Creating Components: Object Oriented, Concurrent, and Distributed Computing in Java

Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to concurrent programming with objects
Review: This book provides a good introduction to Concurrent and Object Oriented Programming in Java. I was fortunate enough to take Dr. Kann's class last semester, while this book was being finalized. This is probably the best book I have been assigned as a class textbook while in school, both in readability, and usefulness.

Reading this book will make programming concurrent applications in Java easy, just by following the design patterns in the text. Use of notification objects and synchronization is well explained. If you'd like to understand object oriented concepts such as composition and classification in an easy to understand way, this book will help. Throughout the course of the book, the reader can watch the construction of a concurrent program from beginning to end. The concurrent program (the animator), is also a handy class which can be used to perform simple multithreaded animations.

The section on distributed computing (Java RMI) implements a simple chat client/server in Java which can be used across the internet. Very easy to write your own chat program in Java using the material in this book.

Code included in the book should have you up and running quickly. If you're ready to start utilizing the full power of java objects and multithreading, buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to concurrent programming with objects
Review: This book provides a good introduction to Concurrent and Object Oriented Programming in Java. I was fortunate enough to take Dr. Kann's class last semester, while this book was being finalized. This is probably the best book I have been assigned as a class textbook while in school, both in readability, and usefulness.

Reading this book will make programming concurrent applications in Java easy, just by following the design patterns in the text. Use of notification objects and synchronization is well explained. If you'd like to understand object oriented concepts such as composition and classification in an easy to understand way, this book will help. Throughout the course of the book, the reader can watch the construction of a concurrent program from beginning to end. The concurrent program (the animator), is also a handy class which can be used to perform simple multithreaded animations.

The section on distributed computing (Java RMI) implements a simple chat client/server in Java which can be used across the internet. Very easy to write your own chat program in Java using the material in this book.

Code included in the book should have you up and running quickly. If you're ready to start utilizing the full power of java objects and multithreading, buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: A solid and thoughtfully presented primer on components
Review: What I most like about this book is its focus. The author uses component development as a springboard for a number of topics important to training programmers. Object-oriented programming, concurrency and distributed computing topics are covered and review well. In addition, Kann also slips in important chapters of writing to interfaces -- the first step to thinking about designing, and not just coding -- as well as style, exception handling, events, object reuse, and, most important to me: combining techniques while maintaining clarity about each class' purpose.

Kann does an able job in these areas. The format of the book favors a classroom-based learning approach, but I found it easy enough to step over these elements in the format and play with things as I wished.

I'd first recommend this book to Java programming instructors looking for useful programming guides. It does seem to me the missing element of this book is the instructor who fills in the gaps of what this book presents. There are very few graphics or visual elements other than text and code samples, so this book can get dry and tedious for anyone who is just starting to learn and needs more conceptual help. The serious intermediate or advanced programmer who wants to sharpen skills and take what they know and apply it to Java will have an easier time making use of this guide.