Customer Reviews

Java CAPS Basics: Implementing Common EAI Patterns

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The only complaint I have with this book is the word 'Basics' in the title. As the subtitle suggests, it's expected the reader is at least familiar with common EAI patterns. But it's better if the reader has Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture (The Addison-Wesley Signature Series) as well; it is a important prerequisite to getting the most out of this book.

The authors also assume the reader has read the docs on JCAPS and is at least familiar, if not proficient with some of the tools. With that in mind, this book and its companion CD relate each discussed pattern to the appropriate components and configuration in JCAPS. It took me a fair amount of time to figure out some of these solutions on my own, and I was pleased to have my hunches confirmed by experts. Other pattern implementations were not apparent to me; I'll save a great deal of time using them as given.

The discussion is thorough, deliberate and complete, including drawbacks and limitations that go hand-in-hand with certain pattern solutions. These are valuable insights, but they can make the reading heavy work at times. I recommend chewing off no more than a chapter's worth of patterns at a time, and reading each pattern implementation twice before implementing it once.

The companion CD has very many screen shots of JCAPS in action, so don't be put off by the few illustrations in the printed text. The PDF on the CD is almost 700 pages itself and provides detailed graphic cues for implementing the patterns as discussed.

Originally the price put me off a bit, even though I really need this book. Having browsed the companion CD as well, however, it's clear there was no small effort made in putting this book together. Still, I think the market could also use a book that just covers the fundamentals of using JCAPS. This guide is not for people getting started.