In this chapter, we introduced NLP and its uses. We found that it is used in many places to solve many different types of problems, ranging from simple searches to sophisticated classification problems. The Java support for NLP in terms of core string support and advanced NLP libraries was presented. The basic NLP tasks were explained and illustrated using code. The basics of deep learning in NLP and feature-engineering were also included to show how deep learning is impacting NLP. We also examined the process of training, verifying, and using models.

In this book, we will lay the foundation for employing basic NLP tasks using both simple and more complex approaches. You may find that some problems require only simple approaches, and when that is the case, knowing how to use the simple techniques may be more than adequate. In other situations, a more sophisticated technique may be needed. In either case, you will be prepared to identify which tool is needed and be able to choose the appropriate technique for the task.

In the next chapter, Chapter 2, Finding Parts of Text, we will examine the process of tokenization and see how it can be used to find parts of text.