Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam (Paperback)

by Bryan Basham (Author), Kathy Sierra (Author), Bert Bates (Author)
Key Phrases: business delegate, transfer object, customer bean, Service Locator, Front Controller, Intercepting Filter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Looking to study up for the new J2EE 1.5 Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) exam?

This book will get you way up to speed on the technology you'll know it so well, in fact, that you can pass the brand new J2EE 1.5 exam. If that's what you want to do, that is. Maybe you don't care about the exam, but need to use servlets and JSPs in your next project. You're working on a deadline. You're over the legal limit for caffeine. You can't waste your time with a book that makes sense only AFTER you're an expert (or worse, one that puts you to sleep).

Learn how to write servlets and JSPs, what makes a web container tick (and what ticks it off), how to use JSP's Expression Language (EL for short), and how to write deployment descriptors for your web applications. Master the c:out tag, and get a handle on exactly what's changed since the older J2EE 1.4 exam. You don't just pass the new J2EE 1.5 SCWCD exam, you'll understand this stuff and put it to work immediately.

Head First Servlets and JSP doesn't just give you a bunch of facts to memorize; it drives knowledge straight into your brain. You'll interact with servlets and JSPs in ways that help you learn quickly and deeply. And when you're through with the book, you can take a brand-new mock exam, created specifically to simulate the real test-taking experience.

About the Author
Bryan Basham is a Sun Certified Developer for Java 2 Platform and one of the key designers of the Sun Certified Web Component Developer exam. He is also a course developer for Sun Microsystems concentrating on Java technology and Object-Oriented design principles. Bryan has worked on a large range of Java courses, including Sun's core Java programming course, the JDBC course, a J2EE overview seminar, the Servlet/JSP course, and the OO Analysis and Design course.

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 911 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; 2 edition (August 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596516681
• ISBN-13: 978-0596516680
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (138 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,022 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Head First Servlets & JSP rocks!, October 2, 2004

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam (SCWCD) (Paperback)

Looking for either an enjoyable intro into JSP and Servlets or material on passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer exam? Grab a copy of Head First Servlets & JSP by Bryan Basham, Kathy Sierra, and Bert Bates. It rocks...

Chapter list: Intro; Why use Servlets & JSPs; Web app architecture; Mini MVC tutorial; Being a servlet; Being a web app; Conversational state; Being a JSP; Script-free pages; Custom tags are powerful; When JSTL is not enough; Deploying your web app; Keep it secret, keep it safe; The power of filters; Enterprise design patterns; Final mock exam; Index

I've stated my preference in the past to learning subjects with a bit of humor thrown in. OK... a *lot* of humor. If I have a chance to pick up a new tech skill with a study guide that makes me laugh and stay interested, I'm in heaven. Is it any wonder then that I absolutely love the Head First series? Bates and Sierra have created a concept that is unlike anything else on the market. Through the use of cartoons, hand-drawn examples, off-beat questions, and other various types of learning material, they engage your brain on a number of levels. And as a result, you're sucked in and learning stuff in spite of yourself.

In this installment, they tackle the subject of servlets and JSPs. Rather than try and explain things "technically", they have a common cast of characters throughout the book making observations and points about the material. Using the hand-drawn notes around illustrations and code, you quickly understand the underlying concepts of what happens with servlet requests and responses, and how JSPs interact with the web server. And given that there are exercises and questions at the end of each chapter (along with the answers), you have a chance to reinforce your learning immediately.

There are two uses for this book. The primary goal is to help you pass the Sun Certified Web Component Developer exam. If you already know about servlets and JSPs, get the book for the mock exam and the questions at the end of each chapter. The authors helped write the actual Sun test, so you'll get a good feel for the types of questions you'll face. The other use of this book would be to learn and understand the subject matter, like a tutorial. Once again, an excellent choice for that purpose. You'll still need to get some sort of "official" reference book of some sort if you get deeper into the material, but this is a perfect way to get started.

Once again, another winner from the warped minds that created the Head First concept. May they continue to thrive for a long time!

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Head first SCWCD, September 19, 2005

By	Riccardo Audano (Chiavari, Italy) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam (SCWCD) (Paperback)

Written in the now familiar light and funny style of the Head First Series, this text is also extremely precise, clear, correct and informative. Be warned though, tit has the wrong title. (that's why I give it 4 star instead of 5). It should be called
Head First SCWCD and not Head First Servlets & JSP, since the scope of this text is to prepare you for the SCWCD exam, and it succeeds in that brilliantly. As a first book to learn Servlets & JSP programming though, I think it is a terrible, if funny, book.
In fact it is very good on conceptual matters and especially on the tricky casees and questions that you might encounter in the exam, but it lacks the hands on and by example approach necessary to learn how to actually DO things.
[...] This said, it is still a great book if you intend to refresh or improve your Servlet and JSP knowledge, or to actually take the exam and get certified.
Only , please, enough with this style, let's find another funny one, if I read another Java book with martial arts characters in it I will feel sick ! ;)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but not perfect, September 8, 2005

By	Yo-shou Tsao - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam (SCWCD) (Paperback)

I have read the book and pass the SCWCD exam. Overall speaking, this is an excellent book for prepare the exam.

However, there are two issues with the book
1. The layout of the book content is very uncommon. It is good, but you need time to get used with it.

2. There are too many error in the first edition. You can find the errata on Oreilly website, which is about 16 pages!