You're not alone.
At any given moment, somewhere in the world someone struggles with the same software design problems you have. You know you don't want to reinvent the wheel (or worse, a flat tire), so you look to Design Patterns--the lessons learned by those who've faced the same problems. With Design Patterns, you get to take advantage of the best practices and experience of others, so that you can spend your time on...something else. Something more challenging. Something more complex. Something more fun.
You want to learn about the patterns that matter--why to use them, when to use them, how to use them (and when NOT to use them). But you don't just want to see how patterns look in a book, you want to know how they look "in the wild". In their native environment. In other words, in real world applications. You also want to learn how patterns are used in the Java API, and how to exploit Java's built-in pattern support in your own code.
You want to learn the real OO design principles and why everything your boss told you about inheritance might be wrong (and what to do instead). You want to learn how those principles will help the next time you're up a creek without a design pattern.
Most importantly, you want to learn the "secret language" of Design Patterns so that you can hold your own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions his stunningly clever use of Command, Facade, Proxy, and Factory in between sips of a martini. You'll easily counter with your deep understanding of why Singleton isn't as simple as it sounds, how the Factory is so often misunderstood, or on the real relationship between Decorator, Facade and Adapter.
With Head First Design Patterns, you'll avoid the embarrassment of thinking Decorator is something from the "Trading Spaces" show. Best of all, in a way that won't put you to sleep! We think your time is too important (and too short) to spend it struggling with academic texts.
If you've read a Head First book, you know what to expect--a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, Head First Design Patterns will load patterns into your brain in a way that sticks. In a way that lets you put them to work immediately. In a way that makes you better at solving software design problems, and better at speaking the language of patterns with others on your team.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
This is a gimmicky book that actually works for once. It is an intelligent and well thought-out discussion of Java design patterns, and if you dont know what a design pattern is then this is an excellent way to find out. It is also an interested discussion of object-oriented design. I found that the authors often anticipated my reaction to their initial explanations and asked the questions that I would have asked had it been a lecture. - Mike James, VSJ, April 2005
About the Author
Eric Freeman is a computer scientist with a passion for media and software architectures and coauthor of Head First Design Patterns. He just wrapped up four years at a dream job-- directing internet broadband and wireless efforts at Disney--and is now back to writing, creating cool software, and hacking Java and Macs. Eric spent a lot of the '90s working on alternatives to the desktop metaphor with David Gelernter (and they're both still asking the question, "Why do I have to give a file a name?"). Based on this work, Eric landed a Ph.D. at Yale University in 1997. He also co-founded Mirror Worlds Technologies (now acquired) to create a commercial version of his thesis work, Lifestreams.
In a previous life, Eric built software for networks and supercomputers. You might know him from such books as JavaSpaces Principles Patterns and Practice. Eric has fond memories of implementing tuple-space systems on Thinking Machine CM-5s and creating some of the first internet information systems for NASA in the late 1980s.
When he's not writing text or code you'll find him spending more time tweaking than watching his home theater and trying to restore a circa 1980s Dragon's Lair video game. He also wouldn't mind moonlighting as an electronica DJ.
Write to him at eric at wickedlysmart dot com or visit him at http://www.ericfreeman.com .
Elisabeth Robson (formerly Freeman) is coauthor of O'Reilly's Head First Design Patterns and Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML. She is currently Special Projects Director at O'Reilly where she is developing new brain-friendly learning ideas and products.
Bert Bates is a 20-year software developer, a Java instructor, and a co-developer of Sun's upcoming EJB exam (Sun Certified Business Component Developer). His background features a long stint in artificial intelligence, with clients like the Weather Channel, A&E Network, Rockwell, and Timken.
Kathy Sierra has been interested in learning theory since her days as a game developer (Virgin, MGM, Amblin'). More recently, she's been a master trainer for Sun Microsystems, teaching Sun's Java instructors how to teach the latest technologies to customers, and a lead developer of several Sun certification exams. Along with her partner Bert Bates, Kathy created the Head First series. She's also the original founder of the Software Development/Jolt Productivity Award-winning javaranch.com, the largest (and friendliest) all-volunteer Java community.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
221 of 241 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
At first I didn't understand how they would apply the Head First formula to design patterns. I'd read two head first before this one and I was impressed with those so I took a look and now, not only is it clear how they approached the topic, it's also clear to me that this is the best way to learn design patterns.
The Gang of Four book laid out the basics. Here is the pattern, here are some examples. The head first book goes a lot further. They show you good and bad examples of the pattern. They give solid reasoning behind the pattern. It's great.
There are times when I would look at a piece of code and have the author explain to me that it was based on one of the GoF patterns. I would come away thinking, if that's the pattern, then that pattern sucks. It's clear that patterns can be misapplied. So understanding the the how design patterns are applied, and how they are commonly applied wrongly, or to an extreme, is just as important as understanding the basic mechanics of the pattern itself.
The example code is in Java, but I think this is an ideal book for anyone passionate about patterns.
The Gang of Four book laid out the basics. Here is the pattern, here are some examples. The head first book goes a lot further. They show you good and bad examples of the pattern. They give solid reasoning behind the pattern. It's great.
There are times when I would look at a piece of code and have the author explain to me that it was based on one of the GoF patterns. I would come away thinking, if that's the pattern, then that pattern sucks. It's clear that patterns can be misapplied. So understanding the the how design patterns are applied, and how they are commonly applied wrongly, or to an extreme, is just as important as understanding the basic mechanics of the pattern itself.
The example code is in Java, but I think this is an ideal book for anyone passionate about patterns.
86 of 92 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unlike a lot of people, I don't care much for this book's 'irreverent' sytle. I think it masks some shortcoming in the examples it uses. But once you get past that, this is still the best introduction to object-oriented programming that I have read.
HFDP is not just about design patterns. It's a great introduction to object-oriented programming. The book does a great job of explaining the benefits of OOP over traditional procedural programming, and it explains OOP very well in terms of the most commonly used design patterns.
Now for the bad news. The examples are rather lightweight. They do a pretty good job of illustrating the concepts presented, but the code is in no way real-world. For example, if you are looking for which pattern to use to organize a UI (the 'Mediator', 'State', and 'Composite' patterns), with sample code, you won't find it here. The patterns are discussed, but they are used to create quacking ducks (really).
While that's by-and-large a shortcoming of the book, the code is so simple that non-Java programmers (like me) should have no problem using the book. The code samples are very basic, and should translate with little difficulty into .NET languages such as C# and VB.
One other item of note--this book contains a pretty good chapter on Model-View-Controller architecture, which seems to bedevil a lot of people. If you can get a handle on MVC, then you can pretty much do OOP.
In short, this is probably the book I would recommend as an intro to OOP. If you are under the age of 30, you will probably like the examples of quacking duck simulators and java-enabled gumball machines. For everybody else--it's worth looking past this book's insufferable cuteness if you are getting started in OOP.
HFDP is not just about design patterns. It's a great introduction to object-oriented programming. The book does a great job of explaining the benefits of OOP over traditional procedural programming, and it explains OOP very well in terms of the most commonly used design patterns.
Now for the bad news. The examples are rather lightweight. They do a pretty good job of illustrating the concepts presented, but the code is in no way real-world. For example, if you are looking for which pattern to use to organize a UI (the 'Mediator', 'State', and 'Composite' patterns), with sample code, you won't find it here. The patterns are discussed, but they are used to create quacking ducks (really).
While that's by-and-large a shortcoming of the book, the code is so simple that non-Java programmers (like me) should have no problem using the book. The code samples are very basic, and should translate with little difficulty into .NET languages such as C# and VB.
One other item of note--this book contains a pretty good chapter on Model-View-Controller architecture, which seems to bedevil a lot of people. If you can get a handle on MVC, then you can pretty much do OOP.
In short, this is probably the book I would recommend as an intro to OOP. If you are under the age of 30, you will probably like the examples of quacking duck simulators and java-enabled gumball machines. For everybody else--it's worth looking past this book's insufferable cuteness if you are getting started in OOP.
224 of 254 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Usually when reading through a book or article on design patterns I'd have to occasionally stick myself in the eye with something just to make sure I was paying attention. Not with this book. Odd as it may sound, this book makes learning about design patterns fun.
The first thing you notice is the pages are not paragraph after paragraph of information. There isn't a single page that doesn't contain a doodle, a sidebar, a picture, or something different. While at times it can be a little distracting, it's in a good way (at least I don't have to poke myself with something sharp anymore).
The chapters cover various design patterns and along the way have exercises such as crossword puzzles or match games to test your understanding. The answers are also included at the end of the chapters - so you don't need to purchase a "Teacher's Edition" on the black market. =)
Other books on design patterns are saying, "Buehler... Buehler... Buehler..." while this book is on the float belting out "Shake it up, baby!"
The first thing you notice is the pages are not paragraph after paragraph of information. There isn't a single page that doesn't contain a doodle, a sidebar, a picture, or something different. While at times it can be a little distracting, it's in a good way (at least I don't have to poke myself with something sharp anymore).
The chapters cover various design patterns and along the way have exercises such as crossword puzzles or match games to test your understanding. The answers are also included at the end of the chapters - so you don't need to purchase a "Teacher's Edition" on the black market. =)
Other books on design patterns are saying, "Buehler... Buehler... Buehler..." while this book is on the float belting out "Shake it up, baby!"
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great quick-start in Design Patterns.
As a C# developer, the Java demos in this book are easily understood (the languages are so similar). This book will certainly improve the way I design and produce software. Read more
Published 1 day ago by MikeFairfieldCT
Eric abuses
Eric is one of those rare individuals who has been physically violent to his girlfriends. I'd love to hear what his excuse for that is. Buyers beware!
Published 12 days ago by Iknow
Great book, but doesn't download to my Kindle app on Xoom (android)
I have the book in paper, but wanted it in electronic format also.
I discovered, however, that the book cannot be downloaded to my Kindle app on my Xoom (android) tablet. Read more
I discovered, however, that the book cannot be downloaded to my Kindle app on my Xoom (android) tablet. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Thomas J. Clifford
Very good - could've be more concise
I really liked the first chapter in the book - some advice on how to learn and retain the material. Every book should have this - author's suggestions on how to retain the material... Read more
Published 27 days ago by S. Chandramouli
A must read! Fantastic book!
I am college student who has done a lot with java. I know java very well and can code with no problem but I often encountered problems when designing and creating large... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Markymark!
Awesome book, lousy navigation
This is a great book, and the content is excellent. It's the best book on OOP I've ever seen, and I've read a few. However, it has one feature that is completely frustrating. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Poetry Fan
most fun book on patterns I've ever read.
A fun read! This is why started buying head-first books! I'm also going to start searching by the authors for more of their work! Read more
Published 1 month ago by jake
Excellent book, not just for Java developers!
I purchased this book about a year ago and devoted a number of hours each week going through it. I am a software developer by trade, but never took a computer science course in my... Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Charles
Simple and sweet
I haven't purchased many 'Head First' books yet but this one has convinced me to take a closer look at them. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Autoglitch
Kindle Edition Doesn't Work on the Kindle
You'd think something dubbed "Kindle Edition" would work on a Kindle? Guess again. This should be re-branded "Electronic Edition" as I have a Kindle Touch running the latest... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Railgun
Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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observer pattern, command pattern, gumball machine, protection proxy, simple factory, chocolate boiler, diner menu, design toolbox, void registerobserver, package headfirst, public void fly, harpen your pencil, void dispense, float humidity, void removeobserver, void simulate, gumball dispensed, proxy controls access, public void undo, template method pattern, ingredient factory, int slot, virtual proxy, decorator pattern, public void execute Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Factory Method, Design Patterns, Abstract Factory, Composite Pattern, Strategy Pattern, Head First, New York, Tell the Customer, Mighty Gumball, Living Room, Weather Station, Dependency Inversion Principle, Principle of Least Knowledge, The Zen, Model View, Real Subject, Cover Viewer, Objectville Diner, The Short Order Cook, Most Excellent Dark Roast, Hollywood Principle, Gang of Four, Current Conditions Temp, Pattern Description Encapsulate, Turn the Crank Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
observer pattern, command pattern, gumball machine, protection proxy, simple factory, chocolate boiler, diner menu, design toolbox, void registerobserver, package headfirst, public void fly, harpen your pencil, void dispense, float humidity, void removeobserver, void simulate, gumball dispensed, proxy controls access, public void undo, template method pattern, ingredient factory, int slot, virtual proxy, decorator pattern, public void execute Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Factory Method, Design Patterns, Abstract Factory, Composite Pattern, Strategy Pattern, Head First, New York, Tell the Customer, Mighty Gumball, Living Room, Weather Station, Dependency Inversion Principle, Principle of Least Knowledge, The Zen, Model View, Real Subject, Cover Viewer, Objectville Diner, The Short Order Cook, Most Excellent Dark Roast, Hollywood Principle, Gang of Four, Current Conditions Temp, Pattern Description Encapsulate, Turn the Crank Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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