Patterns in Java, Volume 2 [Paperback]

Mark Grand (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471258415 | ISBN-13: 978-0471258414 | Publication Date: March 11, 1999

"This is the best book on patterns since the Gang of Four's Design Patterns. The book manages to be a resource for three of the most important trends in professional programming: Patterns, Java, and UML." -Larry O'Brien, Founding Editor, Software Development, on Patterns in Java, Volume 1

Picking up where he left off in his bestselling Patterns in Java, Volume 1, Mark Grand arms you with 50 new and reusable Java patterns-some available for the first time-that help you create more elegant and reusable designs. As with Volume 1, each pattern is documented in UML and, where appropriate, a code example or an example in the core Java API is provided. Volume 2 gives you:
* 7 GRASP patterns that show you how to assign responsibilities to classes
* 12 GUI Design patterns
* 13 Organizational Coding patterns that help you to structure your code for readability and easier maintenance
* 5 Coding Optimization patterns help to improve your program's performance in ways that a compiler's automatic optimizations cannot
* 5 Code Robustness patterns
* 8 Testing patterns that describe different methods for software testing, including Black Box, Clean Room, and System Testing
* Real-world case studies that illustrate when and how to use the patterns
* A tutorial for writing your own designs in UML
* Pointers on using UML and patterns in development analysis, implementation, and testing
* Tons of sample code

The CD-ROM contains:
* All the code examples found in the book
* Evaluation versions of Together/J Whiteboard Edition from Object International (www.togetherj.com), OptimizeIt from Intuitive Systems, AssertMate version 1.0 from Reliable Software Technologies, and jtest! and CodeWizard for Java(TM) from ParaSoft

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Mark Grand's Patterns in Java, Volume 2 offers a grab bag of 50 reusable patterns for Java developers. Together, these patterns can improve your graphical user interface (GUI) design, testing, and the overall robustness of your next Java project.

After a short introduction to patterns and UML (unified modeling language) basics, the author looks at the software engineering life cycle, then moves on to describe the first group of object-oriented design patterns, including Creator, Polymorphism, and Law of Demeter.

Less theoretical, the next group of GUI patterns can let you create more responsive and intuitive interfaces. (Experienced programmers will already know several of these, such as the Form pattern for dialog boxes and the Disabled Irrelevant Things pattern, which grays out unused items.) The following sections on organizational coding and coding optimization patterns are the most practical as they offer ways to write better Java code, including conditional compilation, exception handling, and socket programming.

Next, the author includes a group of code robustness patterns, including assertions. The book closes with more theoretical material on testing. (Patterns such as White/Black Box or Regression Testing will be familiar turf to anyone who knows a little software engineering.)

A good many of the patterns cataloged here probably call attention to the obvious. (For instance, is using a Java switch statement really a true "pattern," as the authors argue?) But with a total of 50 patterns, this guide provides a helpful group of reusable strategies. Many of these patterns will be absolutely essential to any working Java developer. --Richard Dragan

Review

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While several of the Wiley Java series appear aimed both at intermediate programmers exploring programming through Java and at experienced software engineers looking for quick Java immersion, Patterns in Java, Volume 2 seems most suitable for programmers becoming seriously involved in Java early in their career. This assessment is occasioned by the book's attempt to shoehorn all of computer science into the Patterns metaphor. --Jack Woehr, Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books -- Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (March 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471258415
• ISBN-13: 978-0471258414
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 90% obvious to a half-decent programmer, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Patterns in Java, Volume 2 (Paperback)

While I liked Volume 1 of this series, this book is just not worth the money. Most of its "patterns" are obvious strategies which anyone who has taken more than a couple CS classes will know already. For example, there are about ten "User Interface" patterns. These consist of things like "If the user needs to enter many pieces of discrete information, use the Form pattern." Many of the other patterns are similarly obvious.

However, there were a few ideas about efficiency and testing which I found useful, so the book is not a total loss. I'd suggest flipping through it at a local bookstore, but that's it.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Does the reader more harm than good, April 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Patterns in Java, Volume 2 (Paperback)

Yes, it is high time to apply design patterns to Java. Java presents opportunities and challenges that were not present in C++.

In this series, Mark Grand converts well-established design patterns into Java. Unfortunately, he fails to demonstrate even a rudimentary understanding of his material. These books read like hopelessly flawed research papers, not the fruit of experience. I finished both books wondering whether the author had ever actually implemented any of these patterns in a real-world design.

He misinterprets some key points while missing others altogether. Some well-established patterns use inheritance for mixins. That's fine for C++, but Java provides only single inheritance. Wasting inheritance as he does, the author's implementations make it impossible to use inheritance for normal (more important) purposes. Interfaces solve many of the problems that the author creates. In some cases, the implementations contain hard code that flatly contradicts the intended generality of the patterns.

Volume 2 also demonstrates that the author does not know the difference between a coding technique and a design pattern. Some of his so-called "design patterns" (under his own name, of course) are mere coding techniques that have been around practically forever. Assertions provide a typical example.

This book may fool less experienced readers. Too bad they will eventually have to unlearn the garbage they pick up here.

This book gets one star only because it is the lowest rating I can give. Mr. Grand, please stop writing! You're only embarrassing yourself. Please do not release your intended third volume while your first two are in such desperate need of rewrites by a knowledgeable professional.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A book of extraordinarily low value, June 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Patterns in Java, Volume 2 (Paperback)

Around three years ago, I joked with a collegue of mine that a sure way to make a fortune would be to write a book which included the words "Java" and "Patterns" in the title. It would matter little, I argued, what the book contained. Just the title and a half-decent graphic on the front page would suffice.

It seems to me that both Mr Grand and his publishers Wiley are attempting to cash in on this very idea. The problem is that the joke was a bad one in the first place, and that it is now being made far too late in the day.

I hope that the software development community is sufficiently aware that it won't be taken in by this outrage.