Intelligent Java Applications for the Internet and Intranets [Paperback]

Mark Watson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1997

Internet tools and applications frequently use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to enable special features and reduce development time. This book allows you to apply these powerful AI design techniques to your Java programming. Focusing on intelligent systems, it provides the introductory AI material that Java programmers need to create Internet and Intranet applications including on-line games, search tools, and data collection
tools. A variety of detailed examples are provided to illustrate how these applications are used in real-world software projects, and to guide you in developing applications of your own.

* AI concepts are explained in detail making the book accessible to any Java programmer.
* An accompanying CD-ROM lets readers experiment with source code for the Java classes developed in the book. The CD-ROM includes many immediately useful Java class libraries and four complete applications that use the Java class libraries.
* Complete example programs cover a range of applications including an arcade style game, a handwriting recognition system, a system that answers questions about ancient history, and an information retrieval application.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The title of this impressive book is somewhat oblique. What the author really offers is an introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) programming using examples that also teach you Java. Watson begins with a short introduction to artificial intelligence, dividing AI systems into two major categories: symbol-processing systems and neural networks. Examples of each are amply covered in the course of the book.

The first section describes the development of the Java class libraries that will serve as building blocks when you construct your applications. These libraries include a portable user interface class, flexible frame data structures, and neural-network and genetic-algorithm simulation classes. Chapters on natural language processing and AI agents show you how to use these techniques to automate tasks such as e-mail processing and gathering information from the Web.

Once you've created these basic tools, Watson shows you how to use them to build applications. His examples include a scrolling arcade game, a real-time handwriting recognition program, a distributed natural language processing system that can answer questions about history, and a Java-based data collection agent for the Internet. The author assumes that you know Java programming basics, although he provides a short tutorial in an appendix that will be helpful if you're coming to Java from C or C++. The bundled CD-ROM contains the source code for all projects in the book.

From the Back Cover

Internet tools and applications frequently use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to enable special features and reduce development time. This book allows you to apply these powerful AI design techniques to your Java programming. Focusing on intelligent systems, it provides the introductory AI material that Java programmers need to create Internet and Intranet applications including on-line games, search tools, and data collection
tools. A variety of detailed examples are provided to illustrate how these applications are used in real-world software projects, and to guide you in developing applications of your own.

• AI concepts are explained in detail making the book accessible to any Java programmer.
  
• An accompanying CD-ROM lets readers experiment with source code for the Java classes developed in the book. The CD-ROM includes many immediately useful Java class libraries and four complete applications that use the Java class libraries.
  
• Complete example programs cover a range of applications including an arcade style game, a handwriting recognition system, a system that answers questions about ancient history, and an information retrieval application.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann (May 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558604200
• ISBN-13: 978-1558604209
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,217,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lousy introduction to AI, May 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Intelligent Java Applications for the Internet and Intranets (Paperback)

"Intelligent Java Applications" was my first introduction to neural networks and AI in general, when I bought the book a couple of years ago. It took an undergraduate neural modeling class at an Ivy League university before I appreciated what a lousy introduction to neural networks this book actually is. Watson glosses over all of the theoretical basis of neural networks, and does an inadequate job of explaining just what a neural network is and how it works. The author could have easily explained (in a paragraph) what a linear associator is, before launching into the more convoluted, multiple-layer back-prop algorithm that is presented in the book. If you want a real book on neural networks (along with neurophysiological, theoretical, and historical developments), I highly recommend "Introduction to Neural Networks" by James Anderson.

Watson also wastes paper by baby-stepping the reader through some useless GUI and networking packages that makes his code presentable (when run) but much more difficult to decipher. A useful AI tutorial would not be so tied to a specific language. Alas, I have a feeling that the Java reference, as well as the "For the Internet and Intranets" subtitle was a clever bait-and-switch tactic to sell more copies of this book. If you're interested in the function of AI rather than the theory (if, suppose, you're progamming a game), then this book might be useful. But I have a feeling that better resources exist if this is your avenue of interest.

I have not, as of yet, done much course-based or indepenent research on expert systems, genetic algorithms, character recognition, natural language processing, or any of the other topics that are covered in this book. But I have a feeling that, if I do, I'll find the rest of Watson's material similarly lacking.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible - ZERO didactic value, November 18, 2000

By 

Manuel A. Ricart "aricart" (Cottage Grove, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Intelligent Java Applications for the Internet and Intranets (Paperback)

This book fails miserably at explaining anything. The examples dissuaded me to purchase it only to find out that simple explanations about how it AI works are nowhere to be found (there is however superfluous and distracting commentary on simple Java things like Runnable, Applets, there's even networking code for a POP mail client which really ought to be delegated to support code outside from the book's topic). The examples themselves typically have no comments, even if they are several pages long. Later chapters provide more insight, however when you are looking to learn something, the "simpler" topics are glossed over.

The Java code also leaves a lot to be desired, it doesn't follow standard java naming conventions for instance variables and method names and the style is so varied and terrible (sometimes instance variables are declared at the top, sometimes at the bottom) that reading the code becomes a chore (and all that without commentary.

Some web pages on the net provide more useful information.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good practical guide to artificial intelligence techniques, January 15, 1998

By 

David Reilly (Gold Coast, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Intelligent Java Applications for the Internet and Intranets (Paperback)

Intelligent Java Applications for the Internet and Intranets is a fascinating book, dealing with the subject of artificial intelligence (AI). Watson covers both the theory of artificial intelligence techniques, and gives practical source code to demonstrate its application. He provides readers with a complete set of packages for implementing specific AI techniques in their own applications, and spends a substantial portion of the book giving real-world examples, such as a handwriting recognition application, a natural language parsing system that answers questions about ancient history, and an application that can retrieve information from web sites or access email from a POP mailbox.

This book gives clear explanations of the theory behind the AI techniques the author discusses, as well as object diagrams in Booch notation showing each of the major classes. It is an excellent book for learning more about artificial intelligence techniques, and for learning how to apply these techniques in real world applications. It also provides readers with plenty of sample Java source code to examine, and some great applications that demonstrate the packages supplied by the author.