Customer Reviews

Mobile Information Device Profile for Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME): Professional Developer's Guide

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book has been great for me; it provided the right level of detail when I first started working with J2ME and covered all the main areas that I needed to delve into. One year later, I still dip into the book and find useful info there. I like the way it's written - clear, concise, not a boring read. I heartily recommend it.

This book contains good introduction to the emerging MID profile of the J2ME platform. It also provides also good information for developers who are familiar with the J2ME environment.

Pros:
Superb introduction (about 50 pages)
Good background information abotu the platform and clear pictures of how the HTTP connection works.
Next version of MIDP is also commented
Good examples! Nobody wants to see "Hello World!" in this kind of books.
Nice coverage of UI features, which gives instant enlightment how it all works.
Security issues are handled well. You can't write too much about it.
Small XML-parser are also reviewed. With MIDP the size of the parser is really an issue.
Excellent tech tips.

Cons:
Quick reference is redundant as the API contains about all information.
Some pictures are far too small.
Database connections should have been explained more.
Where's the source code? Can it be downloaded somewhere?
SOAP is there, where is SyncML?
IDE features and references should have been left out.

Summa summarum:
Excellent book for everyone who is interested in developing mobile applications with Java. The introduction is also useful for the less technical folks working in marketing and project management.

It's the best book I read about MIDP. It covers all the areas I need to learn for J2ME programming, i.e. security, XML parser, etc. There are plenty code samples you can use as the base of your application.

Making the switch from programming for the regular J2SE environment to programming for J2ME MIDP can be quite a challenge. Excluding the brief introduction to J2ME MIDP and also a MIDP/CLDC API reference, this book dedicates about 60% of its content to addressing three of the more challenging areas:

1) Application lifecycle of MIDlets
2) GUI
3) Persistent storage

This focus is understandable since mastery of these new areas is key for proficient MIDP application development.

Other valuable areas that won't cause Java developers too much difficulty include the following:

1) Network communication
2) Security
3) The use of XML
4) Techniques for writing better MIDP applications

For those developers who've been tasked with delivering MIDP applications, then this book is a useful addition to the bookshelf. Take note of the practices for writing better MIDP applications - once you test your MIDlets on *real* devices, and not on emulators, you'll understand why it's important to program efficiently.

Eddie Pratt
Product Manager
PointBase, Inc.

The authors do a superb job of covering MIDP in depth, in a very concise format. It's nice to see that they didn't follow the trend of creating a 1000 page book just to have a 1000 page book. The text quickly and clearly explains the MIDP profile. The examples are very helpful, presenting real world situations that any MIDP developer is likely to encounter. The sections on networking and security are excellent. I would definitely recommend this book if you are serious about J2ME.

I've bought one of Eric Guigere's previous books, and I was very pleased with the content and the quality of the text. Eric Guigere is a co-author is this book. I am really pleased that the authors of this book make their title a very good reference. If you're like me, and you don't have a lot of time read an entire book cover to cover, then this book is for you. After a few dedicated hours on a couple of chapers, I was able to get my examples up and running.

This book covers GUI programming a little more in-depth, and I am REALLY pleased that these guys included examples and code on multithreading.

Companion websites tend to add to the life of a book. And if you're still undecided, be sure to check out the companion website..

This is the first book I've seen on MIDP and the one to have! It's jam-packed with code. I especially found Chapter 8, Security very helpful as I'm not a security specialist and only need the basics. If you are programming for J2ME, this is the book you need!

Making the switch from programming for the regular J2SE environment to programming for J2ME MIDP can be quite a challenge. Excluding the brief introduction to J2ME MIDP and also a MIDP/CLDC API reference, this book dedicates about 60% of its content to addressing three of the more challenging areas:

1) Application lifecycle of MIDlets
2) GUI
3) Persistent storage

This focus is understandable since mastery of these new areas is key for proficient MIDP application development.

Other valuable areas that won't cause Java developers too much difficulty include the following:

1) Network communication
2) Security
3) The use of XML
4) Techniques for writing better MIDP applications

For those developers who've been tasked with delivering MIDP applications, then this book is a useful addition to the bookshelf. Take note of the practices for writing better MIDP applications - once you test your MIDlets on *real* devices, and not on emulators, you'll understand why it's important to program efficiently.

For more information you can check out the companion web site to the book: ...

Eddie Pratt
Product Manager
PointBase, Inc - ...

Let me correct an error in that last review so that it doesn't lead others astray. There is indeed a web site for the book where you can download the source for the examples. It's mentioned on page XX of the introduction, in the section entitled "Companion Web Site". The address given on the page sends you to the Wiley web site, which then redirects you automatically to j2medeveloper(dot)com. The URL is also mentioned twice on the back cover of the book. And several times throughout the book.

I was very happy with the content covered in the book. I don't like books that include hard copy of lots of free documentation just to pump up the page count. The examples were good and covered the main differences between J2ME and J2SE. The balance of descriptive text versus example code was good, but I wouldn't have minded seeing a few more code samples.