Started this book a long while ago but never finished until recently, but I mostly just skimmed the last 3 chapters, which were practical examples as Started this book a long while ago but never finished until recently, but I mostly just skimmed the last 3 chapters, which were practical examples as well as a conclusion.
A lot of tools and technologies mentioned in the book have undergone many changes, but I think the concepts remained the same. The concepts espoused by the book still remains relevant - something a lot of Java programmers today still fail to grasp. Things like keeping things simple, don't over-engineer, use the right tools, etc.
The book is a bit misnamed though. Yes, it does sort of explain how you can code better, faster, and lighter in Java, but there isn't really that much depth here, something more for the less experienced crowd. So don't go expecting performance-tuning advice or complexity comparisons. It's more accurately described as how to go about designing and developing a piece of software while avoiding some common pitfalls....more
This book wasn't what I expected. The scope of the book is centered around concerns other than actual development. It's more about how to use or integThis book wasn't what I expected. The scope of the book is centered around concerns other than actual development. It's more about how to use or integrate XML into internet-based infrastructure, such as using XML as a storage medium or on the secure exchange of XML messages over HTTP. It includes a lot of application ideas and notes on architectural concerns. It does not cover things like XML specs, parsing, or transformation. Even the Java coverage is sparse, centered mostly in one chapter on servlets.
It's actually a readable book, just not what I was looking for....more
This book is a good tutorial for upgrading to Java 1.4 in addition to being a pretty useful Java reference book.
The new concepts and features are presThis book is a good tutorial for upgrading to Java 1.4 in addition to being a pretty useful Java reference book.
The new concepts and features are presented and explained clearly with many examples. It doesn't waste time by explaining how to code in Java but instead concentrates on Java 1.4 specifically....more
I'm a dummy. Why? Because I actually bought this book without browsing through it first. Why a dummy? Because this book, despite what it hints at, is I'm a dummy. Why? Because I actually bought this book without browsing through it first. Why a dummy? Because this book, despite what it hints at, is not about Java, much less programming in Java. It's title should have been "Using Java Applets in a Webpage for Dummies". Yes, it's about using Java applets. And even then it's of a poor quality. The book is actually very light in details and "meat". There's a lot of repeated explanations and definitions, especially regarding the object and embed HTML tags. There's many other books that teach you both how to use applets and how to write applets. Do not buy this book. I'd give it a 0-star if I could....more
It's a good reference book to brush up on Java knowledge. Despite the name, it's not exactly a tutorial as beginners are better off starting with anotIt's a good reference book to brush up on Java knowledge. Despite the name, it's not exactly a tutorial as beginners are better off starting with another book or an online actual tutorial. It has good details and clarity but the examples aren't explained very well. So unless you've already read some other book on Java, chances are you'll find this one lacking....more
It's a good resource for XML, but I would say that it's only for beginners needing a primer or those looking for a refresher. XML is a huge area so thIt's a good resource for XML, but I would say that it's only for beginners needing a primer or those looking for a refresher. XML is a huge area so this book focuses mainly on parsing and transformation.
As the title suggests, the book is divided into 5 major sections: - XML introduction - SAX - DOM - JDOM - XPATH/XSLT
Every chapter (a section has several chapters devoted to this) provides a substantial amount of code to illustrate things, so that's a plus for those looking to learn.
For people familiar with XML processing, you may want to get a preview first to see if it helps. While it does introduce the above topics, the book is trying to condense quite a lot of materials so each of those sections aren't as detailed as I would've liked. As I said, it's a good book for learners but not so if you're already familiar....more
This book is a pretty good recommendation for readers new to Seam. It reads well as a tutorial sort of book, from front to back. It starts with easy tThis book is a pretty good recommendation for readers new to Seam. It reads well as a tutorial sort of book, from front to back. It starts with easy topics and gradually moves to more advanced topics. As a reference book though, I find that it's not particularly suitable as it does not cover in-depth details. Maybe it's just me as I found myself searching often for things regarding Seam not even mentioned by the book....more