5 comments about Professional JavaScript 2nd Edition.

1. If you are a beginner, think twice about this one. This is for the Pros. This book is seriously packed with improvements and deep explanations that you won't find anywhere else. With tons of pages and code samples to download covering everything you every wanted to know about web scripting with JavaScript. This is a definate keeper in your library!!...



2. Including the discussion on JScript.NET. Excellent coverage on JavaScript, providing practical solutions. A must to have book for every Web developer.



3. This book is terrible - it's incredibly frustating to use. It's worthless as a reference and I doubt that anyone has ever read it cover to cover (including the army of authors that wrote it). I have over 10 years of experience in software development in a wide variety of languages: C++, VB, Pascal, and others. What I need to know about JavaScript could probably fit in a book half this size. This book is over 1000 pages, it's poorly organized, the index is bad, and it doesn't focus on relevant facts about the language. If I want lots of prose I'll pick up a novel, not a JavaScript book.



4. And yes, another WROX. No formal organization, no definte goal, but a whole bunch of high class authors. The result: an excellent book if you're looking for examples of that little twist of class, a dash of luster code.

   There are excellent case studies that make this a good addition to your bookshelf and there are valuable hints scattered everywhere: but the total lack of organization and tutorial direction leaves the book like a box full of sharp tools hidden in a dusty attic.

   There is no attempt to teach Javascript (perhaps Paul Wilton's excellent Beginner Javascript is intended for that). The section on Good coding Practice is laughable: why does a book entitled *Profesional" Javascript have 2 chapters on programming practices? The Core javascript section is just a bare scratch on the surface of language itself and does not do Javascript any justice. The Jscript.Net seems to have been thrown in as an after thought.

   I like WROX for the "from the field" examples for which they are famous: and I found the case studies ( a third of the book) very interesting. However, sorry, Wrox, it's not worth paying that much for just the last chapters. I'll wait till it hits my library or wait for the 3rd edition.




5. I have version 2 of the book and it is fantastic! Seems each of the experts wrote about his/her field and the result is very in-depth study. The book's coding is still actual though it dealt with IE 4 and 5. What I want is to find version 3 that deals deal the more current IE 6 release - but they probably never published it.

3 comments about Java 2 for the World Wide Web (Visual QuickStart Guide).

1. I didn't know anything about Java when I started reading this book, but I already had some experience with object-oriented programming. I bought this because it seemed like a pretty easy-going book, especially after trying to get started with "Learning Java" from O'Reilly. The main plus for this book is that it is extremely easy to follow. All steps are explained and you can build up simple programs of your own pretty quickly. It's also useful as a basic reference for writing GUIs in Java.

   However, this book does not cover a lot of material. For example, anything that isn't directly related to building a GUI. The only topics are the few basic classes, functions, operators, etc. that you need to make check boxes, etc. If you buy this book, you will still need another reference to learn the rest of Java.

   I gave this four stars since I believe it does what it set out to do although I would've preferred a more comprehensive book.




2. This is the single best book I've ever read on Java. I had to start up for a school Web project, and it got me going straightaway, regardless of the fact that I'm only thirteen. Great job, Dori and Tom!!!



3. Real Good Book it doesn't teach too much but for some quick get up and running now it's great then you just catch on and it's easy to find stuff and if you want to superficially password protect your page this book does it but it's not for in depth Java, that I think is more Joeseph Webber I think it is and David Holzner at least I like their writing and teaching style also like Dori Smith and Kathy Walrath they are an easy read.

No comments about Java Concepts, AP Edition.

5 comments about Java 5: A Beginner's Tutorial (Brainysoftware).

1. Really good text for anyone who is new to Java, it could also be useful to someone totally new to programming, but that someone will need to put quite some work into it, and must not expect a "for dummies" presentation style. Budi style is "friendly" but not simplistic, so do not expect to be entertained. This is a serious book, but it will get you from zero to a good level in Java programming. A "lighter" book might only pretend to teach you Java. I liked the "by example" approach that's typical of Budi's books, and the broad range of topics covered (beyond the usual core subjects, JDBC, servlets & JSP, security, networking). The strong point of this book is the way it manages to cover so many topics without being too superficial or dispersive or crushing the beginner programmer with too much material.
   I also liked the excellent introduction to interfaces and polymorphism (even if I would have liked to see a simpler discussion earlier in the book) and the treatment of generics and annotations. The chapter on exception handling should have probably been expanded a bit. So if you are ready to start playing with Java and are intimidated by the more ponderous tomes, but still want a book that will bring you somewhere, you can definitely begin here. As a final treat, the whole book is freely available online at jtutedotcom!



2. Well what can I say but this book will sit and collect dust. I was very disappointed with it. At the start of chapter one you actually write a piece of Java equivalent to "Hello World", but after that there are no other defined bits of code to write and learn from till sometime after chapter 4. I actually stopped reading the book after I finished chapter 4. It goes into detail about various aspects of Java but with no hands on examples; something you'd call a tutorial. I can not recommend this book as a tutorial but might make an okay reference.
   
   To nick-pick, where was the copy editor? There are grammatical errors around every 4 pages. It just became annoying.
   
   A solid thumbs down and spend your monies on another Java Tutorial book.



3. I don't buy/keep computer books any more unless they have the source code available. The first time I tried to download the source code, I got an error. So I emailed the publisher and got a reply back from the author. When I tried it again, the download worked the second time.
   
   This is my first try at learning Java--haven't programmed much for a while but I have programmed. I found the explanations were well written and to the point: not so much detail that your head swims but yet enough to point you in the right direction. Especially appreciate finding detail on enum--not covered in many Java books.



4. This book is a really good coverage of the java language. It covers the syntax, constructs and components that are needed to become comfortable with java code. And, what was the best part for me, why the constructs are as they are.
   
   The "java 5" is a bit misleading. The book is really a java tutorial which includes java 5 details where relevant. There are better sources if you want to read about java 5 enhancements.
   
   Of spacewise necessity, it does not address the nitty-gritty of programming and so is not a tutorial in the 'this-is-how-to-code' sense. Rather, it gives sufficient background for the reader to be able to make sense of java code, and to be able to intelligently google the nitty-gritty. Code examples are used to enhance description of language components.
   
   The book's title does not really indicate its contents. It is much more than just a java5 tutorial.



5. POOR AND VERY LIGHT ON CONTENT, INCOMPLETE
   
   This book is about Java 5, which contains a new concurrency package (new way of doing threads). Trying finding it in this book!
   
   I just looked at this book at B&N, but if you are a beginner, don't get this book. There are a lot of "bad" practices contained in it. The chapters on Servlets and JSP are examples of that. (Not even a mention of JSTL.)
   
   There are better books out there, Thinking in Java being one of them (and one of the best).
   
   (I did not look at the other chapters, but I've had enough just based on these three.)

5 comments about Practical Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms, Java Edition.

1. ...but this was a mandatory book for my university's two-course Data Structures & Algorithms sequence that all computer scientists and computer engineers must take.
   
   Coming in with a good deal of programming experience, I find that this book is not as clear or as complete as it could be. The sample code snippets throughout tend to be awkwardly implmented with obscure variable names and obtuse datatyping, and more often than not represent 'a' way of accomplishing a task rather than 'the best' way. Finding better ways of doing things is normally left for exercises at the end of the chapter; the answers are not included with the book.
   
   Also, many significant details or comments are skimmed over or are ommitted from the text. Many important (and complex) observations are left as exercises - but again, the answers are not included, so there is no way of validating your answers.
   
   Further, this book is targeted at the C++ language. It is obscene to discuss data structures and algorithms without mentioning the free, prepackaged, and optimized code of the C++ Standard Template Library. Indeed, this book and the code it includes would have benefitted from the ingenious architecture and software engineering behind the STL.
   
   I really hope the campus bookstore will buy this one back when I'm done with it.



2. Dr. Shaffer attempts to address the difficult topic of data structures and fails. Consistently he glosses over important points, or does not describe the implementation of data structures (the buffer pool, for example, is especially poor) adequately and leaves the hapless student confused and frustrated. For a computer scientist who already understands the subject this book may contain a few good points. Indeed, I was able to follow the sections where I had previous training, but when I studied material new to me, I was out of luck.
   
   If you are unlucky enough to have a university that uses this text, consider trying to find a better book to get yourself an adequate understanding of this important subject, because Dr. Shaffer's text won't do that for you.



3. I would not reccomend this book for learning about data structures. With incomplete code and scampy sections on core area material, it seems to serve more as a workbook than anything else. In addition to this I find it to be poorly worded which has often caused me to overlook important details or have to read a sentence multiple times to understand what the author is saying. What saves this from being a one star product is the fact that if you do know the material, it can help you review structures but even then, the ackward wording still can slow down a quick read.



4. I have Dr Shaffer as my professor and he is just as boring in real life as his book. He has told us that some of the code segements are broken to make his students figure them out. DONT buy this book... It's not worth the money.



5. 
   This book gave me no hope for Analysis of Algorithm and Data Structures class, i have yet to find another book to assist me in this area. the book was so-what easy to read, but the explanation of the concepts is really horrible, dont waste ur money

5 comments about JMX in Action.

1. I have found this book extremely helpful to my development efforts. The code examples were key in helping me understand JMX with EJBs and JMS. In my rapid development activities, the good, clear examples and concise points helped me write effecient and better code.

   Also, it is stated in a previous review that you need to have the JDMK in order to compile the code . This is not necessary for you to be successful with this book! One does not need the JDMK; the free 'remoting.jar' can be downloaded from the JMX website at java.sun.com. This jar file contains the RMI adapter and is only needed for a small part of the book.

   This book is definitely the best source of JMX material that I have encountered.




2. I have found this book extremely helpful to my development efforts. The code examples were key in helping me understand JMX with EJBs and JMS. In my rapid development activities, the good, clear examples and concise points helped me write effecient and better code.

   Also, it is stated in a previous review that you need to have the JDMK in order to compile the code . This is not necessary for you to be successful with this book! One does not need the JDMK; the free 'remoting.jar' can be downloaded from the JMX website at java.sun.com. This jar file contains the RMI adapter and is only needed for a small part of the book.

   This book is definitely the best source of JMX material that I have encountered.




3. This is an excellent book on JMX. It takes us step by step thro
   the process of knowing and using Sun's Reference Implementation.
   It covers both the HTML Adaptor and RMI Connector approaches
   thoroughly. Code examples provided in the book are well
   explained. A must have for any one seriously considering a
   foothold in JMX. I have enjoyed reading the book and putting it
   to practice in my job. If there is
   a future version, I would like to see coverage on JBoss's JMX.
   Many thanks to the authors.



4. In classic Manning fashion this book is concise and focused, uses graphics sparingly and effectively, and does a great job with code annotation. The problem comes with exposition. What I wanted was a book that not only explained what JMX was, but why I would want to use it. I found that this book had a ton of technical detail, on what is undoubtedly a complex topic, but lacked much in terms of context. More how, less why.

   That being said, I understand that most readers are looking for the technical side of the argument and the book has that in spades. Particularly nice chapters are chapter one, which does provide a little context for the use of JMX, and provides a very nice, though brief, overview of the JMX architecture. Chapter six, on agent notification is also excellent.

   Frankly, I would love to see a second version of this book with more emphasis on use cases. For example, chapter 7, on dynamic MBean creation, would do well to cover why you would want to use Model MBeans, and not just assume the reader understands the solution out of context with the need.

   If you are on a project using JMX or an architect who is already looking at JMX, this book is worth the look. If you are looking for a gentle introduction to the topic, keep looking.




5. With the benefit of hindsight, the book's topic has been rapidly eclipsed by Service Oriented Architecture. It turns out that JMX simply was too awkward to implement. Hence, you are warned. While the book is well written, it does not indicate that you will be trapped in a dead end if you take up JMX.
   
   Try instead looking up books on SOA. While that is not guaranteed to be more successful, it currently attracts much attention.

3 comments about Charlie Calvert's Learn JBuilder.

1. This is a Jbuilder book for beginning Java programmers, but not the kind that has a keyboard diagram to show you where the Escape key is and what a double click means. This book is full of useful information and valuable tips. What neither Amazon nor Wordware (the publisher) say is that is oriented to the Personal and SE editions of Jbuilder. The capabilities of Enterprise are not covered. On page 16 of the book this is made clear. On the other side, I had not seen a product oriented book so well written in a long time. Most of them were transcripts of the help files with some notes added but not this one. The material in the CD complements what did not fit on paper. I learned as much from it as from reading the book.Recommended!



2. I must preface my comments by stating I'm an experienced programmer who is trying get into Java and JBuilder and hence reading a book at this level: "Learn JBuilder".

   The book is mostly well written and under normal circumtances it would rate highly. But Java and JBuilder are moving so fast that a book published in 2003 is already "out of date" by June in the same year!

   The authors use examples from JBuilder 7 and I'm using JBuilder 8. There are so many differences between the versions that some confusions are enough to make the learning process more difficult than necessary.

   My dissatisfaction is not about the authors' efforts than about the nature of the industry where the ethos is about making everyone run "on the spot", making "improvements" to software which are not really esssential and forcing everyone to upgrade and learn new things which are not really necessary.

   The whole approach is inefficient and counter-productive. It should not be tolerated by any clear thinking programmer. I am tempted to recommend everyone to abandon this "circus".




3. As a programmer with 15+ years of experience programming with Clipper, Turbo Pascal, Visual Basic, C++ Builder and Delphi I was looking for a book that would get me up to speed on Java using JBuilder as quickly as possible. In Charlie Calvert's `Learn JBuilder' I found what I was looking for and a lot more!

   This is a well crafted book that not only teaches you everything you need to get going with JBuilder, but reinforces excellent object oriented programming techniques and programming standards as well. I can't say enough about how well written I think this book is and how helpful it has been to me. I have read more than 50 computer programming books and I think this is the best written one of them all. Sometimes I need a spark to get me going on a new technology and this book has re-energized my desire to learn.

   I only hope that Charlie and Margie decide to write a similar book on C#Builder.

   Niels Damgaard - IT Manager, Delco Automation Inc.

2 comments about J#.

1. As much as I love Wrox and mourn its passing, this book is one of the worst books available. It is full of typos, is almost indecipherable, and provides almost no useful knowledge of J#.

   J# is a transition technology, and the world needs some good books about it. But this isn't one.

   Don Kiely
   ...




2. This book is not for a newbie as all J# programmers have background in Java or J++. J# systax is similar to Java (or J++), and the authors have nicely pointed out where J# is different from Java, and they seem to be very knolwdgeable on the subject matter.
   
   J# can be fully utilized if one has a copy of a good C# book because you can convert C# code to J# code line by line (need to be careful with get and set for properties).
   
   I commend the authors' effort.
   
   It is understandable that a book that teaches J# from gounds up is lacking; but any new programmer who wants to learn .Net would be starting with C#, not C++.net or J#.net.

2 comments about Java 1.5 Program Design.

1. Overall not a bad book, but the title is misleading. Don't think that because the book is called "Java 1.5 Program Design" that it is about the design of Java programs. The book is really an introduction to Java programming.
   
   It's a big book and it covers a lot of ground. It seems to be designed as a college text book. At the end of each chapter there is a review and there are exercises.
   
   The first chapter has some unrelated information about buying a computer, and about microprocessors. They also explain what a millisecond is, what a microsecond is, etc. I'm not sure that kind of stuff really belongs in a Java book.
   
   Appendix E is a 200-page listing of Java standard classes. What a waste of paper! It would have been better if they had written 2 pages describing how to look that up online. Nobody goes to a hardcopy book for that anymore.
   
   But the book is comprehensive and does have what you need to know about Java, including the big 1.5 changes.



2. Class listings are not so unusable as other reviewer says. As for me, paper copy is more useful than online sometimes (I still like to read from paper instead of display most of time)
   
   Overall, really great book. Highly recommended!

2 comments about Classical and Quantum Computing: with C++ and Java Simulations.

1. The topics discussed are quite advanced. Typically these are covered in very theoretical books, that describe high level abstractions, with little in the way of code for the reader to experiment with. Hardy offers a different approach. There is still an advanced treatment of the topics. Where these range from cryptography to genetic methods to quantum computing and others.
   
   But he gives you C++ and Java code, to simulate various systems. A great benefit in aiding your understanding of what are often research level matters. In which case, if you are a new researcher, like a grad student perhaps, then you might be able to get up to speed quicker.



2. This book is easy to read, and easy to follow with a wealth of information and hands on exaqmples that put you in the context in the right manner leading you to a better understanding of the subject matter. The author goes all the way from classical computing and its digital logic to the quantum computing world with examples in C++ that help concieve the inherent massive parallelism of Quantum Computers.
   
   Comparing this title against others, this does stand out as a favorite for me. The ability of the authers to start from the classical and drive the reader to the quantum world flawlessly truely stands out; especially with C++ simulations described in the book. Two thumbs up indeed.