Murach's Java Servlets and JSP [Paperback]

Andrea Steelman (Author), Joel Murach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003 | Series: Murach: Training & Reference

For the current edition of this book, please see Murach's Java Servlets and JSP, 2nd Edition (ISBN 9781890774448).

This book methodically teaches all of the skills necessary for developing a commercial web site using servlets and JavaServer Pages. These skills include working with HTML, HTTP, servlets, JSP, sessions, cookies, JavaBeans, SQL, JDBC, connection pooling, JavaMail, SSL, security, and XML. Unlike many of the competing books, this book provides detailed coding examples for working with Tomcat, one of the most popular servlet and JSP servers, and MySQL, one of the webÂ’s most popular database servers. A great book for any Java programmer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Murach's Java Servlets and JSP is an incredibly excellent book which will certainly set a new standard for training/reference books."

From the Publisher

As the publisher, I'd like you to know the reasons why I think you'll learn Java web programming faster from this book than from any other on the subject:

Unlike most books about Java web programming, chapter 3 of this book provides a crash course in HTML. Since this is essential background for the use of JSPs, this means you won’t have to use a second book to figure out how HTML works.

Unlike most books about Java web programming, three of the early chapters (4 through 6) show you how JSPs work, how servlets work, and how to use the Model 2 architecture to get the most from JSPs and servlets. From that point on, you’ll learn to use servlets when they’re appropriate for the task at hand and JSPs when they’re appropriate. As a result, you won’t waste your time learning how to use servlets for tasks that should be handled by JSPs.

To make it easy for you to learn on your own, the CD that comes with this book provides all of the software that you need including Java, Tomcat, and MySQL. It also provides all of the examples and applications that are presented in this book so you can run them on your own PC.

Like all of our books, this one includes hundreds of examples that range from the simple to the complex. That way, you can quickly see how a feature works from the simple examples, but you’ll also see how the feature is used in more complex, real-world examples.

If you page through this book, you’ll see that all of the information is presented in "paired pages," with the essential syntax, guidelines, and examples on the right page and the perspective and extra explanation on the left page. This helps you learn faster by reading less...and this is the ideal reference format when you need to refresh your memory about how to do something.

Product Details

• Paperback: 642 pages
• Publisher: Mike Murach & Associates (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890774189
• ISBN-13: 978-1890774189
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,572 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best tutorial for the novice, June 24, 2003

By 

Thomas Paul (Plainview, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murach's Java Servlets and JSP (Paperback)

If you are looking for a book that is going to teach you Servlets and JSP in a very easy way with a lot of hand holding then you are looking for this book. The authors make the assumption that the reader knows the basics of Java but has absolutely no knowledge of internet programming.

The book starts by guiding the reader through the process of installing Tomcat (all the samples use Tomcat as the servlet engine) and creating a simple HTML page before they introduce you to Servlets and JSP. Servlets and JSP are covered separately and then working together in the Model 2 architecture. The one thing missing from this section is any mention of Struts or other MVC frameworks. Advanced topics such as using SSL and restricting access to a web site are covered very well and in a way that makes it easy to follow and understand. The authors even show how to write your own tag libraries. Unfortunately, no mention is made of JSTL. The authors show how to install and use MySQL and how to code SQL before moving on to explain using JDBC in a web application. The book ends with a complete sample application of an online store including secure credit card handling.

This is an excellent tutorial that will painlessly teach you how to write complex web applications. I doubt that there is another book available that makes the subject this easy to understand.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Cant Over Recommend This Book, March 9, 2004

By 

Bruce Scott (Los Altos, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murach's Java Servlets and JSP (Paperback)

I've been developing software for 28 years and using Java for 10 years. However, I've never developed a web application. I needed a crash course on all things web and Java. On my shelf I have about two feet of new books on a variety of Java topics including three books on Java servlets and JSPs. Almost without exception all of these books make these mistakes:

- Assume the reader knows too much and in some cases assumes the reader is already familiar with the topic

- Takes a complex subject and makes it more complex by taking many digressions, explaining something without explaining why and referring to technologies not explained in the book.

- Is loaded with undefined acronyms

- Has a "smirky" attitude as though there is some private joke

- Only shows code snippets without providing the complete context allowing for your own testing

- Doesn't take a building block approach so that you learn the topic step by step

Murach's book makes none of these mistakes. I think all technical "how to" or tutorial books should follow Murach's format. There is one concept for each two pages. The left page explains the concept with clearly written text and the right page shows the example that demonstrates the concept. Each concept is built on concepts already learned in previous pages so that if you have understood all the previous concepts you easily understand the next concept. In this book the only assumption is that you're familiar with Java but not necessarily an expert. Along the way unimportant details are identified or there is an indication that the detail will be explained in a later section. If you read the book from start to finish you will not be confused at any point.

Because there is an assumption that the reader only knows Java some basic topics such as HTML and the web paradigm are explained. The good news is that these topics are clearly identified and if the reader is already familiar with the topic they can be skipped without fear of missing something important and required for future sections.

Aside from the format and process of this book there is the spirit of the book. It is clear the authors care very much about whether their book will help the reader become conversant on the topic. They act as a technical sherpa and are never condescending.

I believe this is the only book a beginning Java servlet and JSP programmer will need. I'm not a servlet and JSP expert but I'm guessing this may be the only Java servlet and JSP book you'll ever need.

My only disappointment in Murach books is that they don't have more of their books on more recent technologies such as Jakarta Struts or Enterprise Java Beans. It seems that most of their books are on legacy technologies (has Java servlets and JSPs become legacy?).

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, October 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Murach's Java Servlets and JSP (Paperback)

This is a GREAT book. It's methodical, easy to follow, and in the process, it shows you that Java really isn't as difficult as those junky Sun tutorials lead one to believe. I actually used this book along with Sun's Java Web Services Developer Pack and it really made things easy to set up servlets and JSP.

If you already know servlets and JSP, buy this book anyway just to see where other tutorials left out the fundamentals.

In my opinion as a trainer and developer, it is a major feat of skill and patience to bring somebody from zero knowledge to a productive level of skill in technologies like this. These authors make it look easy. Sun should hire them to redo all of their tutorials. That way, Java would be more widely adopted and could eventually overtake security-hole-riddled Microsoft products.