Java and the AS/400: Practical Examples Using VisualAge for Java [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Daniel Darnell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This is a practical introduction to software development in Java on the AS/400. The first section takes the reader through a simple Java example in order to demonstrate an overview of the AS/400's Java functionality. The second section gives implementation specifics. The final section guides the reader through several complex application examples, which reveal how developers can exploit Java's full potential on the AS/400.

From the Publisher
You can't go anywhere without hearing about it. It seems as if Java everyone is talking about Java these days. But as an AS/400 programmer, what do you really need to know? In Java and the AS/400: Practical Examples Using VisualAge for Java, author Dan Darnell ignores the hype and gets down to practical examples to help you understand how Java works in the AS/400 environment. Not just another Java tutorial, this detail-rich guide takes you thorough everything you need to know about the AS/400's implementation of Java, including the QShell Interpreter and the IFS, and development products like VisualAge for Java, the AS/400 Developer Kit for Java, and the AS/400 Toolbox for Java. Daniel Darnell guides you through several small application examples to demonstrate the advantages of Java programming for the AS/400. The bonus CD-ROM contains a full version of VisualAge for Java Professional Edition, along with the AS/400 Toolbox for Java and all the source code from th! e programming examples.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: 29th Street Press; Bk&CD-Rom edition (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583040331
• ISBN-13: 978-1583040331
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,045,346 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Does NOT teach Java, and goes through VisualAge too rapidly., January 17, 2000

By A Customer

This book is definitely NOT for the RPG programmer wishing to learn about Java. I have marked this book down heavily for its misleading title: implying that it explains Java as well as Visual Age for Java (VAJ). The book assumes not just a basic, but a *thorough* knowledge of the Java language, on which it builds its VAJ examples.

The VAJ examples leave something to be desired, since they are presented as completed, with the text and diagrams then referring to specific parts of an example and showing the Java code generated (meaningless to me).

The book works through a series of advanced topics extremely rapidly. I realised how rapidly, when reading topics with which I am familiar (e.g. IFS). For a reader with existing knowledge, I think the book would work well - but for a "new to Java" reader, it's too brief.

What the book does not do, is take someone completely new to the VAJ environment, step by step through building the examples.

In conclusion, the book is a very good reference for the moderately experienced Java and VAJ developer, who wants to check on how to do something in the AS/400 environment. But it is of little use to someone such as myself, an experience RPGIV developer with no Java or VAJ experience.

I am now left with the dilema of using Amazon's no quibble returns guarantee; or buying yet another book on AS/400 Java, and some basic VAJ training, before trying this book again.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the few really Practical books around, September 8, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Little Rock, Arkansas) - See all my reviews

It is unusual to find a book that has exactly the right content presented in exactly the right way at exactly the right time. This was the case for me and Dan's book.

Having had some experience with Java and just beginning to involve the As/400, I was going from the relatively easy, intuitive environment of Inprise's JBuilder to the totally non-intuitive Unix shell environment of Java on the AS/400. It seemed that every time I would run into a problem(which was often), Dan had already encountered it and explained it in his book.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone with Java experience who is contemplating working with Java on the AS/400. It will save you many heartaches and lots of time.

By the way, the fact that the book uses VisualAge for Java and I use JBuilder was of no consequence.

Thanks Dan for providing the right help at the right time

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Information for the AS/400 Java Developer, February 1, 2000

By	"tim_morrison" (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews

I was quite pleased with this book. It was full of practical information for getting Java 'up and running' on the AS/400. In particular, I was thankful for the discussion and examples of how to compile/execute using the AS/400 command line.

It is not a beginner Java book, nor is it intended for those with more traditional AS/400 skills (e.g. RPG, COBOL, etc.) But if you are familiar with Java and need to get it going on your 400, this is a great book to have.