Modular Java: Creating Flexible Applications with Osgi and Spring (Pragmatic Programmers) [Paperback]

Craig Walls (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1934356409 | ISBN-13: 978-1934356401 | Publication Date: June 30, 2009 | Edition: 1

The secret weapon for attacking complexity in any project is to break it down into smaller, cohesive, and more easily digestible pieces. With Modular Java, you can easily develop applications that are more flexible, testable, maintainable, and comprehensible.

Modular Java is a pragmatic guide to developing modular applications using OSGi, the framework for dynamic modularity in Java, and Spring Dynamic Modules, an OSGi extension to the Spring Framework. You'll start with the basics but quickly ramp up, creating loosely coupled modules that publish and consume services, and you'll see how to compose them into larger applications. Along the way, you'll apply what you learn as you build a complete web application that is made up of several OSGi modules, using Spring-DM to wire those modules together.

Modular Java is filled with tips and tricks that will make you a more proficient OSGi and Spring-DM developer. Equipped with the know-how gained from this book, you'll be able to develop applications that are more robust and agile.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Craig Walls is a professional software developer with over 15 years of experience in several industries, including telecommunications, finance, retail, and education. He's currently involved in the development of a natural language business intelligence tool with an Addison, TX-based company. He is the author of Spring in Action and XDoclet in Action (published by Manning) and is an avid proponent of Spring, open-source, and agile development.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf; 1 edition (June 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934356409
• ISBN-13: 978-1934356401
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #761,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Craig Walls has been professionally developing software for over 17 years (and longer than that for the pure geekiness of it). He is the author of Modular Java (published by Pragmatic Bookshelf) and Spring in Action and XDoclet in Action (both published by Manning).

When he's not slinging code, Craig spends as much time as he can with his wife, two daughters, 6 birds, and 2 dogs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good book, if you know nothing about OSGi, September 20, 2009

By 

Brian Henke - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Modular Java: Creating Flexible Applications with Osgi and Spring (Pragmatic Programmers) (Paperback)

A short book that just touches the very surface of OSGi. Everything of importance is magically hidden by tools the author uses like PAX. The author does a good job at getting the reader from zero knowledge to a superficial "up and running". This is less than I expected and I learned very little (after only reading the OSGi specifications, which are free). I would not recommend this book to anyone but a beginner that has never heard of OSGi.

Pros:
- OSGi 101

Cons:
- No popular IDE coverage
- Solely reliant on PAX (which isn't that good)
- No real depth into OSGi

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat useful, May 15, 2010

By 

Bjřrn Borud (Trondheim, Norway) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modular Java: Creating Flexible Applications with Osgi and Spring (Pragmatic Programmers) (Paperback)

The title of the book leads you to believe that this is a book about OSGi. It isn't. It is a book about OSGi as seen in a Maven-centric universe with some Spring thrown in for good measure.

If you are going to use this book as a guide to how you approach the OSGi universe and you are not already a Maven user or a Spring user, you need at least a couple of books more and a lot of time to get you sorted. (You need at least a Maven book and possibly a Spring book if you are not already familiar with these technologies). If you are not already an experienced Maven user I suggest you stay away from this book. You are going to burn a lot of time learning Maven and figuring out all the OSGi annoyances the book doesn't cover.

The useful parts of the book that give you an introduction to OSGi are readable and probably and a good intro. But nothing more. The worthwhile parts of this book is a one-afternoon read.

When learning OSGi I found the specification documents of OSGi itself to be surprisingly well-written.

For the blantant misrepresentation of the book in the title of the book I would be tempted to give it a 1 star rating. I, as a reader was interested in OSGi. Not the baggage of the author.

I decided to give it two stars since the parts of the book that are actually about OSGi are a quick read and do give you an intro to OSGi -- though it is a weak two stars.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy it, August 14, 2009

By 

Samuel A. Munoz (Lebanon, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modular Java: Creating Flexible Applications with Osgi and Spring (Pragmatic Programmers) (Paperback)

It is immediately obvious none of the prior reviewers have attempted to actually USE the book. Instead they have furbished us with hollow feedback based on a quick skim of the book.

I've found an error in the published material approximately every 10 pages. In fact if you typed all the code in the book line for line NONE of it would work. There are good ideas and concepts in material, but the lessons will come at great expense to your personal time. The author inconsiderately uses you and your money as his personal Quality Assurance. Buy something else from a more thoughtful author who prides himself on the quality of his work.

P.S. - The book is maven and pax-construct heavy. Be prepared for baptismal by fire if you think your Ant background will suffice.