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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The definitive guide to any and all Java Server technologies, October 22, 2000
This review is from: Professional Java Server Programming J2EE Edition (Hardcover)
When it comes to the authoritative reference for server-side Java development, you can't go past Professional Java Server Programming, J2EE Edition. This hefty tome is a revised version on Professional Java Server Programming, updated for the Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition. This thick tome weighs in at over a massive 1600 pages, far more material than would normally be expected for a book of its price. So what do you get for your money? Well, this is more than just a book on a single Java technology, like servlets or RMI, or JavaServer Pages (JSP). With contributions from twenty one (21) authors, you've got the most comprehensive guide to Java server technologies, as well as related topics like XML, CORBA, RMI, Jini and JDBC. Then there's the extra material, on Enterprise JavaBeans, JavaMail and other core J2EE technologies. This book covers the entire gamut of server-side programming, linking one technology to the next. If you're in a hurry, you won't want to read the book cover to cover. Instead, you can jump right in to the technologies you're interested, picking and choosing as you please. This approach works well, and is an important decision for commercial developers working to a schedule. It's a big book, but it's easy to select the sections you need, as you need them. Like many books of its type, there's plenty of examples, but the authors strike a good balance between theory and practical applications. Unlike most books on server-side programming, there's also case studies for different technologies. I particularly liked this feature - it's something that is generally lacking from most books. Whether you're a fan of case studies or not is really a personal preference, but I found it a refreshing change and one that I believe many developers and managers will likewise welcome. The writing style is very good, though you'll notice a difference from chapter to chapter as many authors contributed to the book. As far as length goes, 1600+ makes for a long title, but chapters need not be read sequentially to understand the various technologies involved, and it's fairly good value for such coverage. Some readers might prefer an introductory book on servlets (a good idea if you're only interested in small scale web development), but when it comes to coverage of all aspects of advanced server-side programming, Professional Java Server Programming J2EE Edition beats other titles hands down. If you've read the previous edition, but want the updated J2EE coverage, it might still be worth your while purchasing the new title for the updated material. -- David Reilly, for the Java Coffee Break
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thorough but not for beginners; Must have as a reference, April 4, 2001
This review is from: Professional Java Server Programming J2EE Edition (Hardcover)
Each topic is covered very well. But if you do not know the topic already then it is a little too much detail. In my opinion this can be used as a good reference to all the individual topics covered. For example, I worked with RMI before and found the chapter on RMI broadened my concept significantly. Similar size chapter in other books was good for beginners but the concept was not conveyed as well as in this book. So here is my evaluation: 1. Read a tutorial or two from Javasoft on a given topic (including EJB). Then go through this book on that topic and you will find it much easier to follow. 2. Once you know the absolute basics you will know which sections to skip or read in detail. You will notice that they try to cover every little detail even though in some cases it may require a little more explanation. 3. Understand the fact that each topic can be a book of its own size. 4. I have seen some grammatical errors but given the difficult subject matters and the recentness of them I can definitely ignore them. 5. The book would have been better if a quick introduction was given with a simple but good example then if it went into the detail. 6. They probably should have given a bit more examples as they dove into the details but as it is the book is too thick to the point that it is bit difficult to handle. I wish they made it a multi-volume book and not a hard cover.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great if you don't know a lot - OK otherwise, November 24, 2000
This review is from: Professional Java Server Programming J2EE Edition (Hardcover)
This book is hughe. It covers the basic and many intermediate issues of pretty much every technology you're bound to encounter during J2EE application development. It's a great book to get you started and going, and even as a reference. Great value! However, don't expect too much handholding. There're many silly mistakes, especially in all the examples. I'd say there's been zero editing of those, so unless you have a good grasp of the basics it may take you too much time to get over one of the many oversights (e.g. the downloaded examples are very rough, sometimes they don't match the text). Once you're done with it, plan to complement many subjects with other books on an as-needed basis for more advanced treatment. I especially liked the casual, nonacademic, pragmatic tone in which things are explained. It's very clear, and filled with many interesting discussions. Finally, people who have trouble with very small fonts should try before they buy.
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