The book I'm using is Java Software Structures. This book is a solid CS2 textbook that covers searching and sorting in the order one would expect. I did not find the book to be outstanding, just a solid contender. I think the book would be outstanding if these issues were addressed:
- The book uses generics, iterators, and other advanced features of Java without adequate coverage in the text. There is some coverage, but not enough. Many students coming out of a CS1 course won't be prepped enough to use them.
- Code for searching and sorting is only given using generics. This forces students to solve 2 problems, what is the algorithm doing, and what's going on with the generics. I'd prefer the code first be introduced using an integer array, or even pseudo-code. If the code using generics was shown right after an integer array example, it would help emphasize what generics add.
- I'd like to see some recursive algorithms, like binary search, be shown in non-recursive form. Otherwise students might think that the recursive algorithm is the only way to do it.
- I'd like to see better images of the searching and sorting in progress.
Past that, not a bad book.
