5 comments about HTML, Java, CGI, VRML, SGML Web Publishing Unleashed.

1. Stanek did something 'heroic'. He wrote an overview in which every topic is written down in a clear and understandable way. The book is not just a summary, but it shows how several 'languages' could be used in web publishing, how to choose for a language, it's pros and cons, and how they can cooperate. It was about time that such a book was written, because many people could be overloaded with information without knowing what to do with it. By buying and reading this book you won't get 'overloaded'. Stanek takes you to a point from where he shows you what the possibilities are, what the differences are and how to make decisions in good design. For newbies and experienced people who are working in the field of webdesign, marketing and programming business a must! (Mr. Stanek, I owe you one..)



2. Although this book has great content, the information is too outdated. According to this book Java and frames, are not supported by IE. This book is still teaching HTML 2 and HTML 3 (not 3.2). Don't expect to learn that much about Java and CGI from this book either because it explains what they are more that it teaches how to create applets and scripts using them.



3. This book was great when I first started reading it....2 years ago. The author was well organized and very informative in his descriptions. If you want basic knowledge, and then to expand on present material, this is the book for you.



4. I bought this book after taking on the task of learning *gasp* all of the facets of web programming and design, hoping this would be current information. A lot of it is. If you're still developing and writing HTML in the 3.0 version. I was surprisingly let down by this part of the Unleashed series, which is usually known for high quality info. Not that it isn't a good book, it's just out of date. ** Wondering how to get money back now **.. My advice.. keep looking. This one is just not current enough to be useful for so much of what's new now. Sorry Mr. Stanek, et al.



5. I just purchased this book, I am also a web designer, although it is already outdated the theories presented by the author makes this book relevant to newer versions of HTML etc.This book is still a must for designers and a would be CLASSIC!

No comments about Lab Manual for Java Software Solutions: Foundations of Program Design.

4 comments about Pro Eclipse JST: Plug-ins for J2EE Development.

1. It seems that everyone is looking at Eclipse for their next development project.
   
   Having developed J2EE applications using JDeveloper, JBuilder and WSAD - I was looking to learn yet another IDE. Yet Eclipse poses some unique challenges. Its open source and worse still, for J2EE, one needs to use a collection of open source products.
   
   Pro Eclipse JST was just what I needed. It's a concise, information packed read written for the experienced developer. The text stepped me through the setup in an intuitive manner with plenty of screen shots and helpful graphics.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. Hello Chris and Hakeem,
   Please update your driver for the upcoming release of the WTP, it is outdated and is not usable with the WTP 1.0 Release Candidate (any version) . Also please provide support for at least JBoss 4.0.2 since it is the Application Server that you have chosen to use in your book. Other than that, keep up the good work.



3. The authors address both J2EE 1.4 and the Eclipse toolkits and plugins, focusing on the capabilities the IDE provides J2EE developers. Chapters introduce the Web Tools Platform, Java Standard Tools, Web Standard Tools, etc and cover the spectrum of tasks for components such as servlets and EJBs and everything in between. A very useful book, excellent for novice and intermediate developer.



4. Before I knew about JST, I painstakingly developed J2EE applications and components as traditional Java projects in Eclipse. The JST provides quick development solutions to get your EJBs, Servlets, Web Services, etc developed quickly and deployed to the application server of your choice. I thought the book did a great job of walking through the wizards for creating the different types of J2EE projects.
   
   If you are looking for a book to provide in depth discussions on what EJBs, Servlets, Web Services, Entity Beans, JSPs, etc. are, then this is not for you. But if you already have a J2EE background and would like use the Eclipse IDE to develop your components, then I would recommend this book. My only complaint about the book is that it did not provide any discussion on how to version control your components. For example, if you create a WAR File for a web application that you want to package inside an EAR file, do you version control both the WAR and the EAR as separate projects? It seems that projects under version control would get messy if you have to version control every EJB and Web Application as a separate project.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself Java 2 Platform in 21 Days: Complete Compiler Edition (Sams Teach Yourself...in 21 Days).

1. Even though I did not care for the Sams series in regards to ASP, I thought that the two Java 2 books I have read (Teach Yourself Java 2 in 24 hrs & 21 days respectively) did a great job. All the code thus far works (I am about 2 weeks into the book). This book answers questions that the 24 hr. book does not get a chance to answer. This is pretty indepth, and the format is pretty easy to follow. If you like programming, and you want to learn Java this book is exactly what you need to get a thorough understanding of the Java language and its packages.



2. Teach Yourself Java2 in 21 Days is yet another great product from Sams Publishing. This book assumes familiarity with basic programming concepts. If you are an experienced programmer coming to Java from another language (My background is the VB - COM object world), this text will be right up your alley.

   I was tempted into skipping to the chapters I found most interesting (JDBC and OOD), but don't be. Lemay and Cadenhead have ordered the introduction of concepts perfectly. Even if you know you'll never use it, drag yourself through AWT. You'll be building skills which will pay off handsomely in the later chapters. There are no formal exercises, so to get the most out of this book, type up and compile every example as well as reading through the text. Lemay and Cadenhead's irreverent jokes and references will help you along with a chuckle or two.

   Overall, both the cost of the book and the time efficient manner in which you can teach yourself foundation Java2 skills are a great value.




3. I believe most people will learn a lot from this book. It is informative, provides good examples, and it actually teaches you the basics of Java programming with both Java Applications and Java Applets. The book puts an emphasize on Graphics programming, including the AWT classes, and Swing (new in Java 2). The book is extensive and will test your patience, specially if you are new to programming, but it will most definitely pay off in the end.

   I read the book cover to cover, and since this is the professional edition it also has an extra bonus week which covers important concepts like Signing applets, data structures, JavaBeans and how to connect to databases throught JDBC.

   This book boldly claims to help you teach yourself Java 2 in 21 days. If you put some effort into it, that's about as long as it'll take.. Some "days" will take you an hour or two, while others will take you 4-5 hours to grasp and go through the examples.

   All in all, a very good buy, and a good reference to have after you finish it.




4. I've read most of the chapters of this book, and the examples, esp. the jabberwocky, made me understand the concepts of OOP. The authors explains the details in some funny way, and although sometime I had to re-read some parts of the previous chapters, I am grateful for the authors' style of writing, so I am now more interested than ever to finish the book and read some other references. I bought another great book, "Java 2: How to Program" by Deitel a few months back , but after comparing the two books, I decided to read SAMS first because of OOP. Next stop is Deitel's book , then maybe surf the net for other references. Great buy !



5. I believe most people will learn a lot from this book. It is informative, provides good examples, and it actually teaches you the basics of Java programming with both Java Applications and Java Applets. The book puts an emphasize on Graphics programming, including the AWT classes, and Swing (new in Java 2). The book is extensive and will test your patience, specially if you are new to programming, but it will most definitely pay off in the end.

   I read the book cover to cover, and since this is the professional edition it also has an extra bonus week which covers important concepts like Signing applets, data structures, JavaBeans and how to connect to databases throught JDBC.

   This book boldly claims to help you teach yourself Java 2 in 21 days. If you put some effort into it, that's about as long as it'll take.. Some "days" will take you an hour or two, while others will take you 4-5 hours to grasp and go through the examples.

   Pros:
   * Quite extensive material
   * Fairly well written
   * Has that extra 7 days worth of more advanced stuff as opposed to the regular edition.
   * Good reference to have after you're done reading it

   Cons:
   * A bit too much emphasize on AWT/Swing - Could've concentrated a bit more on the meat 'n potatoes of Java.

   All in all, a very good buy, and a good reference to have after you finish it.

5 comments about Programming Microsoft Visual J++ 6.0 (Microsoft Programming Series).

1. Clearly structured, good examples, covering rich to thin client development. Well, a little minus: MTS is not covered - but the best VJ++ book currently available.



2. I particularly like this author's writing style. The book is filled with interesting typical programming tasks and Visual J++ solutions. I especially like the chapter on Accessing Databases. Author Davis is very knowledgeable on this subject matter and he shares a lot of very useful information.



3. I think this is a good book for starting Visual J++ programming. It covers pretty much all of the major programming aspects. The author did a good job. I also found it easy to follow and appreciated that most of the programs I have worked (except one, that I still don't know what it does) are executing fine. Since I am coding a Java wrapper for custom DLL access, I wish there were more J/Direct examples. But overall, I would highly recommend this book to people who would like to start on Visual J++



4. This book is better than online support. I was able to accomplish both idle event processing and custom dynamic link libraries from the examples presented in this book. It is by far the best Visual J++ book written.



5. As a prevous reviewer stated, this book does indeed cover all the basics on how to create Windows-based Java applications, including all the dialogs, frames, and controls you'd want to use. (Note: becasue this is a J++ book, it DOES focus on WFC and windows-specific applications, and only touches on the platform-independent AWT packages) My main problem is with the organization of the book. When topics such as hash tables and the Debug classes is covered, the surfaces are only scratched, and a lot of detailed information is left out. (The Debug class section is particularly poor and lacking in explanation). This is all true in other sections where some controls are covered and others are not. Some important topics are brought up in an off-hand way in seemingly unrelated sections, which, for me, breaks up the flow of the book and confuses things. (for example, bringing up the topic of the java.lang.reflection package and ennumerations in the middle of the ListBox explanations).

   Code samples are great, but this book depends on you actually READING the code, and follows the code with a breakdown of what happened in the code. Although this method of writing works, it makes it a bit tedious on the reader.

   Although a lot of these comments sound bad, however, it is a useful book. You just really need to focus when you are reading the material. Make sure you read a good "learn java in XX days" first if you haven't already learned the basics of Java - quite a bit of general knowledge is assumed.

1 comments about Developing Enterprise Apps With Visual J++.

1. If I could give the book a one star rating, I would. I really did not have problems with the content of the book and the way it was written as much as I had problems with the publisher. The book came with a defective CD ROM. Upon calling the publisher, I went round and round with them, all the while they insisted I have an "out of date CD ROM driver." I pointed out to them I had read a number of CD ROMS (seven to be exact) since I had tried to read theirs. Plus I have a new system running Windows 98.

   It wasn't worth hassle, so I gave up. If you buy, I hope you have better luck than I did.

5 comments about Server-Based Java Programming.

1. I'll be honest, I'm an O'Reilly fan. If there's a book on a subject with a furry little animal on the front, then that's the one for me. So I was a little leary when a friend of mine passed this book along to me. Well let me tell you, this book is fantastic.

   This is the first book I've found with such a thorough coverage of java server programming. Be forewarned, when they talk about Server-Based Java programming, they aren't talking about servlets and JSP for web projects. If you're looking for such a book, you're better off looking elsewhere. This book has excellent coverage of issues involved in programming middle-tier and backend server java for use in enterprise level systems. The sections on server threading issues and code deployment are worth the cost of the book alone. But then they throw in RMI, Corba, and JNI for helping you integrate your components with other applications.

   The book is noticeably light on EJB's, but this is by design. So you may wish to pick up a companion book if that's your aim. However, even if your focusing on EJB's, this is a highly useful book for the underlying server architecture that the EJB's will reside on.




2. This is the first book i've seen on server-side Java that does not focus exclusively on J2EE. While the J2EE API and application servers are a tremendous boon to quick development, a tremendous amount of simple, elegant solutions provided by the base JDK are overlooked as too low-level or complicated.

   As with all tools, EJB/Servlet/JSP should be applied where they fit into your problem, and not shoehorned into every application.




3. Would you believe that there is a Java Server book that has almost nothing to do with Servlets, JSPs, and Enterprise JavaBeans? If you are an advanced Java programmer and have felt a need to write your own application server then this may be the book for you. The author starts off with a well written discussion of class loaders and then goes on to show how to design your own application server using your own class loader. For most developers this may be interesting but of little real value. The thread chapters will provide little new information for anyone who has studied for the SCJP. The next few chapters discuss RMI, sockets, persistence, serialization and other issues that are required for the application server that the author is developing throughout the book. Servlets are briefly discussed but mostly on how they can be used to replace sockets and RMI within the application server framework. This is followed by a discussion of modeling business objects that seems somewhat out of place. The middleware section is very interesting and covers a wide array of topics from JMS to CORBA. The JNI section will probably not be used by many Java developers. Although the book is interesting I am left with the feeling that the author has missed the point. Why would a team of developers spend tens of thousands of dollars developing a service framework when inexpensive and robust application servers are readily available on the market?



4. I'm fairly new to java (less than 1 year) and I thought, given what the other reviewers had to say, that this book would have been a more impressive work, especially to a newbie like me. I worked through the whole book and was not very impressed.

   The writer constantly refers the reader to other authors' discussions of the topics, which is really distracting. Just boil it down and keep using the foot notes (which he does as well).

   A lot of the patterns were geared toward re-use. I guess that's fine if your designing a product for re-sale, but I was looking for more in the way of "did you know you could do this or that". I guess it is really my own fault. I did read the other reviews and bought it anyway thinking this book would contain some useful insight. Most of the stuff he mentioned I had already implemented as the design patterns were fairly logical and common sensical.

   It was decently written, I was just hoping for more in the way of a not so overly simplified approach to understanding how java can be easily used to create servers. I already understood that. If there is one thing this book has taught me - or more accurately - confirmed for me is that sometimes programmers over-complicate things to make them re-usable. I have definitely found it is much more efficient to create many components from scratch rather than trying to figure out what some other programmer was thinking in their implementation. In other words, re-use, I think, gets blown out of proportion in the business application development environment. In the time it takes to figure out what that developer's strategy was, I could have already created a perfectly functional, scalable component. Leave the over complication to the development teams creating commercial products like high end web servers, data access components, etc... I've got work to do.




5. One of the best books I have read. It goes through the process of creating and Enterprise Application Server. This is not a J2EE application developer book; it is a book that can help you to write your own application server.

No comments about Web Developer's Guide to Visual J++ & ActiveX: The Complete Guide to Combining the Power of ActiveX with the Ease of Java using Visual J++.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours (2nd Edition).

1. I like to know more detail than this book provided and by trying to keep it 'light', they weren't giving me enough information to really understand the core of what was being done. I found myself struggling through the chapters trying to keep up with the concepts and ultimately gave up.



2. I think a lot of us can agree that there just aren't a lot of great quality Javascript instruction books out there. Somebody make one! However, I will say that after reading this book I feel that I have a solid enough footing in the language to branch out into more complex examples. The key to learning any programming language is not simply to read these guidebooks, but to create some independent projects that reinforce what you have just learned. To get the most out of this book make sure you actually do each of the exercises at the end of each hour. The problem with this is, of course, that not all of the answers for the exercises are provided on the web site. (As a matter of fact the web site does not seem to have been updated in quite some time.) I do recommend posing questions in the website's forum, which is quite active.
   
   TIP: If you are new to programming, don't begin your education with this book; start with an HTML/CSS primer to get you going, preferably one which gives you a taste of Javascript. Then start looking at Javascript. Having had a year-long Java course in the past, and prior knowledge of basic HTML, I'll say that this book does presume a certain level of knowledge. If I were entirely unfamiliar with syntax and terms (which the author whizzes through very quickly and often with poor explanation), then I am certain I would have been very lost about halfway through the book. The section on arrays could do with some major modification, for example. And the CSS and AJAX snippets just weren't given enough contextual treatment. All in all, if you have some basic knowledge and are looking for a guide that will give you the fundamentals, this is a satisfactory enough book.



3. This is not a bad book. It's really a well written book, but it does require some prior knowledge from the user. It would help if a user has some basic knowledge of Java. Some rudimentary knowledge of Java will help to understand the JavaScript object model and methods like toString(), etc.
   
   Compare to what I consider to be the main competitor for this type of book, the O'Reilly JavaScript book, this book is superior for beginners. It explains the document object, math object, etc. simply and clearly. It gives nice examples that you can either type in as an automaton, or that you can elaborate and experiment on. Either way, the explanations are great -- assuming you have a rudimentary knowledge of Java.
   
   I own and have used extensively over 20 of the O'Reilly books, so it's obvious I like them. The O'Reilly JavaScript book is not bad, it's just not the best to learn from. My suggestion is to learn the basics from this book, and then go to the O'Reilly JavaScript: The Definitive guide book.
   
   Can you really learn JavaScript in 24 hours? If you follow the book word for word, page by page, and type in the examples exactly as stated, then you can finish in 24 hours. If you like to experiment and try different variations of the examples (what I do), then it can take longer. Either way the book is a nice introduction to JavaScript. At least, now I know what the document model can do !!!



4. The Sam's PHP books made them my preferred publisher of tech books, this book didn't live up to my expectations. If you are somewhat competent this book will frustrate you. It doesn't provide much detail on the fundamental concepts. The last third of the book goes further and is devoted to examples that have "cook book" value but not a lot of educational value.
   
   It's not a bad book by any means. I think it may even be a great book, for the right reader. The right reader I think is someone who: knows just a bit about html, what javascript is in vague terms, and wants to get something up and working quickly. If have a basic knowledge of javascript already and are looking to strengthen your foundation this may not be the best book for you.



5. Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours
   
   It is a very pleasant surprise to learn Sams Teach Yourself series has been improved into a very well-organized book. Each chapter is limited with 12-14 pages. It is easy to read entire chapter during short break. It includes the latest programming practices like object-oriented JavaScript, DOM Level 2 Scripting, Feature-sensing, Unobtrustive Scripting in CSS, JavaScript and AJAX. It helps you to review the content by reading Q&A and Quiz questions. Each chapter comes with good examples and sample codes.
   
   Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours (4th Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself)

5 comments about Cisco Routers for the Desperate: Router Management, The Easy Way.

1. Goes straight to what matters in the Cisco Router management area.



2. I started a new job and had almost no experience with Cisco products. I was desperate and bought this book. What a gem of a purchase. This book takes something cryptic as Cisco appliance administration and walks you through it so that anyone can learn in hours.
   
   I have bought books from this author before and have yet to be disappointed. The man has clearly been an admin for years, so he knows the pain we all feel. :) His humor is really refreshing on such a dry topic.
   
   All in all, I would recommend this book for any novice network admin, or someone who wants to start a new job using Cisco products. It's worth the price.



3. This book was a real surprise. I had low expectations for such a short text (122 pages) but, this is a great book for anyone needing an mid-level how to do it now reference. The chapters are short and to the point. The author seems very expeienced and has many good sugesstions clearly born from that experience. It is a great book for experienced network engineers to keep handy for say a jr. admin. Give this book to somone who hasn't ever touched a router (but, knows the fundamentals of networking) and they'll have a Cisco router up and running out of the box in less than an hour.



4. This book just took 2 days to my work after ordering. Blazing fast!



5. I found this book to be very easy to understand, and right on track for a net admin to use, to fill in information on Cisco routers and switches. The way the book is written, it is tailored to individuals w/ extensive network and server experience that need a little help w/ routers. I have been able to refer back to the book for information needed for daily use on these pieces of equipment.