Customer Reviews (10)

Get up to speed quickly
The purpose of this book is to get you up and running quickly. It is for people who want to get their hands on the technology quickly, before having to digest a thousand pages of text. It has step-by-step cookbook tutorials that walk you through deploying and writing your first J2EE applications. I teach courses on J2EE, and I use this book plus Ed Roman's Mastering Enterprise JavaBeans.

The book does not provide complete coverage (and in some places is far from it), but you can get servlets, JSPs, EJBs of all flavors and a simple database up and running quickly. In this role, as a quick start to a complicated technology, the book performs admirably, although not without its faults.

Some people may rather skip this tutorial and go straight to books that provide deeper, more comprehensive coverage of the J2EE topics. I haven't found a single book that I like for all the topics; I would suggest three books: one on EJBs, one on JMS and another on Servlets and JSPs. You might even want to get separate books on servlets and JSPs as some of the better texts target one or the other. And of course, you can always download the tutorial for free--I happen to like a printed and bound version.

I have to mention that the J2EE SDK that the book uses is a just-barely-adequate-for-learning J2EE implementation, and many things you take for granted (such as mapping CMP entity beans to a database schema) are missing. You'll quickly want to move on to almost ANY other application server before taking on any of your own projects.

one of the worst books I have ever read
It so happens even I am doing the same course at the same university where " ursixc92 " studies and unfortunately we have this same book as our TEXT BOOK
Its more like a user documentation manual
The author solely focuses on running and deploying sample code in CD but never makes a conscious effort to expain the code and concepts invovled .
Worst book for a newbie to J2ee programming .

This is the worst text-book I've ever had!!!
I have to read this text book for one of my 3rd year Computer Science course. My professor picked the worst book there is for us to learn. The exam is open book but I can't use any of the stuff that's written in this piece of sh*t. Whever wrote this book should jump off the building and die. It tried to include too many topic at once and fail to explain how to used each of them. All it does is throw you examples of the stuff they wrote. Firstly, their examples don't work. Secondly, that is not now most programmer will approach it. It tries to teach connection with a database but did not provide any PreparedStatement or Statement and did not provide text on DriverManger.getConnection. How the hell do we connect then?? Bottom line is this book sucks!! EJB, Servlets, Jsp, JMS, JNDI, XML, JDBC, JavaMail my A**!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business   2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   3. Computer Books: General   4. Computer Networks   5. Computer Programming Languages   6. Computers   7. Data processing   8. Java (Computer language)   9. Java (Computer program languag   10. Java (Computer program language)   11. Programming - General   12. Programming Languages - Java   13. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Languages   3. Computers   4. Java (Computer language)   5. Java (Computer program languag   6. Java (Computer program language)   7. Programming - General   8. Programming Languages - Java   

Aimed at Web developers with some previous Java experience, Java Servlet Programming, Second Edition, offers a solid introduction to the world of Java development with Servlets and related technologies. Thoroughly revised and newly updated with over a half-dozen new chapters, this title brings an already useful text up to speed with some leading-edge material. It excels particularly in explaining how to program dynamic Web content using Java Servlets, with a fine introduction to all the APIs, programming techniques, and tips you will need to be successful with this standard.

Besides a useful guide to APIs, the book looks at a variety of techniques for saving session state, as well as showing how Servlets can work together to power Web sites. You will learn performance tips and ways to get Servlets to work together (like forwarding and redirection), plus the basics of database programming with JDBC, to build content with "live" data. A later chapter examines what's next for Servlets with the emerging Servlet 2.3 API standard. Importantly, the authors go over deploying and configuring Web applications by editing XML files, a must-have for successfully running Servlets in real applications.

Since the first edition of this title, the choices for Java Web developers have grown much richer. Many of the new chapters in this edition look at options beyond Servlets. Short sections on application frameworks such as Tea, WebMacro, the Element Construction Set (ECS), XMLC, and JavaServer Pages (JSP) let you explore what's out there for Java developers today with a survey of some current tools that can speed up creating new Web applications.

The text closes with reference sections on Servlet APIs (and other material) that will be useful for any working developer. Although Servlets are not the only game in town, they are still important tools for successful Web development. This updated edition shows you just how to do it with plenty of basic and advanced tips for taking full advantage of this powerful Java standard. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Overview and history of Java Servlets
• Fundamentals of HTTP
• Web applications (including deployment and configuration using XML files)
• The Servlet lifecycle (initializing, processing requests, cleanup, and caching)
• Multimedia content (images and compressed content)
• WAP and WML for wireless content
• Servlet session tracking techniques (hidden form fields, cookies, and URL rewriting)
• Security issues with Servlets (including certificates and SSL)
• Tutorial for JDBC and Java database programming
• Using applets and Servlets together
• Servlet collaboration
• Quick introduction to Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE)
• Internationalization issues
• Survey of third-party Servlet application frameworks and tools: Tea, WebMacro, the Element Contruction Set (ECS), XMLC, and JavaServer Pages (JSP)
• Miscellaneous tips for Servlets (including sending e-mail and using regular expressions)
• Description of the new Servlet 2.3 API spec
• Servlet API quick reference

Customer Reviews (152)

Outstanding second edition!
I read the first edition and found it to be one of the best written programming/technical books I have read. I was a beginning Java programmer at the time, and was able to quickly produce projects based on servlets, as well as understand why they worked as they did!

The second edition continues Jason Hunter's tradition of excellence in writing. He covers the new servlet technologies very well, and the bonus chapters on different web frameworks is a reall plus!

This book is perfect for beginners new to servlets, and for programmers and designers who need to find out the latest developments in the servlet technologies. It is an easy book to read, and clearly explains the concepts and the nuances behind the technology. The example code is well documented and clearly explains the concepts. The book also servers very well as a reference book for specific questions or problems programmers may encounter while developing applications using servlets. Kudos to whomever wrote the index - a great resource!

Congratulations to Jason Hunter and William Crawford on a great book!

Great servlet book, even if somewhat dated.
This is one of the best books for learning Java Servlets. Itprovides the reader with clear examples and throughout explanations ofthe Servlet API v2.0. The topics discussed in this book reflectsituations that might surface in the real world.
The only problemthat arises with this book is that the Servlet API is now in version2.2 with version 2.3 really close to being available to the public.Therefore some of the methods and/or classes presented here aredeprecated and were replaced or eliminated in the latter versions. Anexample of this is class javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionContext
Iread at the author's site...that he's releasing a new edition soonwith updated information.
I throughly recommend this book even ifyou are using a newer version of the API, since the core servlettechnology hasn't changed much. If you want to learn servlets justfor acquiring the knowledge, you might want to wait for the secondedition. Otherwise get this book to get on the fast track into thisexciting technology.

OK for beginners
I wouldn't say this is an excellent book, but it's not bad. The book covers good fundamentals in its first 8 chapters for those beginning Servlets. The book also covers some useful information on JDBC and Java Server Pages. There's also some additional coverage on Applet-Servlet communication, Internationalization and Tea & WebMacro application frameworks. However some topics like JavaBeans, SSL, Filters, deployment descriptors and XML were too brief and should have been given some depth. Another dissappointment is that all examples are based on API 2.2 but not 2.3!!. The Appendix just touches on new features of API 2.3 with also a separate listing of API 2.3.
It's been 8 mths since I purchased this book. I'd suggest that starters either wait for the next edition or get something that is based on Servlet API 2.3. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computer Networks   4. Computer Programming Languages   5. Computers   6. Internet - Web Site Design   7. Java (Computer language)   8. Java (Computer program languag   9. Java (Computer program language)   10. Programming - General   11. Programming Languages - Java   12. Servlets   13. COM060060   14. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   15. Java & variants   16. Programming languages   

Customer Reviews (18)

Excellent Way to Learn Java!
I'm glad this book was our textbook for a four month Java course at our local technical college. As a student, I appreciated this book's very practical, "How to" approach to learning Java. The book's 2-page format put A clear, "How to" commentary on the left page along with illustrations, code, and tables on the right page. Exercises and projects follow the text. The instructor's package included Power-Points that mirrored the text, making it easy to follow. I especially appreciated how the author brought her insights as a working programmer to her commentary and selection of illustrations and projects. The CD-ROM enclosed with the text included SDK 1.4, Java API documentation for SDK 1.4, source code & data for all the examples and exercises in the book, and two different IDE's, TextPad (very cool little tool) and Sun's Forte...everything you need to learn by doing. I'm looking forward to studying Andrea Steelman's next book, Murach's Java Servlets and Jsps... just as soon as I pass my Java Programmer's exam!

Writing is Fantastic! Easy to understand and learn
Two thumbs up! Why can't all publishers adopt this style of practical writing. I wish I had purchased this book to supplement my teacher's Java Programming class. It would have literally saved me hours of frustration. I think Murach books will revolutionize how to write computer programming book. They have a clearly have a knack of explaining something complex into simple terms - extremely effective writing. This publisher KNOWS what frustrates readers and absolutely saves you from that experience. They even offer a satisfaction guarantee that their book is well written. Wow.

Java for Real Business Applications!
Finally there is a Java book for serious programmers doing real life business applications. Although the first five chapters must be read sequentially to ground the student in Java syntax and to understand the conceptual base of OOP - subsequent chapters may be taken out of order with little or no loss in the conceptual continuity. The examples and the projects are about real business implementations and not about toys, shapes or animals barking. The code examples work - and the explanations are direct, easy to read and lead the reader to total comprehension.

This book is not only for anyone who wants to learn how to program in Java (including those with no previous programming experience) - but for the seasoned Java programmer as well. It was the first time topics such as Date, Array, Vector and the file IO classes were covered to expose the depth and power underlying them.

After using several books that boast of "being the best" to learn Java 2, I have concluded this latest publication really is the best book on the market. When used in a classroom the material is seamless and the exercises work toward reinforcement. The book can also stand alone for the independent learner or the Java programmer who wants a deeper understanding. Don't be fooled by the title "beginning java 2" - this book is 700 (8x10) pages and it covers advanced topics such as Swing Layout Managers, JDBC and threads. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Languages   3. Computers   4. Java (Computer program languag   5. Java (Computer program language)   6. Programming - General   7. Programming Languages - COBOL   8. Programming Languages - Java   

Customer Reviews (2)

textbook-critic
This book first needs better binding glues since it comes apart after a few weeks of heavy usage. When I surveyed other students' textbooks their books suffered the same fate.

Some of the book's examples are difficult to follow along and the explanation usually follow several pages later.

Some of the problems deal with Casino card and dice gambling type problems that some religious students just aren't familiar with and the description in the problems assusme students know all the subtle "ins" and "outs." Also some of the problems take way too long to do.

The glossy paper also isn't necessary. Under typical flourescent lighting conditions, it glares too much, thus reducing book's usage.

At HVCC college CIS department one instructor is actually using another textbook since he too feels strongly that this Deitel book isn't suitable to learn C that easily.

Gerard J. Sagliocca, P.E.
gerard_sagliocca@yahoo.com

Chalked full of great information.
(I have the third edition.)
This book was required for a C programming class. It chalked full of great information. I learned a lot from this book and the instructor.

4 stars instead of 5 because of the way the way the book is organized. Better organization could have been implimented. There are too many "Good Programming Practicees" and "Common Programming Error" boxes to clutter up the pages. Perhaps some Chicago style referencing and a section at the end of the chapter would help clean up the regular text. --- Also some of the subjects used for the codeing examples, and some of the coding examples themselves should be simpler. In other words the code examples tended to be difficult to follow at times.

Overall the book is keeper. (That and because it has just been succeded by a a new edition and is no longer resellable for nearly what I paid for it. (This is the third edition.))

This book is very usable even as an older edition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. C (Computer program language)   2. C (Programming Language)   3. C++ (Computer program language   4. C++ (Computer program language)   5. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   6. Computer Books And Software   7. Computers   8. Java (Computer program languag   9. Java (Computer program language)   10. Programming - General   11. Programming Languages - C   12. Computers / Programming Languages / C   

Customer Reviews (19)

Lafore could explain quantum physics to an infant
Concerning OOP in C++ and Data Structures and Algorithms in Java

I've been a software engineer for roughly two years now. I was fortunate to have learned C++ and Data Structures by books written by Lafore. In my time in the field, I've noticed that I have a much stronger understanding of C++ and Data Structures than many of my senior programmers. It appears that the books they learned from in college were so esoteric and academic (Introduction to Algorithms (MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science))that they actually fear opening the book, let alone creating binary trees, heaps and weighted graphs. Of course they are also C spaghetti programmers and they have no problem with global variables.

When I was in college the required C++ text was Deitel and Deitel's C++ How to Program. The book was just plain boring to me, fell apart and looked like it was written in some sort of linux text editor. Although the other half of C++ programmers prefer this book over any other, I eventually used Lafore's Object Oriented Programming in C++ to learn the material. OOP in C++ is actually fun to read compared to the snoozers the old guys used to read.

In my opinion, there is no other technical writer that compares. He makes the material so easy you are convinced that you are missing something. When I hear a senior programmer talk in fear about data structures and that scary "Object Oriented Programming" I always have to question if they know something about OOP and DSA that I don't know about? Is there? Cuz I'm still questioning it. I'm ok with the OPP but that spegetti code scares the daylights out of me.

Drawbacks: Lafore only brushes the surface of Big O notation and pseudo code in his data structures book. He also worded the book so nicely that many of my senior programmers have made degrading comments about how the book was written for grade schoolers, yet they use my Lafore's Data Structure book 10 times more than they do their "MIT algorithms" book. That's got to say something.

If your taking a college course, use Lafore's books as backup text books. You'll be thankful you did.

I like this guys writing so much I wait for his next book as if it he was Stephen King. I feel like a groupie.

Well anyway..
Thanks,
Dave

Lafore is Great
First off I am only 24 years old so I guess you could say I am a beginner. If you need a more expert review, look elsewhere. I have been reading Lafore's texts for about the last 14 years (and programming in C++ about as long). I learned to program in C++ reading his books after having only a couple years experience with GW-BASIC (line numbers suck). I also used his books to get an early start on Windows 3.1 about 10 years ago. I read about a programming book a week (averages about 500-1000 pages) so I guess I have about an average idea of the literature out there. I always highly recommend Lafore's texts. They are the best introductory C++ books I have ever seen. He always is very good at covering everything from the basics to the portions of the C++ specification a person needs to start coding modern C++ code(Stroustoup is good too but a little harder to read - not beginner books.. Wait til you have been writting code about two years so can appreciate the other).His books teach you how to write C++ code the way it was meant to be written now not 5 years ago. Lafore's books were teaching use of objects (unfortunately not quite modern (2003)OOP at the time) when everyone else was using C++ as a base to write good functional (procedural) code. He is very good with explanations. Many students I have run into spend hours and frustration before reading his books for a couple minutes. His abilities of explaining programming concepts should set a goal for anyone trying to be a good technical writer or just working to communicate with normal people. I am tempted to buy this volume just for the nostalgia.

best book to start learning C++
It has always been my firm opinion that Robert Lafore's book is the best book to start learning C++. Although people use and talk about other books like C++ Primer, or the C++ programming language by Bjarne, or the book by Deitel.
Lafore seems to be an excellent teacher and uses many diagrams to illustrate his thoughts. I had the third edition of the book, and I had read it so many times, that I used to revise this book in just two three hours when I wanted to refresh my C++ basics. The fourth edition is similar but has the latest keywords and updates. It removes the chapter on C++ graphics which is welcome change.
I must also advice that this book is for beginner and not advanced level. It's also not a reference book. Its for learning, for starting onto object oriented programming. Its not that expensive too, and I would highly recommend it to be the first book to start learning C++. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. C (Programming Language)   2. C++ (Computer program language   3. C++ (Computer program language)   4. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   5. Computer Books: General   6. Computers   7. Object-Oriented Programming   8. Object-oriented programming (C   9. Object-oriented programming (Computer science)   10. Programming - Object Oriented Programming   11. Programming Languages - C   12. Programming Languages - C++   13. Programming Languages - Java   14. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Languages   3. Computers   4. Programming Languages - Java   5. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Beginning Java 2 is one of the two best introductory Java 2 books available. (The other is Peter van der Linden's Just Java 1.2.) Assuming nothing more than curiosity and tenacity, this book explains how to create programs with the Java programming language. And not just simple, academic programs either--the applets and applications that Ivor Horton describes in later chapters take advantage of the latest features of Java 2.

After a brief introduction to the characteristics of Java, Beginning Java 2 digs into variables, data types, operators, control structures, and basic Java syntax--the stuff you absolutely have to understand in order to get anything done. Horton then explains streams, files, and threads before getting into the graphical stuff, where he details how to build attractive, functional user interfaces with the Swing components (with solid coverage of the Java 2 event model). Later chapters address Java2D graphics and database connectivity. The author treats object orientation as integral to the rest of Java programming, which is appropriate to the language.

Readers get to see how concepts work, as regular Try It Out sections include illustrative code listings and the resulting output. The author and publisher deserve kudos for printing the complete source code of example programs rather than just key excerpts. These example programs also appear on the publisher's Web site. --David Wall ... Read more

Customer Reviews (84)

Well written and comprehensive
There is a lot to like about "Beginning Java 2." It provides excruciatingly detailed coverage of Java, written in a clear, intelligent way. The author does an effective job of tempering the extensively technical content with a friendly writing style that is never flip or insulting to the reader.

I also appreciate the abundance of examples, illustrations, and diagrams, which support the text well and are easy to read. Pertinent code samples are shaded in gray, which enhances readability. Diagrams are clear and and are supported with well-written callouts.

Although the book's title is "Beginning Java 2," it could be daunting to readers with little or no programming background, especially as they progress beyond the first two chapters. Chapter 1 provides an excellent introduction to Java and object-oriented programming concepts. The first part of Chapter 2 provides a good introduction to variables and data types. About the middle of Chapter 2, however, when the author begins discussing additional mathematical concepts, the reader is led into deeper waters and at this point, "absolute" beginners may start to feel overwhelmed. This doesn't mean that they should abandon the book, but they may need to take additional time to absorb the concepts.

Each chapter concludes with a summary of its content and several practice exercises. Although such practice is certainly valuable, I would have liked to see an additional appendix with "answers" to the exercises so that readers could check their work and benefit from the author's expertise. Without such author feedback, the exercises are less effective as learning tools.

Overall, I see "Beginning Java 2" as a potentially valuable addition to the bookshelf of any programmer new to Java. I recommend it with some caution to "absolute" beginners -- although with patience, determination, and a commitment to learn, they, too, may find the book very beneficial.

Beginning Java 2, JDK 1.3 Edition
I have only read a few chapters so far. But i've discovered that if you have no programming experience, this book doesn't cover the basic concepts thoroughly. At the top of the cover it reads: "programmer to programmer". So the book assumes you at least have some background in other programming languages. In which case, if I had, I may have given the book 5 stars. But if your a true beginner to programming I think it would be a good idea to purchase a book that covers the concepts of java, such as "Beginning Java Objects/Jacquie Barker ". (recommended at their site-wrox.com). All the same i'm glad I have this book, it covers Java very well, plus I will be reading it as soon as I finish learning the basics. They also have an interactive website. Certainly not a waste of money considering the return. Java programming has vast libraries of information, so reading a couple of books should be nothing. But don't be put off, it can also be fun along the way, if you understand the concepts first.

Quite useful
I have used this since I started to learn Java. It has been quite useful, though the major handicap is that at several places, it uses continuation of previous examples, rather than fresh examples. This results in some discomfort in using this as a reference guide, although it is great as a sit-through reading book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computers   4. Java (Computer language)   5. Java (Computer program languag   6. Java (Computer program language)   7. Programming - General   8. Programming Languages - General   9. Programming Languages - Java   

Java Swing, long regarded as the authoritative book on using the Swing classes, is available in a new edition that builds on a solid foundation in exploring the Java 2 Swing additions and modifications. This is a big, tremendously detailed, exhaustively researched, and ultimately authoritative reference that pushes the limits of what a book can do toward eliminating the necessity of writing experimental programs to see how Swing classes work in practice. You'll find in these pages bits of software that show how most of Swing works: all of the major features get lavish attention, while most of the minor classes are demonstrated adequately, as well.

You could probably find demonstrations free of charge on the Internet, however. The true value of this work is in the comments its five authors have attached to their copious examples. They can be quite specific: at least one such segment warns that default Swing behavior violates Mac OS X user interface guidelines and explains how to work around the problem. Another section explains how the methods of the UndoableEdit class can be used in various ways, to implement different user interface behavior options. Some readers will head straight to the O'Reilly Web site, where they can grab the code and examine it in an editor rather than in print--code listings take up a lot of space here--but everyone will appreciate the concise hierarchy, method, and property documentation, as well as the wisdom contained in the prose. --David Wall

Topics covered: The Swing classes for creating graphical user interfaces in the Java programming language. It covers all the windowing stuff--dialogs, buttons, containers, layouts, lists, and that kind of thing--as well as tables, trees, text-manipulation classes, formatted text, drag and drop, and accessibility support. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (67)

Java Swing
Java Swing is the definitive reference for the Graphical User Interface (GUI) Swing package that has been included in the standard distribution of the Java SDK since Java 1.2. The book is really more of a tomb, weighing in at 1200 pages, and yet none of it seems irrelevant or overly explained. If anything, one would have to complain that maybe there are details missing, but given the length of the book as is, maybe it's better that some of the details were left out.

Publishers O'Reilly have obviously assembled a group of talented Java GUI designers to write this book, because the commentary is rife with real advice and coherent, practical explanations. The book does take some assumed knowledge for granted, such as basic programming skills, knowledge of Object-Oriented programming practices, and UML-style class and object relationship graphs, but I wouldn't say that this book excludes the beginner programmer in the least. Instead, it walks the fine line of being a useful book for both beginner and expert coders quite well, better than other O'Reilly publications that I've read in the past that I felt were overly explanatory.

The book starts off with a little history on the Swing package, where it came from and what its relationship to the Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) is, but then almost immediately launches into the format that it uses for the next 900 pages of the book, which is to devote an entire chapter to every major section of swing. Topics covered include: buttons, scrollbar-like components, combo-boxes, containers of every shape and size, dialogs, borders, menus, tables, trees, undo facilities, text (about 220 pages on the major text components alone,) and drag and drop. Each of these sections serves as a useful reference for when you're developing your own GUI applications. The explanations are generally more details and much deeper than those offered in the Javadoc HTML pages provided with the SDK distribution. I've personally used the book on a couple of projects that I've been working on at work, and found that the background given has been incredibly useful, not just for solving problems but for generating ideas for how things could be better. The topic separation is such that you can usually just read the chapter that deals with what you are currently doing, and not have to jump around the book looking for better explanations of the same idea. There is very little overlap in this book, which I consider to be a good thing in a reference book. The final four chapters deal with advanced topics, and a genuinely insightful and useful.

Now for the minor complaints: This book is truly focused on Swing, but sometimes I felt that the focus was just a little too narrow. Mainly my issues come from the authors deciding that AWT is a separate topic from Swing. Thus, any discussions of GUI programming elements that fall under the canvas of AWT are ignored. This is unfortunate, since real-life GUI applications have no choice but to use AWT elements. What's even more unfortunate is that Swing, being built on top of AWT, relies heavily on its architecture. JComponent, the root class of 95% of Swing component, is itself derived from Container and Component, the root classes of AWT. Browsing the O'Reilly catalogue, I failed to notice a book devoted to AWT, though I think it used to exist but has since been discontinued. This leaves me wondering where a GUI programmer should go to get the details needed to do the job. The most obvious omission in my eyes - apart from a discussion of Component and Container - is the failure to properly outline the common LayoutManagers available in Swing. Layout management is a crucial task for GUI programmers, and yet the only mention of them are the new LayoutManagers introduced by Swing. These new managers, however, by no means replace the old AWT managers that are the bread and butter of GUI programming.

My other minor complaint is that the book is cumbersome. This makes it a chore to use, though I fully admit that this is a very minor problem. However, I would have preferred that the publishers ship the book as a two-book set and charged a bit more for it.

Negatives aside, this book is a must-have for Java Swing programmers. The book isn't perfect, but I haven't come across a better reference for the topic.

Very useful and well written.
The Swing classes eliminate Java's biggest weakness: its relatively primitive user interface
toolkit. Swing provides many new components and containers that allow you to build sophisticated
user interfaces, far beyond what was possible with AWT. The old components have been greatly
improved, and there are many new components, like trees, tables, and even text editors. It also
adds several completely new features to Java's user interface capabilities: drag-and-drop, undo,
and the ability to develop your own "look and feel," or the ability to choose between several
standard looks. Written for the experienced Java developer, Java Swing provides an in-depth guide to
getting the most out of Sun's Swing/JFC user interface classes. Mixing
real-world code examples and expert advice on advanced features, this book shows how to make use of this powerful
library effectively within your own projects.

As a general Swing reference, this book is very good; where it excels is at covering the numerous
important aspects of Swing theory and application. I was initially disappointed by the lack
of coverage of layout managers, however the rest of the content has been extremely useful
in helping me understand the key aspects of Swing GUI development.

Java Swing gives you in-depth coverage of everything you need to know to take full advantage of Swing,
providing detailed descriptions of every class and interface in the key Swing packages. It shows you how
to use all of the new components. Whether you're a serious Java Swing Developer or just trying to figure
out what Java can do you will find this book as an indispensable guide.

Not as good as advertized
The book as a whole is pleasant to read and covers wide enough range of topic. One huge glaring omission is the GridBagLayout (only mentions in passing while cover other less pwerful layout managers). What's up with that?

Don't hope to get much on the section on creating a custom editor kit. The book makes no mention about how to actually create alternative document structures. The on-line chapter is no help on this matter either. I wish the book will explain how ElementSpec class is used. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computer Interfaces   4. Computer Programming Languages   5. Computers   6. Data Transmission Systems - General   7. Java (Computer program languag   8. Java (Computer program language)   9. Programming Languages - Java   10. Swing (Computer file)   11. COM070000   12. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   13. Java & variants   

Customer Reviews (37)

Fun But Not About Programming
While I enjoyed the book, I was left with the feeling that this was a regimen of programming by example, and that the more structured thought processes necessary for design did not come through. Although there were some pointers to places where students could find out more about Java, the principles themselves were not explained. The best a beginner could expect upon finishing this book would be to replicate the examples and to move on to further reading. The book did tell me what Swing and Java Beans were, but the distinction between a class and an object were never made clear. The choice of different approaches was not explained, and there was no walk-through to show the students how to use the references. Finally, Rogers Cadenhead's humor was a little too salty and impish, and used too many idioms, for an academic class presented in California. This dismayed me a bit, because the range of topics he covered were perfect for an introductory course in extended education.

I found this book to be an excellent start...
Although I had some previous scripting experience, I am still basically a beginning programmer. However, I found it easy to grasp the basics of Java using this book. If you are new to programming and want to grasp the basics of Java, I do recommend this book...

Great for those already familiar with programming concepts
The other reviews are right; this is not a book for those who are beginning programmers. In order to fully appreciate this book, you have to at least understand object-oriented programming in theory, if not actual practice.

Having taken courses in Visual Basic, Java and C++, I'm hardly a begginer. I bought this book so that I could keep fresh on my programming skills between Java classes (no pun intended). This book served as more than a simple refresher, however; I can honestly say that I have learned more about Java 2 in the first half of the book than I have during my entire last quarter at school. This book digs deep into event procedures and error handling; it goes a bit lighter on making the user geenerate multiple interacting classes, and it also goes a bit lighter on the web side (applets) of Java. I would have preferred to switch the chapters on applets with newer ones dealing with ArrayLists and Iterators. The amount of time devoted to GUI's was just about right.

One of my biggest complaints with programming books is that they tend to be dryly written and haphazardly orginized, digging too deep into some matters, while glossing over more intimidating concepts while not providing real-life code examples. Thanfully, that is not the case with this book. I find the authors humor, while a bit esoteric for my tastes, refeshing, and the style of writing agreeable. The topics are all dealt with fairly evenly, and the more intimdaaating concepts were alll given thier fair due. While I know that 24 one-hour lessons may not be that much time in which to cover such topics as ArrayLists and Iterators, perhaps squeezing a bit more into the introductory chapters and glossing over applets (as you can tell, I'm not a big fan of Java applets, and too many books spend way too much time on them anyway) might have helped to introduce (or refamiliarize) readers to these two powerful features. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computer Networks   4. Computer Programming Languages   5. Computers   6. Java (Computer language)   7. Java (Computer program languag   8. Java (Computer program language)   9. Programming Languages - Java   10. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Customer Reviews (18)

Good Code, Terrible Explanations
I am using this book in a class on Data Structures and Algorithms. This book has a lot of material and code in it which makes it good. However, his explanations are terrible. They are ambiguous and unclear. If you can teach yourself from the code, then this is a good book for you. If your looking for clear explanations, look somewhere else.

A terrible, terrible book
I was recently shanghied into buying this book by a 300-level Computer Science course I'm taking. This book is horrible. The code is poorly commented and looks like C masquerading as Java. I'm guessing that much of it was originally C. From a software engineering standpoint, there are some serious questions about the code in this book. For example, in the section on Binary Trees, most of the traversal algorithms are implemented at the level of the BinaryNode component rather than in the Tree container class. This may the code easier to write, but it is poor design. The math in this book is very hand-wavy, and still unreadable. There is no mention of SkipLists, a simple new data structure which is quickly replacing balanced trees.
If you don't need this book for testing and homework purposes(i.e. kowtowing to the academic powers that be) I would recommend that you avoid it...

book is superb
I took this class with the author, the book and class were excellent. The java that is covered is done in a much better way than any other java book I have. The book explains with good examples to get the reader to understand topics like runtime, big oh and the collections api and many different structures. I'd recommend this book to anyone taking data structures. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computers   4. Data Structures   5. Data processing   6. Data structures (Computer scie   7. Data structures (Computer science)   8. Database Management - General   9. Java (Computer program languag   10. Java (Computer program language)   11. Object-Oriented Programming   12. Problem solving   13. Programming Languages - Java   14. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Customer Reviews (5)

Poorly organized, poorly edited, poorly written.
The writing in this book is often hard to follow. When they try to break down concepts for you, their analogies are often illogical or simply not helpful. Also, the order of chapters makes very little sense to me (for instance waiting till chapter 7 to introduce User-Interfaces). As a beginning student of Java, i know there are better books out there. I would suggest shopping around for a text that is better thought out.

Good Book, but full of typos and errors
This is a great book for a beginner Java programmer. Many of the concepts are clearly explained and are easy to understand.

However, considering that this is the Second Edition of this book, one would think that they would have addressed the errors in the programs. It is as if no one bothered to compile these programs after they were written.

For example, in Example 2.9 on pages 53 and 54, line 20 states:
"JOptionPane.showMessageDialog("The result is " + result);"
when it should be:
"JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"The result is " + result);"

Excellent JAVA text
Looking for a book to teach with? Looking for a book that discusses data structures, JDBC, Algorithm design, pretty much everything? This is the book for you. I was looking for a text for new classes I am teaching in Java and this one fit the bill. Buy it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information   2. Computer Books: General   3. Java (Computer program languag   4. Java (Computer program language)   5. Object-oriented programming (C   6. Object-oriented programming (Computer science)   7. Programming Languages - General   

Written by several of Java's inventors, The Java ProgrammingLanguage, Third Edition provides a nearly indispensable guide to basic andadvanced features in today's hottest programming language. Perfect for theintermediate or advanced developer, this book delivers a wealth of informationon how to do more with Java. The first sections provide a nicely compact tour ofJava basics. If you're a beginner, you'll get a glimpse of the fundamentals ofJava quickly. (Most of this new edition has the more experienced reader inmind.) Subsequent chapters delve into basic and advanced language features ofwhat can be done with classes, interfaces, and other design features in Java.The authors' explanations are notably clear and never pedantic. Many examplesare illustrated by using simple mathematical problems, and the class-designsamples for inheritance and interfaces all use comprehensible class names andconcepts.

This title is outstanding when it comes to class design. It will definitely letany reader do more with classes, whether you want to make use of such featuresas "anonymous inner classes" and reflection (for loading classes dynamically),or do more with interfaces (including extending interfaces and tricks onchanging data members in interfaces).

Prominent sections here include a complete guide to Java language statements,including keywords, literals, and support for Unicode. Later sections feature anice, clear explanation of Java's complicated I/O classes, a fine tutorial onthreading, and a solid introduction to using Java's collection classes. The bookcloses with a tour of some additional "core" Java packages that are available inthe language.

In all, this up-to-the-minute guide to some of the more complex features intoday's Java fills a valuable niche for any Java developer. Besides providing aglimpse into what the Java team at Sun is up to, this authoritative resource canhelp you master the finer points of class design, as well as make the most outof newly added features in the new JDK 1.3 standard. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: QuickStart overview of Java, class and object design inJava, access control, construction and initialization, static methods, methodoverloading, class inheritance, redefining members, the protectedkeyword, the strictfp keyword and floating-point processing, cloningobjects, interfaces (constants, methods, and modifiers), extending interfaces,marker interfaces, nested classes and interfaces (including static nested types,inner classes, and anonymous inner classes), tokens, operators, and expressionsin Java, literals, keywords, operator precedence, control flow, Java exceptionhandling, exception classes, the String and StringBuffer classes,threads, synchronization APIs and techniques (scheduling, thread groups, andthread local storage), the wrapper classes for Number types, Java reflection,loading classes, garbage collection (GC algorithms, finalization andreachability states), packages, JavaDoc documentation tags, tour of Java I/Ostream classes, serialization techniques, new and legacy Java collections,miscellaneous utility classes, system programming with properties, processes andJVM shutdown; internationalization and localization techniques, and tour ofadditional Java "core" packages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Not how to program but how to program in Java
This book is not the first I'd recommend to someone who has never programmed before. Although there are some exercises in the text, the book has too much depth and does not contain enough code examples to be a full blown programming tutorial.

However, there is more to the book than simply explaining the technical facets of Java. The book contains good advice for the intermediate programmer on how to get the best out of the language, and discusses object-oriented practices such as designing classes to be extended, and times when it is wise NOT to extend a class.

If you have programmed before and are looking for an introduction to Java, then I recommend this book without reservation. It is not too heavy to carry around and enjoyable enough (for me) to read cover-to-cover, but it is also detailed and structured well enough to use as a reference.

If you buy only one Java book, make it this one!
After reading this book and working many of the exercises within, you'll know the basics of the Java language better than most Java programmers do. The authors don't waste time on explaining the basics of object-oriented programming or details of the Java class library. If you already know OOP and feel comfortable with reading the online documentation then this is the book for you!

This book is ideal for C++ programmers who don't know Java, but I'd also highly recommend it to programmers who already know Java but want to jump to the expert level or want to learn the new features of Java 2.

the best intermediate to advanced java book to date
I'm disappointed with many of the low rated comments, this book is not for beginners, its an intermediate to advanced text. When you read the description it states: "Most of this new edition has the more experienced reader in mind".

I started out with this book in college, it was assigned reading and I hated it, I had to read each page twice. But as I got more proficient with java and wanted to learn all the fine points, I couldn't find another book out there that delves into the core of the language as well as this book does. Most java books out there spend half the book discussing swing and the api classes, but this book discusses the language itself. If you're a software engineer especially, the most difficultly you'll have is debugging complicated code, you'll need to have a good understanding of how java works under the hood.

This book was invaluable to me at work, because I didn't really understand why certain variables weren't getting updated, until I read that unless you specify them as volatile, a class will keep a cached copy of them. I had problems with the order of initialization of certain variables in a subclass, and then I read that top most super class gets instantiated first, then its subclass, on down the line, fields first, then the constructor guts.

You can assume that any book written by the creator(s) of a language wont be introductory, but will give you an in depth look at the finer points of the language that other, more cursory books, gloss over. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computer Networks   4. Computers   5. Java (Computer language)   6. Java (Computer program languag   7. Java (Computer program language)   8. Object-Oriented Programming   9. Programming - General   10. Programming Languages - Java   11. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Customer Reviews (3)

Good JavaScript introduction
It describes appropriately the JavaScript language. It is well written with almost no typos. It also has some introduction to the new JavaScript version 2.0. However, it is not clear when it describes DOM, JavaScript, and browser objects, methods and attributes, what it is fundamental for web applications development.

Excellent Solutions-Oriented Guide
I went through several JavaScript books to find one that covered everything I needed. This book was by far the best out there. It's simple enough for the beginner, but still has useful information for someone who has written HTML & JavaScript before. It's just generally a good guide to have around.

Clear and concise guide
I bought this book after reading a good review of it on another site. I was not disappointed. The author really does a good job of going through java script programming without putting you to sleep. Great for beginners. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Web Programming   3. Computers   4. JavaScript (Computer program language)   5. Programming Languages - CGI, Javascript, Perl, VBScript   6. Programming Languages - Java   7. Computers / Programming Languages / CGI, JavaScript, Perl, VBScript   

Customer Reviews (55)

Good, but Not Great
I've used this book for the last 6 months on my 1st Struts project, and am using it for my 2nd. I've now read it three times. It gets clearer every time, but should I have to read it three times before it makes sense? This can't be your only Struts book. You'll need other references.

My biggest complaint is that the examples in the beginning of the book constantly use Struts tag libraries instead of plain HTML that a non-Struts programmer already knows. The problem is that the book doesn't get around to explaining the tag syntax until chapter 10, so I had an awful time trying to understand what the early examples were doing. Hence the necessity to read it multiple times. It didn't help that there are many, many errors in the examples. (If you get this book, go get the errata and pencil them in BEFORE you read it. That will save a lot of head-scratching.)

I also think the authors tried to cover too many subjects outside of Struts, such as Tiles and Scaffolds. For a programmer buying this book to learn about Struts, these additional frameworks just add layers of confusion. They would have done much better to stick with pure Struts and Java and leave these Struts "add-ons" to another book.

Finally, this book, like almost every programing book on the market, suffers from a lack of drawings. Sometimes a simple drawing showing process or data flow, or even a screen shot of what a rendered jsp page looks like, will save pages of verbage.

On a positive note, I really liked the first half of the book where different aproaches were presented along with the pro/con of each. Also, the writing is fairly "friendly", sentances are kept short and to the point and the layout is easy to read.

yes, Yes, YES, OH.... what a letdown.
I purchased Struts in Action because the web contains horribly incomplete and obtuse information about struts. I have to search through three or more sites to find what I'm looking for, and then test and wonder if I got it right.

After reading the reviews I thought this book thinking would be right on the mark, and after reading the first couple of chapters I was going to write a glowing review but....

So close. It's a great book with 1/3 of the information missing. The big picture is here, it's just not explained fully, or pieces are left out. Struts in Action starts beautifully, explaining the struts-config files, the details behind the struts-basic app, and an excellent later chapter about struts-tiles. This book just falls flat extending and scaling this knowledge in any depth. I was hoping for DETAILS about the struts taglibs, and I was let down by how it glosses over even some of the less granular points, such as what are the important and more oft-used attributes for each tag, and multiple examples of these tags in use (i.e how does the html:text tag use labels? How do I set a static checkbox to selected? Why was the html:form tag left out of the appendix?). It seems that the author just assumes that once you know the basics and go over the code, you can do anything. Well, that's why I was reading this book, because I expected it to be full of examples and code. He does such a fabulous job with the config file, and then loses focus.

Still, out of the current Struts books, Ted's is BY FAR the most detailed, authoritative, and useful, and for these reasons worthy of an extra star.

I'd still recommend this book, but unfortunately it's only as complete as the typically incomplete information on the Jakarta site. If you know nothing about struts, this will get you going. If you already know something but want to extend your knowledge in breadth and depth past the struts-config, you may be let down.

Could have been
A book from the author of Struts, can you possibly go wrong? This book shows you can. The book does not have a flow to it, to me it seems just scattered topics piled on eachother. And then, the grand finale, where all you have "learned" is applied in a real world type of thing... By the time it got there, I got so annoyed I did not care anymore. The examples rely on so much non-standard struts stuff, I have trouble with the title even. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Languages   3. Computers   4. Jakarta Struts Framework   5. Java (Computer program language)   6. Programming Languages - Java   7. Web site development   

Customer Reviews (5)

very good
It is definitely not a beginner book.

But all the chapters are good even though it was written by different authors.

The section on refactoring in the beginning set the tone of the book. Good authors. Would recommend this book to anyone working with jsps. Very easy language to understand too. The reason I gave it a 4 is 'coz I understood it more only after I began working with jsps for a while.

Good ideas, bad explinations
I hope no one else has the same bad experience as me so this is just a warning. I spent around 20 hours trying to get the example in chapter 2 to work. I've installed apache/tomcat with IIS several times and it has never taken more than a couple of hours -point being figuring out struts shouldn't take very long. After struggling with this book I got another book "Apache Jakarta-Tomcat" and read their 10 page exerpt on struts. The 10 page explination in the Apache book helped me much more than the 63 pages in chapter 2. The explinations were much more clear and the struts frame work was very simple to understand. After reading the apache book I went back through the example found in chapter 2 and found SEVERAL errors in the source code! I wasted a lot of time because I had thought I installed struts incorrectly. It was frustrating to waste so much time just because the source code in chapter 2 was incorrect. If chapter 2 had explained struts more clearly I probably could have caught the errors in the source code. Chapter 2 explains about 500 ideas with no real concrete examples to show you what it's talking about. Then it speeds through an example (that doesn't work) and it doesn't really show you at all how everything is finally tied together.
To be fair, the book does have a disclaimer in the beging which states that it's for more advanced users. So if you aren't very very familiar with struts don't start with this book. Once you get past the struts nightmare the rest of the book is pretty good. I wouldn't say the explinations aren't very good but the ideas they present are very usefull.

Great ideas, bad explinations
I hope no one else has the same bad experience as me so this is just a warning. I spent around 20 hours trying to get the example in chapter 2 to work. I've installed apache/tomcat with IIS several times and it has never taken more than a couple of hours -point being figuring out struts shouldn't take very long. After struggling with this book I got another book "Apache Jakarta-Tomcat" and read their 10 page exerpt on struts. The 10 page explination in the Apache book helped me much more than the 63 pages in chapter 2. The explinations were much more clear and the struts frame work was very simple to understand. After reading the apache book I went back through the example found in chapter 2 and found SEVERAL errors in the source code! I wasted a lot of time because I had thought I installed struts incorrectly. It was frustrating to waste so much time just because the source code in chapter 2 was incorrect. If chapter 2 had explained struts more clearly I probably could have caught the errors in the source code. Chapter 2 explains about 500 ideas with no real concrete examples to show you what it's talking about. Then it speeds through an example (that doesn't work) and it doesn't really show you at all how everything is finally tied together.
To be fair, the book does have a disclaimer in the beging which states that it's for more advanced users. So if you aren't very very familiar with struts don't start with this book. Once you get past the struts nightmare the rest of the book is pretty good. I wouldn't say the explinations aren't very good but the ideas they present are very usefull. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computers   4. Internet - Web Site Design   5. Programming - General   6. Programming Languages - Java   7. Computers and Internet   8. Servlets (Computer programs)   9. Jackson structured programming   10. Web sites   11. Design   

Customer Reviews (14)

The best book on the subject I've ever read
This book really impressed me. The author goes far beyond explaining how to code algorithms and actually explains the logic behind the various data structures. One warning, though, if you're not already somewhat familiar with the subject, you won't be able to understand much of the book. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to do serious programming in Java or any other language. Nearly every chapter contained something that I'll be able to use in the future.

A Great Book For a Serious Study.
After reading the book, I believe it is intended for those who possess the knowledge of the Java programming language and who wish to obtain a thorough, in-depth knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and algorithm analysis.

I used this book as a supplementary material in a graduate course on Algorithms, and I found that the book's explanations of the algorithms and their analysis are concise, easy-to-understand, and fairly complete. Complicated concepts are explained clearly and illustrated with appropriate examples.

Nevertheless, I would not recommend this book for beginners or for those who are not interested in having a thorough understanding of algorithms.

Good for professors, bad for students
All of the practical algorithms are left as un-answered exercises! Great in depth discussion of introductory algorithms, but very few examples, mostly pseudo-code.

INFURIATING FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY, but good if you have a professor to explain everything as you go. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Languages   3. Computer Programming Languages   4. Computer Science   5. Computer algorithms   6. Computers   7. Data Structures   8. Data structures (Computer scie   9. Data structures (Computer science)   10. Database Management - General   11. Java (Computer program languag   12. Java (Computer program language)   13. Programming Languages - General   14. Programming Languages - Java   

If you're writing a Java bytecode interpreter--or a compiler that generates binary files for such an interpreter--The Java Virtual Machine Specification has the information you need. It's the definitive document on Java compilers and runtime environments.

The first part of The Java Virtual Machine Specification discusses the relationships among Java program elements like objects, variables, data types, arrays, exceptions and threads, and compile and run time. Implementers of Java compilers and interpreters need to understand this stuff, but it also makes fascinating reading for Java programmers--it'll help with writing more efficient applications.

From there, the authors dig into the binary .class file format. They provide information on creating such a file as output from a Java compiler, and also give lots of data on how a Java interpreter should examine a .class file to verify its validity and trustworthiness. The authors explain how to carry out loading and linking operations on the objects a .class file defines.

The latter half of The Java Virtual Machine Specification is pure reference--it's a list of all Java opcodes, their purposes, formats, and accepted operands. There's also information about the exceptions each opcode can throw during compilation and execution.

Helpfully, the authors provide a peek at how Sun's Java compiler (javac) and Java interpreter (java) work, complete with source code. These examples promise to provide developers with hints as they implement their own compilers and runtime environments. --David Wall ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

pretty bad
the authors simply don't know how to present their stuff in an orderly fashion. looks like a rushed job.

go look at John Gough's "Compiling for the .NET Common Language Runtime", which treats a similar topic, and you see the difference. or if you prefer a formal style, look at "Java and the Java Virtual Machine: Definition, Verification, Validation".

Know Thy JVM
the pace is a little stilted, and the plot is quite worn-out, but I love the wildly surrealistic sections...

Be careful of the copyright and license agreement!
This book has a very unusual copyright notice. By using the information in this book, you implicitly enter into an agreement with Sun microsystems where any clean room Java implementations you write, from scratch, have to be submitted to Sun for conformance testing. I did not discover this until years after I bought the book. This kind of a "contract-by-fait-accompli" is illegal and unenforceable, but it may still be a pain to deal with. I suggest the Meyer and Downing book instead, since it is unencumbered. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Languages   3. Computer Networks   4. Computer Programming Languages   5. Computers   6. Internet   7. Java (Computer program languag   8. Java (Computer program language)   9. Programming - General   10. Programming Languages - Java   11. Virtual computer systems   12. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Customer Reviews (4)

Waited a long time, and my patience was rewarded
I see two ways to avoid writing a hard-to-use book about a complex product: one, write a book you wish existed when needed it. Or, if you've brought something new to the world, write about it so that anyone could understand what it does and how it works. I think Friedman-Hill has managed exactly that.

It's not easy for an expert to discuss the fundamentals of a creation as if it was altogether new, but Friedman-Hill manages this with good humor, a light touch, and most importantly a natural ability to describe how using rules-based engines can provide real power to the program designer.

As both guide and reference, this book has helped me apply Jess and reinforce my understanding of other ways to take advantage of it. When I first came across the website for Jess years ago, there wasn't enough context there for me to figure out where to start. With this book in hand I wrote some prototypes, learned how the engine worked, and started looking for effective ways to incorporate this tool into other tasks.

This book is best used by a self-starting, proficient programmer who is looking for powerful ways to tackle complex problems. For those who might need more motivation to invest their time, you'll just have to work a little harder. This is the only book available on the subject, and while the explanations run smoothly, feeling comfortable with Jess will take some time. That said, you should do it; you'll (eventually) be glad you did.

This is a fine book; I rate it 4 stars because it's the only book available on the subject. It's clear, well-written, informative, and entertaining -- for a nerd, anyway -- but I like to believe there's room to improve on it, and maybe even room for a "best" book. Nonetheless, your money will certainly be well-spent right here.

Necessity for any Jess developer
Author is the creator of Jess. The book is as well put together as the product itself. It doesn't assume any jess (or rules) expertise, and doesn't drag on with details you wont care about. Concisely covers the essential basics and moves on to non-trivial examples. As you follow the lead of the author in these examples you don't just understand the workings of jess, but also develop the thought process required to design rules based applications.

Time well invested.

Excellent intro to rules and Jess, plus fun to boot
Jess in Action presents the Jess rule-based framework, and explores it through four meaty and well-chosen examples: a console tax forms advisor, a console PC repair assistant, a Swing HVAC controller, and a servlet-based purchasing agent. The examples vary greatly in their designs and styles of interaction between Jess and Java, and expose patterns in a concrete context. It's especially nice the way each example builds on the functionality of the one before, such as a text-based question/interview module that is extended into a Swing GUI.

The book starts with an introduction to rule-based systems, goes through the basics of the Jess language, and then dives into the examples; the appendices include API references to both Jess functions and Jess's Java APIs, and numerous links and references are scattered throughout the book. If I have any complaint about the organization, it's that the book could have been even more example-driven, abandoning (or shortening) the chapter on syntax and basic functions and introducing them only when used in an example; the rest could have been left to the appendix of Jess functions.

The book is interesting and readable but dense with concepts, so its only 388 pages of content and 50 pages of appendices will take some (well-spent) time to get through. A second skimming impressed me anew with the richness of the material, and the productive way in which it's presented, so I recommend reading the book once to get the overall feel, and then going through it again with the working Jess command shell, editor, and command line in front of you. Or an IDE if you must. :-)

Jess itself consists of a rule language, a runtime engine which supports forward and limited backward-chaining, and APIs for integration with Java; there are many add-on tools for Jess, referenced throughout the book. As with most rules engines, rules are specified as declarative patterns, not procedural code.

Jess in Action is well worth your time and attention, at the least for its exploration of rules, and at most for presenting a strong, flexible platform to tackle what is probably one of the uglier parts of your development: the sequencing and parameterization of business decisions. Although the list of Cons below is longer, they're just nit-picking; this is an excellent, entertaining, and productive read that will likely expand your programming horizons considerably.

Pros
* Clearly, concisely, and entertainingly written for Java programmers of any background
* A strong introduction to two important topics: rules and declarative programming style
* Well-chosen and developed working examples, each with a different design style
* The description of the author's unit test framework for rules in Appendix C is a nice touch

Cons
* Early discussion of Jess syntax focuses too much on Java-like procedural style
* More of a tutorial - not long enough to be a good reference (though that would probably require a detailed Jess Patterns book)
* Discussions of development methodology and knowledge engineering are unnecessary, as they're covered better elsewhere and a short summary adds little to the book
* There's no single list of rule and Jess-related links; references to tools and discussions are scattered throughout the book
* There are no general references to rules and rule-based systems for theory and background ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computers   4. Java (Computer language)   5. Java (Computer program languag   6. Java (Computer program language)   7. Programming - General   8. Programming Languages - Java   9. Rule-based programming   

Customer Reviews (28)

Good Book on Java Style
For the most part, this book is a great style guide for Java programmers. Most Java programmers' code would benefit significantly by following the conventions listed here.

However, the book gives some bad and confusing advice. The worst advice is the double-check pattern, which is not thread-safe. Some of the other code samples in the Synchronization and Efficiency sections also look like they are not thread-safe. Another example of poor advice is rule 74: Encapsulate enumerations as classes, which doesn't point out that "null" is a valid enumeration value for all such enumerations. The code sample shown in that rule can throw NullPointerException, for example. The advice about "inner classes" is confusing, because it is obvious the advice actually applies to all nested classes, not just inner classes (non-static nested classes).

Overall, the book gives good advice to the experienced Java programmer. I can't recommend this book to the beginning Java programmer, partly because of the above reasons, but mostly because the book mentions so many aspects of the Java language it could easily overwhelm a beginner. Once you've mastered the basics of the Java language, however, this is a good book to take a look at.

A handy reference for producing expert code!
Hi there!
This booklet is a significant tool in achieving correct effective and easily maintainable code:

1. Specifying the way code should be written, conforming with sun's coding conventions, keeps the code readable, and Java-docs coherent.
This is especially important when writing the code in a teem, or writing components which will be later used by others.

2. Chapter 5 lists a collection of coding tips, which can quickly turn a beginner programmer into an experienced one.

e.g.

rule 81:
"Do not call nonfinal methods from within a constructor -
Subclasses may override nonfinal methods, and java will dispatch a call to such a method according to the actual type of the constructed object - before executing the derived constructors. This means when the constructor invokes the derived method, the derived class may be in an invalid state. To prevent this, call only final methods from the constructor. "

More about the book:
(note: this booklet does not teach Java, it focuses on the way the code should be written.)

The booklet is fun to use:
1. It is tiny, and fits anywhere.
2. Not intimidating - It is thin and distilled, not like those
huge books you put on the shelf and
never bother to open because you don't
know where to begin looking...
2. It is written in a simple direct logical manner:
a rule and a short explanation (with an example)
of the logic behind it.
3. Easy to locate what you are looking for.
4. every time you open it - you find something new...

In short - a handy reference for producing expert code!

I love it!

Deserves 0 Stars
Read Code Complete by Steve McConnell. You don't need this book. It contradicts itself on several occasions and is totally wrong on others. It's unfortunate and sad how many organizations want to adopt texts like this as their "coding standard". A pamplet-sized book of bullet-points can't make developers competent, but a comprehensive manual of the best in software engineering practices like Code Complete can. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   2. Computer Books: Languages   3. Computers   4. Java (Computer program languag   5. Java (Computer program language)   6. Programming - Object Oriented Programming   7. Programming Languages - Java   8. Computers / Programming / Object Oriented   9. Java & variants