Sams Teach Yourself Java 2 in 24 Hours

By Rogers Cadenhead

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • About the Author
  • About the Technical Editor
  • Acknowledgments
  • We Want to Hear from You!
  • Reader Services
  • Introduction
  • Hour 1. Becoming a Programmer
  • Hour 2. Writing Your First Program
  • Hour 3. Vacationing in Java
  • Hour 4. Understanding How Java Programs Work
  • Part II: Learning the Basics of Programming
  • Hour 5. Storing and Changing Information in a Program
  • Hour 6. Using Strings to Communicate
  • Hour 7. Using Conditional Tests to Make Decisions
  • Hour 8. Repeating an Action with Loops
  • Part III: Working with Information in New Ways
  • Hour 9. Storing Information with Arrays
  • Hour 10. Creating Your First Object
  • Hour 11. Describing What Your Object Is Like
  • Hour 12. Making the Most of Existing Objects
  • Part IV: Programming a Graphical User Interface
  • Hour 13. Building a Simple User Interface
  • Hour 14. Laying Out a User Interface
  • Hour 15. Responding to User Input
  • Hour 16. Building a Complex User Interface
  • Part V: Creating Multimedia Programs
  • Hour 17. Creating Interactive Web Programs
  • Hour 18. Handling Errors in a Program
  • Hour 19. Creating a Threaded Program
  • Hour 20. Reading and Writing Files
  • Part VI: Creating Multimedia Programs
  • Hour 21. Using Fonts and Color
    • Using the Font Class
    • Using the Color Class
    • Other Ways to Choose Colors
    • Workshop: Displaying a Danger Message
    • Summary
    • Q&A
    • Quiz
    • Activities
  • Hour 22. Playing Sound Files
  • Hour 23. Working with Graphics
  • Hour 24. Creating Animation
  • Part VII: Appendixes
  • Appendix A. Tackling New Features of Java 2 Version 1.4
  • Appendix B. Using the Java 2 Software Development Kit
  • Appendix C. Programming with the Java 2 Software Development Kit
  • Appendix D. Using Sun ONE Studio
  • Appendix E. Where to Go from Here: Java Resources
  • Appendix F. This Book's Web Site

Q&A

1. Is there a limit to the point size that can be used for text?

   The limiting factor is the height and width of your component. Point sizes typically range from 9-point text for small lines that are readable to 48-point text for large headlines. Choosing the right size depends on the font typeface as well as the size, so it's largely a matter of trial and error.

2. What happens if a color defined in a Java program can't be displayed on the monitor of someone displaying the program? For example, if my monitor is set to display only 256 colors, what will occur if I choose one of the 16.5 million colors that isn't in those 256?

   When a monitor can't display a color selected with a setColor() or setBackground() method, it shows the closest existing color as a substitute. An example of this kind of substitution is the Danger application, which runs differently depending on the number of colors that can be shown as the text cycles from black to light blue to white.

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