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Is DESIGN PATTERNS JAVA COMPANION good book?

 
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This book lists 23 design patterns. Have you found these patterns useful? Can anybody compare this book to "Design Patterns Explained: A New Perspective on Object-Oriented Design"?
Bruce
 
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I am not sure what book you are talking about. Who is the author? Grand has a book called Patterns in Java, Volume one which re-hashes the Gang of Four's Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Design - still the best book on patterns (or at least the best once you know what they are).
The difference between virtually all design pattern books and ours: Design Patterns Explained: A New Perspective on Object-Oriented Design, is that our book is more about why design patterns are good designs. The intent is so you understand what good design is and can then do that whether patterns are present or not. Essentially, we teach design patterns in a way that the reader gains an understanding of the principles and rationale for the patterns, what is driving them, and how to use them. We also use the patterns to teach the reader what object-orientation is really all about ("why you care about inheritance" rather than "here is inheritance, now go use it..."). At the end, the reader is equipped to use the more in-depth design patterns books.
The problem with learning patterns is that there are so many out there that it is unlikely you will really know the ones you need. What you need to learn are what are the important things to look for. Patterns teach us this. By learning a few patterns that teach us how to identify and classify what is important in one problem domain we learn how to extend this ability to other domains, even when we arent' sure what the patterns are.
------------------
Alan Shalloway,
Look for Jim Trott and my book: Design Patterns Explained
Visit our site Net Objectives.
 
Bruce Jin
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Sorry. I was talking about the book �DESIGN PATTERNS JAVA COMPANION� as shown in the topic line. The Author is James Cooper.
I wish to know if your book is specific for Java design. Do you give examples in C or Java or something else?
Thanks a lot for your response.
Bruce
 
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I just got this book and is starting to read it. Look like the book is easier to understand that that of the Gang of Four, and it gives examples in Java too.
 
Bruce Jin
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Which book are you talking about? �Design Patterns Java Companion� or �Design Patterns Explained?

Originally posted by Kevin Yip:
I just got this book and is starting to read it. Look like the book is easier to understand that that of the Gang of Four, and it gives examples in Java too.


 
Alan Shalloway
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Originally posted by Bruce Jin:
Sorry. I was talking about the book �DESIGN PATTERNS JAVA COMPANION� as shown in the topic line. The Author is James Cooper.
I wish to know if your book is specific for Java design. Do you give examples in C or Java or something else?
Thanks a lot for your response.
Bruce



Our book has both Java and C++ examples. If you read the book and don't like the examples enough, readers can make requests on our Design Patterns Explained Discussion group (see discussion under: www.netobjectives.com/dpexplained and request more detail). Re Cooper's book, I don't really like it. The examples aren't bad for just understanding the patterns individually, but there is no real explanation about patterns working together or why they work. That is, what makes good design good design? Issues such as cohesion, coupling, polymorphism, encapsulating variation, objects being responsible for themselves are all illustrated with design patterns.
I think the quality differences of our books are reflected in Cooper's rating of 2.6 at Amazon while ours is 4.4. Furthermore, the two 3s we got only gave us that because we weren't an advanced book (which we never claim to be).
We wrote our book as the book to start reading to learn what patterns were about. After you get an understanding of good object-oriented design and why patterns work, I suggest going on to the Gang of Four's and Grand's book on patterns.

------------------
Alan Shalloway,
Look for Jim Trott and my book: Design Patterns Explained
Visit our site Net Objectives.
Visit our on-line companion to the book
 
Greenhorn
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I do not recommend Cooper's book on design patterns in Java. It does have good UML diagrams. In the few sections I read, his examples seemed to obscure the use of the design pattern more than they illustrated it.
 
Greenhorn
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I do not recommend Cooper's book. The explaination of the
patterns are not clear. You can not study this book alone.
If you study this book with GoF book, then I assume it brings
no harm, but it does not bring much extra either.
Alan's approach is better: the design pattern are applications
of object-oriented principles, not separated gems. It is a
good introductory book, although it does not cover all GoF patterns.
 
Bruce Jin
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Hi Rich and Da;
Cooper�s book is the only Design Pattern book that I read. I found that it is of a little bit help in my daily Java programmer�s life. I wonder how important it is to master some design pattern skills for a Java programmer who�s function is to code and to design small to medium size programs. How Design Patterns Explained will be of help?
Bruce
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