Java Card™ Technology for Smart Cards: Architecture and Programmer's Guide [Paperback]

Zhiqun Chen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0201703297 | ISBN-13: 978-0201703290 | Edition: 1

Smart cards are taking off: more than 3 billion will be in use by the end of the Year 2000. Smart card technologies and skills are in enormous demand -- especially, familiarity with Sun's Java Card API. This specification brings Java technology to smart cards, enabling card issuers to build breakthrough platform-independent solutions, run multiple applications on the same card, and respond to changing customer needs by installing applications even after a card has been issued. This book is the first complete programmer's guide and reference to the new Java Card 2.1 API. Through extensive code examples, it shows readers exactly how smart cards work -- and how to fully leverage the Java Card APIs in smart card development. Expert smart card developer and Java Card API team member Zhiqun Chen covers the entire Java Card language subset and all key programming concepts. Next, she presents a complete, integrated tutorial walking step-by-step through the creation of Java Card applets. The book also contains a thorough API reference. For all Java developers, smart card application developers, developers working with credit-card related applications, and builders of e-commerce and enterprise applications.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Audience for This Book

Java Card™ technology combines a subset of the Java programming language with a runtime environment optimized for smart cards and other memory-constrained devices. This book is intended for a wide technical audience with different needs of understanding Java Card technology.

First and foremost, it is written for Java Card applet developers. You will find a smart card tutorial, in-depth discussions on various Java Card features, helpful programming tips for applet development, and the reference to the Java Card APIs.

Second, this book is supplementary reading for Java Card platform implementors. It provides further discussion of many topics in the Java Card specifications and includes code examples to clarify those topics.

Third, this book is useful for technical managers or anyone who wants to gain an overall understanding of Java Card technology. In particular, the first three chapters are introductions to orient you within the technology from both a technical and marketing point of view.

Throughout this book, I assume that readers are familiar with the fundamentals of the Java language. For those who want to learn more about the Java language, the book by Arnold and Gosling is a good resource. Organization of This Book

This book is written in a bottom-up fashion. Each chapter was a step to the next one, so it is best if you read the chapters in order. Part 1: Introduction

Chapter 1 introduces smart cards and Java Card technology—history, benefits, and applications. Chapter 2 discusses smart card basics as a foundation for exploring the rest of the book. Part 2: Java Card Technology

Chapter 3 gives an overview of Java Card technology—the system architecture and its components. Chapter 4 discusses the properties and the behavior of persistent and transient objects in the Java Card platform and how to create and use those objects. Chapter 5 explains what atomicity means in the Java Card platform and how to develop an applet using transactions to protect data integrity. Chapter 6 discusses exceptions in the Java Card platform and how applets throw and handle exceptions. Chapter 7 explains how applets run within the JCRE and demonstrates the techniques of applet writing.

Chapter 8 describes the techniques of handling APDUs in an applet.

Chapter 9 explains the behavior of objects, exceptions, and applets under the control of the applet firewall and discusses how applets can safely share data using object sharing mechanisms. Chapter 10 first introduces many important cryptographic concepts and algorithms. It then outlines the cryptographic APIs in the Java Card platform and demonstrates how to use these APIs through code examples. Chapter 11 describes the security features in the Java Card platform and discusses how these security features are enforced through a variety of mechanisms. Along with the discussion, this chapter summarizes the topics covered in Part 2. Part 3: Programming Guide and Tips

Chapter 12 walks you through a step-by-step process of creating a simple electronic wallet applet.

Chapter 13 provides a number of recommendations for optimizing applets. In many cases, a discussion is provided with the recommendation to help you understand various design trade-offs. Chapter 14 discusses issues related to using the int data type when writing Java Card applets. Part 4: Appendices

Appendix A describes the subset of the Java programming language that is supported in the Java Card platform. Appendix B provides a comprehensive reference to the Java Card 2.1 APIs. The Version Covered in This Book

This book is based on Java Card version 2.1, the latest release when the book was written. At the meantime, the next version 2.1.1 is underway. Version 2.1.1 will include minor enhancement updates to version 2.1. The contents and techniques covered in the book will continue to be relevant to future Java Card releases, and new things will be incorporated in future editions of this book.0201703297P04062001

From the Back Cover

Java Card™ technology provides a secure, vendor-independent, ubiquitous Java™ platform for smart cards and other memory constrained devices. It opens the smart card marketplace to third-party application development and enables programmers to develop smart card applications for a wide variety of vendors' products.

This book is the comprehensive guide to developing applications with Java Card technology. It introduces you to the Java Card platform and features detailed discussions of programming concepts. It also provides a step-by-step Java Card applet development guide to get you up and running.

• Specific topics covered include:
• Smart card basics
• Java Card virtual machine
• Persistent and transient objects
• Atomicity and transactions
• Handling APDUs
• Applet firewall and object sharing
• Java Card platform security
• A step-by-step applet development guide
• Applet optimization guidelines
• A comprehensive reference to Java Card APIs

With Java Card technology, smart card programming will finally enter the mainstream of application development. This book provides the authoritative and practical information you need to enter this rapidly growing arena.

0201703297B04062001

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (June 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201703297
• ISBN-13: 978-0201703290
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #626,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review from Java Card Forum participant, June 21, 2000

By 

Julius Schaffer (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Java Card™ Technology for Smart Cards: Architecture and Programmer's Guide (Paperback)

This book provides an excellent summary of the Java Card specifications (i.e. the Java Card 2.1 Runtime Environment (JCRE) Specification, the Java Card 2.1 API Specification and to a lesser extent the Java Card 2.1 Virtual Machine Specification) as well as the Java Card Applet Developer's Guide. It also provides a brief overview of smartcards, including the ISO 7816 Specification. It is an excellent book for someone who is relatively new to smartcards and in particular Java Cards. It is also a useful reference for advanced Java Card applet developers and Java Card implementors, since it provides a complete description of the Java Card API, as well as providing a detailed description of the Applet and APDU classes, transaction protection, transient objects and other features specific to Java Card. For Java Card implementors, it provides a fresh perspective on the Java Card specifications. For Java Card applet developer's it provides hints and techniques for writing robust and memory efficient Java Card applets.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read for anyone who intends to develop Java Card applications, March 14, 2006

By 

Anshuman Sinha (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Java Card™ Technology for Smart Cards: Architecture and Programmer's Guide (Paperback)

A really good book that explains not only Java Card specifics, but also some smartcard basics. A must read for someone who is intending to develop applications around Java Card and has never developed any application for smartcard. This book also covers some preliminary cryptography needed to understand Java Card API and applet loading. This book however only covers Java Card 2.1, with Java Card 2.2 and contactless products emerging at market place, another edition is due. Object sharing interface mechanisms are very well covered and so are some of the gotchas of ISO 7816 and its usage. It also includes a step-by-step guide to develop Java Card applets. Overall, a bible for someone who wants to be an expert Java Card developer.

5.0 out of 5 stars By PEDRO DIAZ ROBLES, My First Book of SMART CARD FOR JAVA CARD, September 27, 2007

By 

Pedro Diaz "Linux" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Java Card™ Technology for Smart Cards: Architecture and Programmer's Guide (Paperback)

Hi,

This book is good for beginners like i,

It attracts much to me like programming an application in Java Card

Greetings!!

CACALOMACAN , TOLUCA , ESTADO DE MEXICO