Rating: Summary: Nothing wrong with a good start Review: Looking at some of the reviews, I might have thought that this book was really hokey, but I bought a copy and read it. I'm glad I did.
Most of the people in my organization are having a tough time getting their requirements together for our next application. Most of them are seasoned domain experts, but this is their first Internet startup. They "get" the web, but have little understanding of how it works or how the engineering department is making their application happen. I *like* this book because it is small enough that I can hand it to a domain expert, tell him or her to read it, and expect afterwards that while the person might be a bit overwhelmed, that they will have more of a clue about how to work with engineering in the future. And for the part of our engineering team, we have been together now for a total of three weeks. I expect that this book will be an easy read to both set the expectations of all the team members of each other; both higher for those with no experience in UML or good OOD, and as an "expectation baseline" for those that do have more formal design experience.
I'm back here to buy a copy for everyone on the team, actually!
Rating: Summary: Huge disappointment. Review: Looking into reviews for this book I decided to buy it without any doubts. I just finished this book and I can tell you that in my opinion this book is very poor and condensed version of "Applying UML and Patterns" by Craig Larman (which I just addore) and "Web Master in Nutshell" (which is pretty good and solid reference/introduction into web related technologies). If you read both these books don't spend your money on this one because you won't find anything new. Cheers.
Rating: Summary: UML With Extensions For Server & Client Pages Review: Part I of this book, 25% and 78 pages, is a quick review of HTTP, HTML, and other web technologies. In part II the author proceeds step by step through the typical software engineering phases beginning with requirements definition, illustrating the use of UML tools for the general case of a project where the user interface will be a browser (thick or thin, your choice). Requirements and analysis steps are not particularly heavy with new material; but in the design phase the author nicely extends UML with notations for server pages (ASP, JSP, or other), client pages (HTML, DHTML), forms, framesets, client script objects, etc. There are lots of code shells for the server and the client. The author is clearly a programmer as well as an architect and modeler.
Two of the four appendices are very useful. One summarizes the extensions. Another provides all of the UML diagrams and even code outlines for a small sample project.
The book is heavier on the Microsoft technologies than Java, and it's too bad that the book predates .NET. The concepts are still useful and with some thought can be extended to the richer environment presented by .NET.
Since many projects start with an inflexible constraint that says the user interface will be a browser connecting to an Internet server, someone working on such a project might as well was have his UML reference in a Web flavor. I am aware of only one other book with this specific purpose, and it is for Java and out of date.
Some new concepts, good writing, lots of UML diagrams, and lots of code shells give it four stars.
Rating: Summary: Only some suggestions on how to model web elements. Review: Simply stated, the author should *not* be talking about software development, but only introduce his notation and explain it. That's all. His coverage of use cases, OO analysis and design is useless, when not misleading.
Leave it on the shelf. Is you need to develop web applications buy something related to the particular technology you are working with (e.g. servlet).
For the UML, buy something serious...And, of course, Applying UML and Patterns, if you want a good introduction (and more) on OO Analysis/Design.
Rating: Summary: Not useful at all Review: The book only covers an overview of modeling, the reference application covers only basic diagraming and looses too much time building diagrams that describe interaction between the web server and the page controller: Aspects already handled automatically by web servers which would be better to oversee.
Rating: Summary: web applications: introduction & UML notation Review: The first half of the book is an introduction to web applications while the second half of the book illustrates the author's UML extension for designing web applications. The introductory material includes a substantial discussion on the definition of a "web application". Essential web technologies are discussed in a summarized fashion including HTTP, HTML, forms, frames, session management, DOM, ASP, JSP, scripting, JavaScript, events, applets, beans, ActiveX, RMI, CORBA, DCOM, XML, and security. The only missing item is Adobe's portable document format, PDF, which is a cross-platform document format used in both web sites and web applications.
The author has developed a UML extension for modeling web applications. The extension includes stereotypes for a server page, client page, form, frameset, JavaScript object, target, web page, ASP page, JSP page, servlet, and script libraries. Many of these stereotypes have an associated icon. New associations include <>, <>, <>, <>, <>, and <>. The <> association indicates a dynamically generated web page. The classic "shopping cart" application is designed and implemented. The design includes a set of UML diagrams using the UML extension for web applications. The source code in the implementation uses ASP, VB Script, and HTML.
Rating: Summary: half lousy half good Review: The first half of this book isn't so good. Its a true beginners survey of web technologies and how to do a project. But like most books that want to provide a sweeping overview of all web technologies, it doesn't really explain it very well.
I give the book three stars because of the second half of the book - with the WAE - and the focus on using UML in web apps. The second half of the book is quite good.
This book tries to be all things for all people - books like that are usually only found collecting dust as a decoration on a project managers shelve who wants to show the world he/she really understands this UNL [sic]. Just my 2 cents.
Rating: Summary: It should be a white paper Review: There is only enough subject in this book for a white paper. You have to read to page 150 to get to any actual UML.
Sadly, the ideas in this book for using UML to build web applications are excellent. But that only took fifteen pages in a 250 page book.
This is a good book to borrow. Spend the thirty minutes it takes to read what good information there is, then spend your money elsewhere.
Rating: Summary: A book that will spawn many copy cats! Review: This book brings a measure of structure to an otherwise unstructured development arena, and is a harbinger of things to come in computer book publishing. I would expect similar books from Wrox and the other major developer presses. Don't wait for the knock offs. Buy this one and get a jump start on the rest of the world.
Jim's examples are great. Laying out a collection of documents that model his approach to web application modeling was very effective.
I would suggest that future editions assume more in terms of the reader's baseline knowledge (the first part of the book is a great synopsis of web technologies, but is major repeat for most I would think... although perhaps the average Addison Wesley reader is less informed in this regard...?)
Jim should write a book that surveys major process models (UP, MSF, ICONIX, etc.) and applies his proposed discipline of web app modeling in each process model for projects of various sizes. It is clear how one would apply this approach on long projects... I am very keen on seeing an approach that scales down to 3 week to 3 month projects while not completely sacrificing the modeling discpline. As it stands I don't see UP scaling this far down! ICONIX is close... MSF is the closest, bust lacks much in detailed modeling process.
Rating: Summary: Highly Educational for Motivated Web Business People Review: This book is a refreshingly good read for motivated web businesspeople readers, given it's technical subject. It also delivers exactly what it promises. As used in the books title, the author defines the fussy term "web application", vs. web site, in both formal and inform terms. Informally and quite succinctly, he defines web applications as a software application which uses a web page as its front end (ie. it's user interface). Formally, a web application is a web site where user input and/or navigation affects the state of the business beyond simple hit counters and and access logs. Based on such definitions, an e-commerce enabled web site would clearly be a web application, whereas web site, however kewl, is not. If you are just building web sites, you will probably find this book to be overkill.
PART ONE is an excellent introduction to the role of ubiquitous web application tools such as HTML, JavaScript, Style Sheets, DOM, ASP, Java, ActiveX, CORBA and XML to name some highlights. PART TWO walks the motivated reader through a well-developed, and to me, surprisingly involved, iterative process for turning vague ideas into solid application.
The appendices are even helpful. Appendix A is a visual directory for the Web Application Extension for UML. Appendix B is a sample use case which reader will find very useful as a template for future projects. Ditto for Appendix C, a sample model for a Glossary Appllcation using ASP.
Do not be mistaken. By itself, this book will not likely make you an expert in UML. Fortunately, it also manages to avoid any heavy-handed favoritism between technology products mentioned, including products from Rational Corporation. Refreshing!
As a web development project architect who is on the steep part of the learning curve, I will doubtlessly be able to add some rigor to my firm's process, beginning with initial client discovery and leading through delivery of a killer pre-development site design documentat -- one in which developers, graphic designers, managers and most importantly, clients, will appreciate. Additionally, the superior documentation which this process affords will, no doubt, significantly improve software, which is what it's all about.
That said... bring on the next mega-project. I think I feel a home run coming on!
