<pre>
Author/s : Michael C. Daconta, et al
Publisher : Wiley
Category : Advanced Java
Review by : Salman Halim
Rating : 8 horseshoes</pre>
This book continues where the first one left off; the items covered herein are given a more in-depth treatment than those in the first volume and include new
Java technologies:
J2EE, J2ME, EJB etc.
The layout of the book has been changed from its predecessor to consist of three big sections, one each for the client, Web and enterprise tiers.
There is still plenty of useful information here: for example, I found the breakdown of web.xml in item 35 and unique EJB primary key generation in (item 42) very informative.
One critique is that some of the items leave questions unanswered. As examples, item 13 suggests sealing JAR files to ensure precedence in class loading but doesn't really explain HOW to seal a JAR. Similarly, item 16 points out how Component.setSize() can't always be used to reliably set the size of components; it explains how to do it correctly, of course, but never really explains what setSize() CAN be used for!
While the book isn't error-free, they aren't major and don't detract from the value of the information.
Recommendation: get the book collectively and keep it as a reference, sharing it among friends or colleagues. A quick once-over to see the topics covered is sufficient, I think; a cover-to-cover read isn't necessary.
More info at Amazon.com More info at Amazon.co.uk
