Book excerpt: In the fast moving world of information technology, Java is now the number 1 programming language. Programmers and developers everywhere need to know Java to keep pace with traditional and web-based application development. COBOL Programmers Swing with Java provides COBOL programmers a clear, easy transition to Java programming by drawing on the numerous similarities between COBOL and Java. The authors introduce the COBOL programmer to the history of Java and object-oriented programming and then dive into the details of the Java syntax, always contrasting them with their parallels in COBOL. A running case study gives the reader an overall view of application development with Java, with increased functionality as new material is presented. This new edition features the development of graphical user interfaces (GUI's) using the latest in Java Swing components. The clear writing style and excellent examples make the book suitable for anyone wanting to learn Java and OO programming, whether they have a background in COBOL or not.