Professional Eclipse 3 for Java Developers [Paperback]

Berthold Daum (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470020059 | ISBN-13: 978-0470020050 | Publication Date: November 22, 2004 | Edition: 1

• Step-by-step guide that introduces novices to using all major features of Eclipse 3
• Eclipse is an open source extensible integrated development environment (IDE) that helps Java programmers build best-of-breed integrated tools covering the whole software lifecycle-from conceptual modeling to deployment
• Eclipse is fast becoming the development platform of choice for the Java community
• Packed with code-rich, real-world examples that show programmers how to speed up the development of applications by reusing and extending existing Eclipse components
• Describes SWT and JFace (Eclipse's alternative to the Java AWT and Swing) and demonstrates them in practice in a JavaLayer based MP3 player
• Shows how Eclipse can be used as a tool platform and application framework

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Taking the Java world by storm, Eclipse is an open-source platform that can be used to develop cutting-edge programs, components, Web sites, and more. In the first book to explore the greatly extended functionality of Eclipse 3, Berthold Daum shows you how to use this powerful Java IDE to make coding, testing, debugging, and deploying applications much easier.

You'll find tips for authoring code efficiently and organizing development projects correctly. You'll unlock the secrets of the SWT and JFace libraries while learning how to create an MP3 player. And you'll discover how to develop your own products under the Rich Client Platform (RCP).

What you will learn from this book

• All the major features of Eclipse 3
• Techniques for building GUIs with SWT, JFace, and the Eclipse workbench
• Tips on how to speed development time by using Eclipse as an application framework
• How to create custom Eclipse plug-ins following easy steps
• Methods for team software development
• Ways to develop and package your own products for deployment
• How to use the RCP as a generic platform for a wide range of applications

Who this book is for
This book is for Java programmers who want to implement their own professional applications with the help of Eclipse.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers to a better job.

About the Author

Berthold Daum has a Ph.D in Mathematics and is a professional Java and XML developer who has been using Eclipse since it was first developed. Mr. Daum specializes in innovative electronic business technology and electronic content production; his clients include SAP Integrated Services AG and Software AG. His experience in software training and ability to anticipate the needs of professional developers has been demonstrated in his previous books, including Eclipse 2 for Java Developers (Wiley) and Modeling Business Objects with XML Schema (Morgan-Kaufmann).
Mr. Daum Studied photography in Melbourne and has both exhibited and published his images of Australia's natural beauty.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (November 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470020059
• ISBN-13: 978-0470020050
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely done, and it covers the latest in Eclipse..., January 9, 2005

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Professional Eclipse 3 for Java Developers (Paperback)

There are definitely an abundance of books on Eclipse to choose from. One of the latest additions to the field, Professional Eclipse 3 for Java Developers by Berthold Daum (Wrox) is a nice new choice...

Chapter List: Introduction to Eclipse; Effective Programming with Eclipse; The Art of (Visual) Composition; Organizing Your Code; Project One: Duke Speaks; Project Development; Advanced Topics of Project Development; The SWT Library; JFace; Project Two: Jukebox; Developing Plug-ins for the Eclipse Platform; Developing Your Own Eclipse-Based Products; Project Three: A Spell Checker as an Eclipse Plug-in; The Rich Client Platform; Project Four: The Hex Game as a Rich Client Application; Conclusions and Outlook; Useful Plug-ins for Eclipse; Migrating Projects to a New Eclipse Version; Important Downloads; Bibliography; Index

There are a number of things I liked about this book. For one, it deals with the latest Eclipse release (version 3). Although it's not a major problem to mentally translate text between 2.1 and 3.0, it's still easier to learn if both the book and the student are on the same page. Next, Daum concentrates a lot on practicality. The four projects included in the book cover four of the major types of development you'd face as a Java developer. By using the projects during your learning, you should have a good grasp of Eclipse when you're finished. Finally, I appreciate the coverage of the Rich Client Platform. My personal opinion is that this feature of Eclipse is going to be a very big deal, and this book is one of the few that covers it in any detail.

So, if anyone were to ask me for a recommendation on a book for Eclipse, this book would be among the top of the list. It's good stuff.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too little eclipse - too much Java, December 1, 2005

By 

M. le Rutte (Swalmen Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Professional Eclipse 3 for Java Developers (Paperback)

I had hoped to find in this book the things I had not found out between the weeks I was started using Eclipse and the arrival of the book. I thought that it would detail in to the nitty gritty details that cost you hours to find out.

Even though it covers Eclipse it seems more a Java programmer manual. The examples used in the book are a speech synthesis program and some Eclipse plugins. The problem is that way to many pages cover the code of the examples and the way to program them.

If I had wanted to find out about those thing I would have bought a book about that. I wanted a book that told me about Eclipse, not about how to write a program.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars almost a manual, April 18, 2005

By 

S. Blumberg (Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Professional Eclipse 3 for Java Developers (Paperback)

This book does cover the material for RCP and version 3 so its more up to date than the earlier Eclipse in Action book by Gallardo et al, or the S. Holzner Eclipse book.
Something I've noticed when many programmers give public talks, like at EclipseCon, is that they skip-over the perspective and context and jump right into coding details.

This book too suffers from the LaundryList problem. Some chapters of Daum's book are more like a big list with only a sentence or two to frame them.
I appreciate that Daum is being comprehensive and so
the book comes of a bit like the manual you didn't get when you
'bought' eclipse. The book is worth having around for reference because its systematic and pretty complete. If you're looking to produce a proof-of-concept application in eclipse this book contains good examples of a stand-alone, plugin, and an rcp apps. This book is helpful in framing what you can learn from experimenting with eclipse.
Its a good reference book, but if you're lost in the wilderness trying to figure how to structure a larger application this book won't provide the persepective you need.