coin.)   Of course, a publisher is only as good as its people.  Over these many years, I have been fortunate to have worked with some of the very best.  Although there are far too many to name them all, I want to give special thanks to Wendy Rinaldi, Lisa McClain, Patty Mon, Jeff Pepper, and Scott Rogers. Friends, it's been one grand adventure and a wonderful time.  All the best, and many thanks!

Finally, I want to thank all of you, my many readers. Your support, feedback, and comments have always been much appreciated. To all of you, and to programmers everywhere, I wish the very best.

Herbert Schildt

About Herb Schildt

Called "one of the world's foremost authors of books about programming" by International Developer magazine, best-selling author Herbert Schildt has written about programming for nearly four decades. His books have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been widely translated. Featured as one of the rock star programmers in Ed Burns' book Secrets of the Rock Star Programmers, Schildt is interested in all facets of computing, but his primary focus is computer languages. He is the author of numerous books on Java, C, C++, and C#.  Schildt holds BA and MCS degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. He is a longtime member of the ACM.