When the Y2K crisis winds down, COBOL programmers will look for new ways to apply their skills. Drawing upon the numerous similarities between COBOL and Java, this book teaches Java to professional COBOL programmers. To simplify the transition, the authors describe the features and syntax of Java while contrasting them with their parallels in COBOL. The book is completely modular, allowing a reader to skip back and forth from one chapter to another. With each example, the authors present a COBOL program that performs a certain function and develop a Java program that accomplishes the same task. Sample programs are available from a website, and an accompanying CD-ROM contains all of the Java programs developed in the book. It also contains a TrialWare copy of Symantec's Visual Café Database Edition 3.0. A running case study evolves with increased functionality as new material is presented in subsequent chapters.