Java Design Patterns: A Tutorial

[Johannes de Jong]

• Author - James W. Cooper
• Publisher -Addison-Wesley Pub Co (info, errata)
• Category in Bunkhouse - Design & Refactoring

Any Java developer who has read "Design Patterns" by Gamma, et al, has probably tried to relate the patterns discussed to Java programs. This book provides a linkage between "Design Patterns" and Java. Each of the 23 patterns discussed in "Design Patterns" are covered in this book using an example of a Java Swing program. The book opens with a brief discussion of design patterns in general and a quick review of UML, which is used throughout the book. The book then has a chapter for each of the 23 patterns. The book then finishes with an overview of Swing and a case study demonstrating how design patterns might be used in an actual development project. Although the author says that this book is not meant to be a companion book to "Design Patterns," I found that is actually the best way to use this book. Reading the description of each pattern in "Design Patterns" followed by reading about the same pattern in this book helped me to understand each pattern in a deeper way than by reading either book by itself. This book is not, however, the Java version of "Design Patterns". Some of the examples seemed strained to make their point. Also, by limiting himself to Swing, the author missed the opportunity to discuss how to use patterns in server side Java development.
In general, however, the book does a good job of explaining design patterns and how to use them.
(Thomas Paul - bartender, May 2001)
More info at Amazon.com
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[This message has been edited by Johannes de Jong (edited July 14, 2001).]

[Jason Menard]

As a side note, this was the textbook for a class in Java Design Patterns that I took. Check out http://www.research.umbc.edu/~tarr/cs491/fall00/cs491.html for some good resources.

[Bryan Timmins]

ESSENTIAL!!!