When we first envisioned this book, there was a specific target audience: successful IBM midrange programmers who needed to move from their comfortable environment of RPG and green screens to the brave new world of Eclipse and Java. And so I wrote the book with the idea that you might not know much more about Windows than how to turn your machine on. It may surprise people brought up with IDEs and the Internet, but there are thousands of programmers out there who have never heard of Open Source. To these people, the idea of downloading an IDE and installing it (not to mention Java itself!) is a potentially daunting task. And even if they buy an introductory book, the introductory books are written by people who don't know about life before the Internet, and who take things like WinZip for granted.
We wanted this book to allow ANYONE, regardless of their Java or PC knowledge, to be able to take advanatge of Eclipse. It's not a reference manual or an in-depth guide to Java architecture; the book description clearly says that. In fact, the description states in no uncertain terms: "training wheels for Eclipse".
And yet, unfortunately people still buy the book expecting something more, and get upset when it doesn't have it. I feel badly for their disappointment, but at the same time, I can't help but think they might have missed the point. I'm amazed that the phrase "broad overview" is used negatively, when that's exactly what the book is designed to be.
So I just wanted to be clear: this book is NOT for Eclipse experts. It is for people who want to learn about Eclipse in the quickest, least intimidating way possible. It was meant for professional programmers with years or decades of experience that just doesn't happen to include Windows and Java. You shouldn't feel inferior for not knowing the latest buzzwords, or for not having taken Java in college. It's a new world, and it's hard to get started. But with this book, you will.
Joe Pluta
