Study Books

[Ray Little]

Is the Design Patterns book by Gamma really important? Is a there a book with a Java orientation I can substitute?
Also, I bought the Sybex Study Guide (RHE) because I couldn't find a book on just the Developer Certification. With material for both exams in one book it's a lot of dead weight I'm carrying around. (I carry my book with me everywhere just in case I get a spare moment to read.)

[Mark Spritzler]

Well the GOF book is great to have period. Forget about the assignment. It comes in hardback and has a really nice blue and white "ribbon" thingy that you can use to mark a page or two off.
However the examples in the book are in C++ and SmallTalk. There is a Companion book out by the same publisher Addison-Weselly, by James Copper.
Mark

[Ray Little]

Nothing comparable with Java code? (Sorry to be so slow on responding).

[Siddharth Mehrotra]

the book called Java design aptterns by James Cooper.
Is a good book , it takes all its extract from the GOF. the added advantage that it has is that it has all the design patterns code in Java. and also comes with a doft copy of the same.
I liked that book very much.
I hope that i'am on the right direction to answering your question

[Ray Little]

Thanks a lot, I'll take a look at it.
BTW - Excuse my ignorance, but what is a doft copy?

[Siddharth Mehrotra]

sory thats not your ignorance but my sitake.
what i meant was that it comes with its own soft copy.
that doft = soft.

[Himanshu Jhamb]

Hi.
I just looked up this book at www.bn.com & the couple of users who have posted reviews do not seem particularily happy with it.
Now, it is very much possible that these users were not preparing for the SCJD exam & maybe, its just not their taste.
I just don't want to end up spending $45/- on it if its not that great.
Is there really a book that is meant for the SCJD? Something like RHE, for SCJP is a must ! Even Khalid Moghul's book is excellent for SCJP. Is there any clear cut advise I can get about a book for SCJD?
I hv looked up this question (about a book for SCJD) in this forum & haven't really seen a clear cut answer... hence, the question again.
Any help would be appreciated.
thanks

[Siddharth Mehrotra]

well it a prespective..
i found that book a great help, but i must say that in case where i found the explaination not too good i did refer GOF.

[Himanshu Jhamb]

Okay !
Pls. excuse my ignorance ( I am new here), but would someone pls. tell me what GOF stands for ?

[Ray Little]

GOF = Gang of Four. Refers to the four authors of the "Design Patterns..." book (1994?).
Ray

[Mag Hoehme]

The GOF (Gang of Four, aka. Gamma et al., "Design Patterns") book on patterns is the book about patterns. Though written for C++ and Smalltalk, it is a standard.
Once upon a time downloaded a copy of Cooper's book. But the Java samples did not really help me to understand how the patterns are supposed to work.
I ended up with buying the GOF book (although I'm unfamilier with C++, and do not know Smalltalk). However, there is nothing comparable out there, the GOF book is kind of a must have for any serious developer. The examples just happened to be written in C++ / Smalltalk - the rest of the book is also understandable to Java folks.
Secondly, the GOF book describes 23 basic patterns. Some of them have found way into the Java language itself.
A good resource for patterns and Java is http://www.javaworld.com. They have articles on a regular basis, covering all kinds of patterns, including the GOF ones.
[ April 30, 2002: Message edited by: Mag Hoehme ]

[Mark Spritzler]

Himanshu Jhamb
If you have RHE, then you already have a book for the SCJD. It covers both exams. It is the only book that I used, besides this forum.
Although I had read GOF years ago when Foxpro went to Visual Foxpro and OOP.
Mark

[Himanshu Jhamb]

Mark... from your comments it appears the GOF book is not as important for the SCJD. But I guess it can be used well for enhancing knowledge on designing applications...
Think I will get that book...
thanks for the suggestions, all.

[Robin Underwood]

I really found the "Patterns in Java" book by Mark Grand very helpful. It has the same design patterns as the Gang of Four book, but has Java examples.

[Ray Little]

The first book I read in preparing myself for this certification (I still haven't started on my assignment) is 'Effective Java...' by J. Bloch. Great book.
Ray