Review of JSP: The Complete Reference (Paperback)

I'm currently an Internet Software Engineer, using primarily Servlets and EJB technologies, and I was hoping to find a book that could give me a good reason to consider using JSPs. THIS IS THE BOOK. I now completely understand the purpose of JSPs, and where they fit into the Java Architecture. You will too, once you read this book.

Phil Hanna has compiled a superbly organized and useful book. He builds on concepts logically, and provides awesome examples to help the info sink in. (I can't over-emphasize the usefulness of the examples in this book!) The examples of using JSP Tag Extensions are particularly wonderful. This is perhaps the most confusing and powerful part of JSPs, and Mr. Hanna makes it SO much easier to understand.

If you want to learn JSPs and add them to your arsenal of programming wizardry, look no further! I wish that all of the technical books in my library were written this well.

Product Description
(Osborne) Provides all of the information needed to program and develop powerful and efficient Web sites and applications with JSP. Readers at any skill level can learn to control the content and appearance of Web sites using JSP, servlets, Java 2 and JavaBeans to create reusable components and simplify application development. Softcover.

From the Back Cover
The Ultimate Resource on JavaServer Pages

Covers JSP 2.0, Java Servlet 2.4 & XML/XSLT

Write, deploy, and debug powerful JSP applications for a wide range of platforms. JSP 2.0: The Complete Reference covers JSP syntax and semantics, scriptlets, expressions, and declarations. You'll get details on JSP tag extensions, the JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL), the JSP Expression Language (EL), and JSP fragments. The book also discusses how JSP works with JDBC, XML, and other major components of the Java enterprise environment. This is a must-have resource for all JSP developers.

• Use JSP scripting elements--expressions, scriptlets, and declarations
• Create dynamically generated Web content with Java Servlets
• Eliminate redundancy with HTTP request dispatchers
• Take advantage of Java's built-in support for multithreaded applications
• Learn essential session management techniques, including URL rewriting and cookies
• Implement application event listeners and filters
• Use the JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL), the JSP Expression Language (EL), and JSP fragments
• Enable cross-platform connectivity with JDBC
• Incorporate XML into Web applications and use the Java XML API, the Document Object Model (DOM), SAX 2.0, and XSLT
• Test, debug, and deploy your JSP applications

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Review of Macromedia Fireworks 4 Fast & Easy Web Development (Paperback)

The reviewer from Boston is right. This book is little more than a re-write of the manual, and is a waste of money.

Worse, it isn't even a good re-write. The book suffers from a problem that too many software books have: it assumes that the reader has never seen a modern piece of software. Does anyone *really* need instruction on "Navigating the Menu Bar"? (pp. 29 - 42) If you need to be told how to open and close files with the file menu, you're already way out of your league and need to get a basic Windows/MacOS book. The first 100 pages of the book are so much wasted paper.

Unfortunately, the subsequent 500 pages aren't much better. Instructions are poorly designed and disjointed -- and there are errors throughout the book. I lost count of how many times I had to re-read sections thinking I'd missed something because what was on my screen didn't match what Lee described, only to discover that I hadn't missed anything -- Lee had.

Product Description
Don’t spend your time wading through manuals to learn Macromedia Fireworks. Spend it doing what you do bestâ€' creating Web pages! From the basics of getting started with and customizing Fireworks to designing interactive Web graphics and integrating Fireworks with Dreamweaver, this book offers a unique, hands-on approach that you won’t find anywhere else. Less time, less effort, more results!.

About the Author
Lisa Lee is a software and Web engineer/Web developer in the computer industry.She is the author of "Photoshop 6 Digital Darkroom," "Fireworks Fast & Easy Web Development," "Easy iMac," "Easy iBook," "Easy Linux," "Upgrading and Repairing the Macs," and "Teach Yourself Mac OS 8.5 in 24 Hours."

Click Here to see more reviews about: Macromedia Fireworks 4 Fast & Easy Web Development (Paperback)

Review of Macromedia Fireworks 4 Fast & Easy Web Development (Paperback)

The reviewer from Boston is right. This book is little more than a re-write of the manual, and is a waste of money.

Worse, it isn't even a good re-write. The book suffers from a problem that too many software books have: it assumes that the reader has never seen a modern piece of software. Does anyone *really* need instruction on "Navigating the Menu Bar"? (pp. 29 - 42) If you need to be told how to open and close files with the file menu, you're already way out of your league and need to get a basic Windows/MacOS book. The first 100 pages of the book are so much wasted paper.

Unfortunately, the subsequent 500 pages aren't much better. Instructions are poorly designed and disjointed -- and there are errors throughout the book. I lost count of how many times I had to re-read sections thinking I'd missed something because what was on my screen didn't match what Lee described, only to discover that I hadn't missed anything -- Lee had.

Product Description
Don’t spend your time wading through manuals to learn Macromedia Fireworks. Spend it doing what you do bestâ€' creating Web pages! From the basics of getting started with and customizing Fireworks to designing interactive Web graphics and integrating Fireworks with Dreamweaver, this book offers a unique, hands-on approach that you won’t find anywhere else. Less time, less effort, more results!.

About the Author
Lisa Lee is a software and Web engineer/Web developer in the computer industry.She is the author of "Photoshop 6 Digital Darkroom," "Fireworks Fast & Easy Web Development," "Easy iMac," "Easy iBook," "Easy Linux," "Upgrading and Repairing the Macs," and "Teach Yourself Mac OS 8.5 in 24 Hours."

Click Here to see more reviews about: Macromedia Fireworks 4 Fast & Easy Web Development (Paperback)