Mac OS X for Java Geeks [Paperback]

Will Iverson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003

Mac OS X for Java Geeks delivers a complete and detailed look at the Mac OS X platform, geared specifically at Java developers. Programmers using the 10.2 (Jaguar) release of Mac OS X, and the new JDK 1.4, have unprecedented new functionality available to them. Whether you are a Java newbie, working your way through Java Swing and classpath issues, or you are a Java guru, comfortable with digital media, reflection, and J2EE, this book will teach you how to get around on Mac OS X. You'll also get the latest information on how to build applications that run seamlessly, and identically, on Windows, Linux, Unix, and the Mac.

The book begins by laying out the Mac OS X tool set, from the included Java Runtime Environment to third-party tools IDEs and Jakarta Ant. You'll then be brought up to speed on the advanced, Mac-specific extensions to Java, including the spelling framework, speech framework, and integration with QuickTime. In addition to clear explanations of these extensions, you'll learn how to write code that falls back to non-Mac specific code when it runs on other platforms, keeping your application portable.

Once you have the fundamentals of the Mac OS X Java platform in hand, this book takes you beyond the basics. You'll learn how to get the Apache web server running, and supplement it with the Jakarta Tomcat JSP and servlet container. JSPs and servlets running on Mac OS X are covered, as is installation and connectivity to a database. Once you have your web applications up and running, you'll learn how to interface them with EJBs, as running the JBoss application server on Mac OS X is covered. Finally, the latest developments in web services, including XML-RPC and SOAP, are found within.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Will Iverson has been working in the computer & information technology field professionally since 1990. His diverse background includes developing statistical applications for use analyzing data from the NASA Space Shuttle, product management for Apple Computer, developer relations for Symantec's VisualCaf, running an independent J2EE consulting company, and now helping build BEA's dev2dev developer web site. Will lives in Union City, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1st edition (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596004001
• ISBN-13: 978-0596004002
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,457,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for Everyone, August 27, 2003

By 

Paul Wren (Scottsdale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mac OS X for Java Geeks (Paperback)

I had been playing around with my PowerBook G4 as a webserver (using Apache), building some PHP-based applications, and serving them up locally during development. PHP is great for quick deployment of server-side web pages, but I had wanted to try my hand at developing Java-based web apps. I didn't really know where to start, but then I found Mac OS X for Java Geeks.

Using this book as my guide, I was able to:

* Install and configure Apache Tomcat
* Write and deploy my first "Hello World" JSP
* Write and deploy my first Servlet
* Deploy a working JSP that accesses a MySQL database

For me, this book has been invaluable... and I've only used two chapters! Will Iverson has created a volume that has something for everyone-- but most people will only use a part of the book.

Everyone can benefit from his overview of the JVM on Mac OS X, as well as the chapter on Java development tools.

If you want to develop web-based Java applications, there are chapters on Applets, JSPs and Servlets, Web services such as SOAP, and even using JBoss to serve EJBs.

If you hope to develop applications for the Mac platform, there are chapters on creating Mac applications, and interfacing with Mac OS gems such as Quicktime , Mac OS speech, and the Mac OS spelling framework.

The book is filled with great figures and examples, and readers looking to get their feet wet can build a swing application called SimpleEdit, which is used throughout the book as something to build on with newly acquired knowledge.

If you are planning to do any work in Java and the Mac is your development (or deployment) platform, you gotta get this book. I know I'll be coming back to it over and over.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-have" for all cross-platform Java developers, July 9, 2003

By 

Ronald P Hughes (Felton, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mac OS X for Java Geeks (Paperback)

This book fills a very important need. The hope of "write-once, run-anywhere" is nearly a reality in the Java world. But beyond the edges of the Java specifications are the platform-specific regions that challenge those of us who try to create portable software. And these platform-specific differences are more pronounced on the Mac than on any other popular Java platform.

I love Java, I love UNIX, and I love the Mac. They all come together in a rich symphony under Mac OS X. The Java piece is more tightly integrated with the underlying OS than it is on other platforms, which makes for a better Mac-centric experience for the user. But this also means that some aspects of Java that happen to be common across other platforms are different on the Mac. This includes such things as Java directory layout, minor GUI quirks, application packaging, etc. There are lots of books from Apple junkies about developing Mac application in Java, but this is THE book to get if you're a Java junkie and you want to develop Java applications that run everywhere, including the Mac. The author does an excellent job of succinctly explaining where/how/why from a Java perspective, enabling developers to develop products that maintain portability while being good Mac citizens.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It should have been titled "Mac OS X for Java Beginners", November 22, 2004

By 

J. Armstrong (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mac OS X for Java Geeks (Paperback)

This book was misleading with the title, it seemed as though a large portion of the book was dedicated to covering basic Java concepts (definition of EJB, JMX, JSP, etc., JVM layout).

The information on cross-platform development was somewhat useful, but as a Java geek you probably were already aware of these items (path separators, new lines, etc.).

The book does have its useful moments, hence the three stars, but it wasn't worth the $39.95 price tag. Chapters 5 (Finder integration), 7 (Standalone Applications), and 11 (OS X Spelling Framework) were interesting. Finally, the author's writing style was friendly and easy to read.