Professional Java Programming [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

By focusing on individual advanced topics, you can use this book to solve real-world problems while generally improving your understanding of Java. A valuable early section examines what methods you should implement for your Java classes. (By implementing these method, your classes can be as robust and flexible as those that are built into Java.) A section on multithreading shows you the right way to create threads that run reliably in the background.

If you use a Java IDE for designing user interfaces, you probably won't find much use for sections on event handling and layouts, which are covered here in considerable depth. (The reason is that today's Java tools automate this aspect of UI design.) However, two chapters on advanced Swing controls--the JTable and JTree components--are simply indispensable. (You learn how to perform custom rendering, as well as edit the contents of these controls. The controls are powerful, but in general it's hard to find any information on customizing them.)

If you want your Java application to mimic the functionality of traditional applications, you'll benefit from the chapters on adding cut and paste and drag-and-drop functionality, as well as printing. A group of chapters will extend the range of Java when working with data, whether through JDBC, standard streams, XML or sockets, CORBA, or Remote Method Invocation (RMI). (The author uses a chat server to illustrate basic distributed computing.) The book closes with some valuable tips on Java security, help systems, performance tuning, and internationalization.

All in all, Professional Java offers a mixed bag of tips and tricks for extending the range of your Java applications, whether on a single desktop or across the enterprise. Even if you don't read it cover to cover, this text offers plenty of invaluable tips and solutions that will benefit any working Java developer. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Java Virtual Machine (JVM) details
• Best practices for designing Java classes (recommended methods)
• Using Java threads effectively (including synchronization techniques and thread APIs)
• Java event handling (comprehensive guide to Java events)
• Layout managers (including custom layout managers)
• Advanced techniques for using Swing JTable and JTree (including customer rendering and editing)
• Advanced JFC desktop functionality (adding cut and paste and drag-and-drop support)
• Printing with Java 2
• Creating custom user interface components
• JDBC 2.0 database programming (including new 2.0 features, transactions, and connection pooling)
• Persisting data to I/O streams, files, and databases (including basic object relational mappings)
• XML basics in Java
• Guide to using JavaSoft's Java API for XML Parsing (JAXP)
• Transforming XML documents
• Basics of socket programming, CORBA, and Remote Method Invocation (RMI)
• The Java security model (understanding permissions and digital signatures)
• Profiling for improved Java performance, the HotSpot compiler, garbage collection, and creating Javadoc help and context-sensitive help with JavaHelp
• Internationalizaton support in Java
• Native code and the Java Native Interface (JNI)
• Reference for coding standards

Every Java developer, whatever their speciality, wants to expand their Java knowledge and expertise. Over the course of this book, you'll discover the particulars of working with the Java language and APIs to develop applications in many different contexts - as well as delving into more advanced topics such as XML data exchange, or the Swing graphical user interface. By the end of the book you'll be fully prepared to take advantage of the ease of development Java offers, and able to create powerful and sophisticated Java applications.

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