This book provides an insider's view of the Java(tm) technology by posing and answering the most important, frequently asked questions about the Java programming language, Java applets, and Java stand-alone applications. The Java(tm) FAQ is unique in that it draws from the tens of thousands of questions sent to java@java.sun.com and provides authoritative answers direct from the creators of the Java programming language at JavaSoft. Presented in a handy question-and-answer format, The Java FAQ contains over 200 of the most important and informative of these questions together with concise explanations and creative solutions. The book is a powerful reference that can quickly help you over common stumbling blocks. Representing the collective wisdom of the JavaSoft team, it is an excellent resource for design tips, practical examples, style guidelines, insightful explanations, and insider information that will save you time and improve the quality of your Java programming. The questions encompass the gamut of Java topics: objects, classes, methods, interfaces, exceptions, arrays, the virtual machine, applets, AWT components and containers, layouts, events, images, threads, sockets, and more. Well indexed and thoroughly cross-referenced, the book enables you to quickly locate precisely the information you need. Appropriate for Java programmers of all levels, The Java FAQ includes clearly worded explanations to fundamental questions, such as: What is an applet? How do applets differ from applications? Does the Java language allow multiple inheritance? How do I create an instance of a class? Experienced Java programmers will benefit from pointed answers to more sophisticated questions, including: How can I accomplish the equivalent of function pointers in Java, for instance, for use in an array? How can I arrange for different applets on a web page to communicate with each other? Do events propagate in the JDK 1.1 as they did in the older AWT event model? How do the wait and notifyAll/notify methods enable cooperation between threads? When will I be able to create a broadcast datagram packet?