2 comments about Java and the AS/400, Second Edition: Practical Examples for the iSeries & AS/400.

1. The puzzling thing is how much demand is there for programming Java on IBM's AS/400 series? Darnell writes well, and there is nothing wrong with the code examples he offers in this book.
   
   But one way of gauging the demand is simply to look at the relatively low sales of this book, as told by Amazon. And also at the lack of any other review in the 4 years since the book was published. It strongly suggests that if you do not need to code Java on an AS/400, then you should not start, by using this book. Go onto a more productive topic. One in which there will be more demand for your skills.



2. I am new to the AS/400 but have been programming in Java for 8+ years now. This is a very good book for those familiar with the AS/400 and needing to use Java on that platform. It got me up and running Java on the AS/400.
   
   However, there is no discussion of server side java with either Websphere or Tomcat and the version of Java dates back to SKD 1.4.
   
   I know that there are many more java tools out there, but the book is a little dated.

5 comments about Java 2 Fast & Easy Web Development w/CD (Fast & Easy Web Development).

1. I was having difficulties in my Java course and needed help getting through the front door. This book gave lots of examples of code and even explained the details of it. Most importantly, it was easy to read and didn't loose me with lots of technical jargon. I highly recommend this book as a good stepping-stone to building a good understanding of Java.



2. I am an experienced Java programmer who recently started teaching Java to previously non-technical students. I searched weeks to find a book that would make it easy enough to understand java, without trivializing the subject. This book was perfect. The easy instructions really helped my students "get it."

   I would highly recommend for anyone who isn't familiar with the language to start here.




3. Having thumbed through a few books in a local bookstore I found that many were either treating the user as a complete idiot or someone with a programming background already. What I enjoyed about this book is that the author really seems to be speaking to the student - rather than a matter of fact "this is how it is" - he leads you through the course explaining everything in detail - and explain WHY he's explaining it in detail without being patronizing.
   I "got it" very quickely :)

   (I only give 4 stars because I do not think this is a good book for absolute programming beginners - but then I don't think Java is a good language for absolute beginners either)




4. This is a great book for someone who has a just a smidgen of programming experience and wants to learn java. The examples are easy to follow and well explained.

   Although the author does make some attempts to explain some of the more nebulous aspects of the java language, they don't get so bogged down in it as to make it impenetrable. If it goes in one ear and out the other, you can still follow along.

   Another plus--so far, all the sample code seems to work (i'm about 2/3s through).




5. Hmmm, where to start.
   This book should proably be titled "Java 2 for beginners who have not had Object-Oriented Programing" This book was the "last" of many I used for my Intro to Java 2 course. This book gives clear examples of Java and the OOP relationship. After I used this book, everything just "clicked". The only thing missing is "Swing". I wrote the author and he said the editor wanted to keep the number of pages down, so Swing was taken out. I would like to see a 2nd edition to include Swing.
   The Author did a great job! This book is not for experienced programers unless they need to understand OOP.
   This book was a lifesaver for my Java 2 course.

5 comments about Developing Java Servlets (2nd Edition) (Sams White Book).

1. I was pleased to learn so quickly about server-side Java. This book is called servlets but also handles interesting topics like JSP, RMI and Corba. Those topics are very brief, though. Otherwise this book would have been ten times the size.

   It does have mistakes that only attentive readers might catch. It was a bit annoying that all these re-usable components were explained, Chpater 4 about the HTML Objects could be completely skipped without harm. A CD-rom containing this code could be handy. Perhaps they can do so when re-printing.

   I quickly learned to make servlets so it's a good book for it. It does require you to have some expertise in Java, but if you want to write servlets then you should already have that.




2. I was pleased to learn so quickly about server-side Java. This book is called servlets but also handles interesting topics like JSP, RMI and Corba. Those topics are very brief, though. Otherwise this book would have been ten times the size.

   It does have mistakes that only attentive readers might catch. It was a bit annoying that all these re-usable components were explained, Chpater 4 about the HTML Objects could be completely skipped without harm. A CD-rom containing this code could be handy. Perhaps they can do so when re-printing.

   I quickly learned to make servlets so it's a good book for it. It does require you to have some expertise in Java, but if you want to write servlets then you should already have that.




3. This book is well put together, and is a good reference for Servlets and JSPs. The first edition was a bit outdated and irrelevant, so this book is much appreciated. The source code is still not up on the publisher'ssite... .



4. Hi,
   This is great book if you want to learn Java Servlet API. If you have little bit experience in Java then this is the best book to start with Servlets.

   Thanks,




5. I have 5 books about Servlets and/or JSP's including the disapointed JavaServerPages and Java Servlet Programming both from o'reilly.

   This is the best of all, all you need to know is Java, that's all. If you need to develop a Servlet project this book puts you on the road in the first 130 pages. Then if you want to have a better understanding you can read the rest of the book. The book has 24 chapters and 7 apendix and each chapter covers a topic in a very easy and comprehensive way with out confusing references like the o'reilly books that make you feel stupid.

   More over this book has three complete JSP examples so well written that you can use part of the code for your own projects.

5 comments about Mr. Bunny's Big Cup O'Java (Mr. Bunny Series).

1. A complete waste. No learning or humor. There's barely enough material for a magazine article let alone a book. Now, after trashing the book, I'll see if I can find a sucker who doesn't read reviews to re-sell this book to.



2. I don't get the negative reviews. Well, whatever. This is pure, hilarious, brilliant, hurts-when-you-laugh from a guy who knows his Java. Don't expect to learn anything about Java. It's just a stream of great injokes. Includes enormous curly braces, examples of white space, meeting "the primitives", explaining interfaces with a guy who's the mayor and a sheriff and a painter and a whole bunch of other things. And the illustrations are hilarious for anyone who's suffered through too many life cycle illustrations, those silly marketing layer diagrams, and "simple" illustrations of how Java works.

   Anyone who knows the difference between an interface and a class will love this.




3. Beyond words. This is one of the greatest texts ever written.



4. While I don't have anything against using a *little* humor to get a point across, the entire point of this book is apparently to be humorous while trying to be an introduction to the Java language. It fails in both respects. It is so heavily laced with attempts at over-the-top humor that it becomes unreadable. The reader is left sifting the text for actual information about Java, and often coming up empty-handed. I finally concluded that this book is actually intended for *experienced* Java programmers who have the background to appreciate the humor, but who obviously would have had to have learned their Java elsewhere.



5. This is not-- let me repeat, NOT-- a book to get to learn Java. There is absolutely nothing in this book that will teach you Java if don't already know it. From reading some of the other reviews, there are obviously people out there who thought it would be a good idea to try to learn a programming language from a book titled "Mr. Bunny's Big Cup o' Java". Learn from their mistakes!
   
   What this is is a very amusing read if you're a programmer and a geek and have a strange sense of humor. It's a good book to leave in the bathroom if you often have other programmer geeks over. Especially if you don't mind some raised eyebrows from everybody else when the person in the bathroom stays in there for half an hour, giggling the entire time.

4 comments about Mastering Resin.

1. it seems the 'authors' copied materials from caucho's site without testing anything at all. and they can't even copy things right(large chunks of thing are missing almost on every page) their worse offense occured on load balancing (charpter 19) where EVERYTHING IS WRONG! Have the 'authors' even used resin? Has anyone really reviewed or edited the book? How can so much garbage got published? Jesus Christ will be so displeased to see such a piece of crap was dedicated to him! Richard and Joseph, you two are truly shameless!



2. This is by far the worst technical book I have ever read! full of ridiculous errors! I don't think a single person proof read the book. Don't get ripped off! STAY AWAY! I would donate it to my library but I wouldn't want the library to put trash on the shelf. My advise is to just read the online docs from caucho.com and if your questions aren't answered there then you should reconsider using resin at all.



3. A coworker loaned me this book, which I attempted to use to setup some of the more advanced features of Resin. I read the one relevant chapter, which was lightweight and riddled with errors in both the code/config listings and the narrative. This book is worthless. I found what I needed on Caucho's web site.



4. The book is not accurate and what it does cover just skims the surface. If you want accurate info, go to Resins web site. Total waste of money.

5 comments about Microsoft .NET and J2EE Interoperability Toolkit (Pro-Developer).

1. Today's Enterprises are heterogenous environments that make writing reliable efficient applications a nightmare at the best of times. This book gives the modern developer the tools and strategies necessary to successfully build and deploy heterogenous applications in today's Enterprises.

   It is nice to see that readers are offered many different strategies for interop including both webservices and binary.

   In addition, the companion CD actually contains TONS of usefull stuff including all the code, and usefull 3rd party applications.

   Truly a must have.




2. It's an essential resource for any architect or developer who is involved in integrating the two platforms, J2EE and .Net, with enough breadth and depth in both being a technical reference as well as offering practical examples and solutions. The samples are working applications that can quickly jumpstart design and development, providing enough understanding and is presented in a clear concise manner.

   It has helped us resolve some rather complex interoperable challenges that we've had with some of our customer applications, and saved us an immense amount of time and resource in research.

   If you are looking for a quick start to resolving a complex problem, this would be a great place to begin.

   Kudos!




3. This book is a godsend for anyone who wants to learn how to successfully integrate .NET and J2EE software systems. Simon's writing style is clear and engaging, the book is well structured, and there are copious examples which provide concrete examples of each aspect of .NET/J2EE integration. One of the book's distinguishing features is that it covers a wide range of scenarios, such as XML data interchange, web services interoperability, messaging with MSMQ and the integrating with the presentation tier. The book ships with several useful third party Java products on a CD that allow the reader to immediately try out the code samples. Highly recommended!



4. Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt is what J2 enthusiasts cling to when discussing .NET technologies. Simon cuts through these biases with concise, helpful guidance of how to interoperate. IBM and Microsoft both have committed to interoperability and Mr. Guest's book shows how that has real-world applicability. This book shows how an IT organization does not have to commit to J2 or .NET, but BOTH can interoperate and solve the problem. This book is no-nonsense and gives both audiences of developers equal perspective and guidance. Both platforms have their own value. This book attempts to bring synergy and achieves success in doing so. Bravo!



5. This book was very helpful to solve my interoperability problems w/o building crazy wrapper code. I had two huge issues, I was struggling to build an XML web services bridge channel between my j2ee application and microsoft C# application. I had several issues with encodings and XML content issues. I had integration problems with couple of j2ee applications with VB app. This book helped me to solve them.
   This book is perfect balance for understanding all microsoft <-> j2ee integration specific concepts and code guidance. Simon guest done terrific job explaining the concepts with good level of details to support both from j2ee and .net perspectives. The author has so much grip and clarity on the subject, makes it so simple for understanding and illustrations and very clear to read. A must have for java and .net developers.

5 comments about Instant Messaging in Java: The Jabber Protocols.

1. I should not have started this book in the afternoon. I could not put it down. This is a very unusual book that teaches things that are Jabber unrelated. We participate in the construction of a Jabber server and Jabber client as we go through the book. The construction is not your usual namby-pamby baloney either. The construction, while not commercial grade, leaves us with an application which could easily be refactored into whatever you want to do with Jabber. Another good book by Manning. Manning is having quite a Fall in 2002.



2. A great book, very well written, and very intresting.
   Realy helped me to enter the new of world of Jabber, and to understand its internals.
   A must have.



3. Instant Messaging in Java is an excellant and informative book for all levels of programmers. If you are new to IM and would like a book that will catapult you into to this technology, this is the book for you. The program examples are easy to follow for if you have java experience. Also if you are an experiened programmer planning to implement production code the insights gained from this book are invaluable. Mr. Shigeoka has done an excellent job of stressing the Jabber protocols yet using java's multi-platform capabilities. Highly recommended!



4. Highly recommended for any developer with some Java experience who is interested in IM technology. Iain Shigeoka takes you through the background of the technology, and then takes you through an easy to follow guide to produce a fully working Jabber server and test client. The book also includes a very usefull reference section and stresses important issues relating to the technology. I have personally found this book invaluable whilst producing a Jabber framework as part of my dissertation, and has given me direction to further my knowledge in this area, buy the book!:)



5. I have read some of this book and I don't like it that much. I personally feel the author spends too much time with things that are pretty easy to compress.
   Looking backwards I think the Jabber documentation is enough to write an IM client. I wrote one for alarming purposes. This is the first edition and the book has plenty of errors in the text. ( The code samples seem to be O.K.). Obviously the author was so busy pushing out his book that he didn't let anyone proofread it.

   I would recommend to buy another book ( there are plenty ) or rely on the Jabber documentation and the plenty of samples the web has to offer.

5 comments about Java for Computer Information Systems.

1. If you go and compare Mr. Staugaard's previous edition of this book to the 1999 version just read his Structured and Object-Oriented Techniques. You will see they are basically the same book. Thanks for your time.



2. I'm a teacher for introductory programming course and this book is selected as basic course book. The only star is for some ideas about programming algorithms. Otherwise the book is simply not for people starting programming. Without ANY explanation about any development environment after chapter 1 one can find a sample program and modest "edit, compile and run". Geez! How to edit? Who's the guy compile? Where to run? I should write my own instruction for all of this. Later in ch.3 author uses custom package keyboardInput without any explanation how to use it. Then he spends half of chapter 4 (before most of the basic stuff !) to talk about it. From the different places of the book you may find details that author isn't a big expert in Java, i.e. talking about data types he persistently calls them 'classes'(i.e. "assume short class" - real quotation!). Guy might not know that class Short exists, but short is not class at all. As usual book also contains a set of errors and/or misprints and the price is above average, so I'm tired to agree with students that this is not the best book :) for their course.



3. As a student who is currently using this text book I am glad I don't go to school in Canada. They must have differing ideas about what is appropriate relative to the topic at hand. My understanding of the purpose of this book is not to teach JAVA, rather, it is to teach basic Structuring Techniques INDEPENDENT of the language choosen to write in. In this capacity, the book is excellent! Languages change but classic Structuring Technique does not. This book does an excellent job of teaching control structure techniques as well as algorithm defination. Many large Universities teach control structures and allow the student to program their work in whatever language they wish. The Author chooses to introduce his readers to the hotest language on the market at this time which is JAVA. Languages change, structuring technique does not. It's that simple. I highly recommend this book to anyone desiring to learn the proper method to develop a program.



4. After reading the beginning of previous review I am also glad (s)he 'don't go to school in Canada'.But I should admit that the book is possibly the best in explanation of programming fundamentals. I couldn't find any comparable book with such big attention to programming basics. I agree with previous reviewer that knowledge of fundamentals is much more important and gives you an ability to learn any programming language faster and really understand what you should do in your programs. But if Java is selected for this course the Java content should be cleaned from a lot of errors and some stuff should be explained better. So I give the book 3 stars to further establish this mark.



5. I have used this text in an introductory programming course. I have two personal biases that make this text attractive. (1)I want a text that does not concentration on the development environment. (2)I teach in a business college; therefore, I want business examples. This text satisfies both my desires. It is not filled with menu selections and button clicks that overwhelm algorithm design. Most of its examples relate to business. As a result, my students find the book something that relates to their career choice.

   When using the text in the introductory programming course, I found the emphasis on structured design a benefit. By playing down the object-oriented aspects of Java until after the basic control structures were presented, the text gave the students an opportunity to learn to create an algorithm before they had to tackle an entire system. It is one of the few texts that did not need a supplemental algorithm design text.

No comments about An Invitation to Computer Science: Laboratory Manual, Java Edition.

5 comments about e-Commerce Applications Using Oracle8i and Java From Scratch.

1. I have a basically Java background but no Oracle experience. This book helped me in understanding the ways in which I can make use of Oracle technology and my Java knowledge while working on e-Commerce projects. The scalability and performance topics in the book helped me a lot in my current project.



2. I have read several books about eCommerce development. This is the only book that gave me enough information to understand the various aspects of developing eCommerce applications. The book uses the idea of an application that is developed throughout the book and various issues are dealt with in a logical fashion. Very practical and full of valuable tips. I was able to run all the code (some code had errors but I was easily able to fix them). I am disappointed that some reviews are focussing on a few typos in the book instead of looking at the bigger picture.



3. Don't even bother about this book. The only thing good about this book is its title. It is a waste of time and money. There are so many good books out there.



4. This book is a real value for those who want to get started on Oracle with Java. Less pages and enough to digest information. Of course, if you are loking to master Java technologies or Oracle or eCommerce, this not the deal for you. (...)



5. This book lacks the detail required to get someone new up and running. The first 2 chapters are the best, but still need a little polishing. The rest of the book is lacking quite a bit of neccessary information so a user can read it and use the concepts.