Hi everyone,
Here read the below thread
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread8386.html
I have done C/C++ for many years i seriously i tell you sometimes creating something like a print preview can take you an extremely long time in C/C++ but not in java.
My advice start with awt first and then go to swing. Don't jump to swing immediately
as it may be difficult to cope. Another thing if you need a good manual you can find a lot of free books on the internet(google it) instead of buying a book.
I hope this helps you and also let me know how you like my article at daniweb
Without open source software there would be no windows
Yours Sincerely
Richard West