Java Power Tools (Paperback)

by John Ferguson Smart (Author)
Key Phrases: continuous integration, running unit tests, continuous build, Project Using Maven, Cancel Figure, Setting Up Version Control Using Subversion (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
All true craftsmen need the best tools to do their finest work, and programmers are no different. Java Power Tools delivers 30 open source tools designed to improve the development practices of Java developers in any size team or organization. Each chapter includes a series of short articles about one particular tool -- whether it's for build systems, version control, or other aspects of the development process -- giving you the equivalent of 30 short reference books in one package. No matter which development method your team chooses, whether it's Agile, RUP, XP, SCRUM, or one of many others available, Java Power Tools provides practical techniques and tools to help you optimize the process. The book discusses key Java development problem areas and best practices, and focuses on open source tools that can help increase productivity in each area of the development cycle, including: Build tools including Ant and Maven 2 Version control tools such as CVS and Subversion, the two most prominent open source tools Quality metrics tools that measure different aspects of code quality, including CheckStyle, PMD, FindBugs and Jupiter Technical documentation tools that can help you generate good technical documentation without spending too much effort writing and maintaining it Unit Testing tools including JUnit 4, TestNG, and the open source coverage tool Cobertura Integration, Load and Performance Testing to integrate performance tests into unit tests, load-test your application, and automatically test web services, Swing interfaces and web interfaces Issue management tools including Bugzilla and Trac Continuous Integration tools such as Continuum, Cruise Control, LuntBuild and Hudson If you area Java developer, these tools can help improve your development practices, and make your life easier in the process. Lead developers, software architects and people interested in the wider picture will be able to gather from these pages some useful ideas about improving your project infrastructure and best practices.

About the Author
John is a freelance consultant specializing in Enterprise Java, Web Development, and Open Source technologies, currently based in Wellington, New Zealand. Well known in the Java community for his many published articles, John helps organizations optimize their Java development processes and infrastructures and provides training and mentoring in open source technologies, SDLC tools, and agile development processes. John is principal consultant at Wakaleo Consulting (http://www.wakaleo.com), a company that provides consulting, training and mentoring services in Enterprise Java and Agile Development.

Product Details

• Paperback: 910 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; illustrated edition edition (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596527934
• ISBN-13: 978-0596527938
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #174,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete Reference for 30 Open Source Tools, May 25, 2008

By	B. S. Meera "Meera Subbarao" (Silver Spring, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is enjoyable, extremely well organized and covers a wide range of open source tools needed for any successful software development life cycle. I would recommend Java Power Tools to anyone writing Java. My only complaint is the size of the book; but I think in order to cover 30 tools , and the breadth of material covered for each of these tools do make up for its weightiness.

This book is written with a Java developer audience in mind. I should however say that Java is not actually the main focus of the book, and I believe this book would be of great interest to anyone concerned in writing better software.Readers should have a basic knowledge of Java and XML. You don't need to have any prior experience with any of the tools covered.

Java Power Tools can be used as an introduction to various technologies and also as a complete and easy-to-use reference work. After having read and reviewed numerous book over the past 5 years, I think it safe to say I have not read another text that so well combines the best attributes of both.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Automate your development process!, May 16, 2008

By	Paul M. Duvall "Author of Continuous Integration" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews

To begin, I should note that I was a technical reviewer on this book. Ever since I reviewed it last year, I've been telling everyone who would listen that "Java Power Tools" was going to be one of the best books to be released in a while. If you are on a Java development project, you must have this book! I'm still amazed by the breadth and depth of the information in it. As it states in the back of the book, it's like having 30 reference books all in one. And, it's not like John simply gives a high-level overview of the tools. He goes into great detail such that you can take the examples and use on your own projects. The beauty is that he has weeded out all of the bad tools and given a concise set of tools to immediately help improve your team's productivity. What's more, they're all open source and you can download them immediately and try them out. He covers all of the major tool types in the development process including version control, build, CI, issue management, testing, code metrics, etc. "Java Power Tools" helps you automate your own development processes. If you'd rather be spending time creating software and not bending your process or tools to meet your needs, this is the book for you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Offers some 30 open source tools designed to improve Java practices and developer routines, November 10, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

John Ferguson Smart's JAVA POWER TOOLS is a key foundation pick for any library strong in Java programming. It offers some 30 open source tools designed to improve Java practices and developer routines, from metrics tools and those used to generate good documentation to issue management tools and web interfaces. Lead developers receive a range of specific tips important for optimum Java management, making this a basic library choice. A 'must' for any collection serious about Java development.