Textbook

Our recommended textbook for CSE 142 this quarter will be the following:

Building Java Programs 5th edition coverReges/Stepp. Building Java Programs: A Back to Basics Approach, 5th edition. ISBN 978-0135471944

This book was written specifically for this course and makes a valuable supplement to the course lessons. The book contains many additional practice problems that can be useful. The authors' website also includes additional resources such as:

Code files for the sample programs in the book, organized chapter by chapter.
Video notes covering detailed examples from the book.
Slide decks organized by chapter.

Some, but not all, of these resources are linked directly on the CSE 142 website as well.

How to Purchase

Physical copy: Students can purchase the textbook from the UW Bookstore. The book is also available to be ordered online from online retailers such as the following:

Older Editions of the Textbook

If you see a book with our book's title but a different ISBN available for sale online (probably used), this is not the correct textbook. It is likely either the previous "1st edition", "2nd edition" or an even older "preliminary custom edition" version of the book that was used in past years. These older versions of the book do not contain all of the content from the correct course textbook. The 1st and 2nd editions are not suitable for CSE 142; we do not suggest using them as your textbook for the course.