Useful Books and Software

Learn to build applications with Jakarta Struts, the most popular JSP development framework. Struts Kick Start is a "hands-on" book filled with sample applications and code snippets you can reuse, and in-depth coverage of new features in Struts 1.1. If you are looking for a practical book that "shows you how to do it", then Struts Kick Start is for you. Plus, it's the first Struts book with detailed examples of the major Struts tags.

The book begins with a discussion of Struts and its Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. The authors' then demonstrate Struts' power through the development of a non-trivial sample application - covering all the Struts components in a "how to use them" approach. You'll also see the Struts Tag Library in action - use tags for HTML, javabeans, logical operations and more. You'll learn to use Struts with JBoss for EJB's, with Apache Axis to publish and use Web Services, and with JUnit for testing and debugging. The authors work with the latest Struts 1.1 features including DynaForms, Tiles and the Validator.

The book includes a CD-ROM containing the tools discussed in the book: Struts 1.1 beta 2, Java 2 Standard Edition, JBoss 3.0.3, MySQL 3.23, XDoclet, Torque, Tomcat, Ant, Axis, Cactus, and JUnit. Plus, it comes with an electronic, fully searchable version of the book.

From the Inside Cover: Thoroughly covers the essential features of Struts in a clear and readable style.

Struts Kick Start is a solid starting point for learning how to develop web applications using Struts. The authors start you off by reviewing the foundational technologies on which Struts is based, and immediately get into the sorts of practical "how to" information and examples that get you up to speed quickly.

Notable features that I really appreciated include the coverage on integration with other technologies (such as EJBs and web services), using Ant to set up your development environment, and the fact that the software goodies you need are available on the included CD. Struts does not live in a vacuum -- it is one of the tools in the developer's toolkit, so knowing how it works with other technologies is very useful.

Of particular importance is the coverage on testing your web application as you build and maintain it. Developing a solid testing methodology, and a substantial suite of tests (to protect yourself against regressions), is critically important to a rapid development cycle that still needs to produce high quality applications. Coverage of testing, though, tends to be minimal in many books about programming technologies. James and Kevin provide specific advice on how to use the JUnit and Cactus testing frameworks with your Struts based applications.

Struts Kick Start is a good resource for learning about Struts, and it will help you get up to speed quickly.

- Craig McClanahan, Creator of Struts

New Price: $2.00 / Used Price: $0.47

New Price: $9.38 / Used Price: $5.22

The work of Peter Wainwright and his team (Wainwright wrote several of Wrox Press's well-regarded Perl books) is typical of the Wrox approach to subjects. Different people wrote various sections, and they've all been edited into the "guided tour" format (let's try this, then this, and now look at this...). That style works well for teaching and documenting Apache, largely because most of the sections include a balance of explanatory text, command summaries, and configuration file listings. The style seems a bit scattershot from time to time, but it's easy to zero in on what you need via the index. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to set up, use, and adjust the version 2.0 release of Apache Web server. Much of the authorial team's work deals with setting up Apache to minimize security holes and maximize performance, but other sections deal with the ins and outs of new features like IPv6 address management and Multi-Processing Modules (MPMs).

The power and flexibility of Apache have made it the most popular web server on the Internet. Now, after three years of development, the Apache Software Foundation has released Apache 2.0.

With the introduction of OS-specific Multi-Processing Modules (MPMs) and the Apache Portable Runtime, Apache 2.0 runs on more platforms with greater ease. Apache 2.0 brings a significant revision of the Apache build system, a more powerful architecture, and numerous improvements and additions to modules and directives. This book provides a comprehensive guide to all that is new in Apache 2.0, together with the most recent enhancements to Apache 1.3. New capabilities, support for embedded scripting, performance tuning, monitoring, and server security are presented in focused, easily applied sections. What does this book cover?

- The Apache 2.0 web server, including upgrades and updates from Apache 1.3

- New features in Apache 1.3, and migration of Apache 1.3 servers to Apache 2.0

- Installing Apache from a binary distribution or building from source for UNIX and Windows

- Delivering dynamic content efficiently and securely with CGI and FastCGI

- Virtual hosting with Apache - simple, complex, and en masse

- Proxying and caching, fault tolerance and clustering, and benchmarking of Apache servers

- Monitoring and securing Apache servers

- Extending Apache with third-party modules for Perl, Python, PHP, Tcl, Java, Ruby, and WebDAV

Publisher: Wrox Press
Authors: Peter Wainwright, Poornachandra, Dr. Sarang, Afrasiab Ahmad, Sean Chittneden, Vivek Chopra
Release Date: 2002-05
ISBN/EAN: 1861007221 / 9781861007223

New Price: $29.99 / Used Price: $24.99

"Maven: A Developer's Notebook" begins by introducing you to the concept of project object model (POM), and then offers further details on the essential features of Maven. Like all titles in O'Reilly's Developer's Notebook series, this no-nonsense book skips the boring prose and cuts right to the chase. It's an approach that forces you to get your hands dirty by working through a series of poignant labs-exercises that speak to you instead of at you.

Plus, "Maven: A Developer's Notebook" is the first book on the subject to hit the market, so you know the information is fresh and timely. If you're a Java programmer, you'll be armed with all the critical information you need to get up to speed on this powerful new build tool. You'll discover how Maven can help you:

manage a project's build, reporting, and documentation, all from a central piece of information

break a complex project into a series of smaller subprojects

report on code quality, unit tests, code duplication, and project activity

create a custom remote repository

build simple and complex plug-ins

In the end, you'll find yourself spending less time working on your project's build system and more time working on yourproject's code.

Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Authors: Vincent Massol, Tim O'Brien
Release Date: 2005-06-20
ISBN/EAN: 0596007507 / 9780596007508

New Price: $16.76 / Used Price: $12.44

PHP, Apache, and MySQL are the three key open source technologies that form the basis for most active Web servers. This book takes you step-by-step through understanding each — using it and combining it with the other two on both Linux and Windows servers.

This book guides you through creating your own sites using the open source AMP model. You discover how to install PHP, Apache, and MySQL. Then you create PHP Web pages, including database management and security. Finally, you discover how to integrate your work with e-commerce and other technologies. By building different types of Web sites, you progress from setting up simple database tables to tapping the full potential of PHP, Apache, and MySQL.

When you’re finished, you will be able to create well-designed, dynamic Web sites using open source tools.

What does this book cover?

Here's what you will learn from this book:

• How PHP server-side scripting language works for connecting HTML-based Web pages to a backend database
• Syntax, functions, and commands for PHP, Apache, and MySQL
• Methods and techniques for building user-friendly forms
• How to easily store, update, and access information using MySQL
• Ways to allow the user to edit a database
• E-commerce applications using these three technologies
• How to set up user logins, profiles, and personalizations
• Proper protocols for error handling

Who is this book for?

This book is for beginners who are new to PHP and who need to learn quickly how to create Web sites using open source tools. Some basic HTML knowledge is helpful but not essential.

* An ideal introduction to the entire process of setting up a Web site using PHP (a scripting language), MySQL (a database management system), and Apache (a Web server) * Programmers will be up and running in no time, whether they're using Linux or Windows servers * Shows readers step by step how to create several Web sites that share common themes, enabling readers to use these examples in real-world projects * Invaluable reading for even the experienced programmer whose current site has outgrown the traditional static structure and who is looking for a way to upgrade to a more efficient, user-friendly site * The companion Web site features sample PHP scripts, as well as two fully functional working applications from the book

Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Michael K. Glass, Yann Le Scouarnec, Elizabeth Naramore, Gary Mailer, Jeremy Stolz
Release Date: 2004-03-12
ISBN/EAN: 0764557440 / 9780764557446

New Price: $29.14 / Used Price: $7.33

When you need Apache server solutions right away, look no further than the Apache Server Administrator's Handbook. In an emergency situation, you don't have time to muddle through a book crammed with theory and tutorials. This easy-to-use reference gets you the answers you need to fix the problem.

The topics covered in Apache Server Administrator's Handbook include core directives, standard modules, virtual Web services, SSI, CGI, server monitoring and security, SSL for Apache, Mod Perl, Mod Rewrite, and Mod Proxy.

New Price: $14.68 / Used Price: $0.49

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The Apache Tomcat server and related technologies give Java developers a rich set of tools to quickly build more sophisticated Web applications. Tomcat version 5 supports the latest JSP and Servlet specifications, JSP 2.0, and Servlets 2.4. This completely updated volume offers you a thorough education in Tomcat 5 as well as 4.1.

What does this book cover?

You will learn to solve the problems that arise with installation and configuration, security, system testing, and more. This edition also introduces you to Tomcat clustering for planning and deploying installations in mission-critical production environments, and explores the new support for Tomcat in popular IDEs, such as IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, NetBeans/Sun Java Studio, and JBuilder.

You’ll discover how to manage class loaders and Connectors, understand how to use IIS as a Web server front-end for Tomcat, examine JDBC-related issues in Tomcat, and be ready to put this technology to work.

Here are some other things you'll learn from this book:

• Techniques and troubleshooting tips for installing JVM and Tomcat on Windows and UNIX/Linux systems
• Detailed Tomcat configuration, such as Access log administration, Single Sign-on across Web applications, request filtering, the Persistent Session Manager, and JavaMail session setup
• How to resolve JDBC connectivity issues, including connection pooling, JNDI emulation, configuring a data source, and alternative JDBC configurations
• How to use Web servers like Apache and IIS with Tomcat to serve static content
• A wide range of security issues, from securing Tomcat installations to configuring security policies for Web applications that run on them
• How to configure Tomcat for virtual hosting environments
• Procedures for load-testing Web applications deployed in Tomcat using the open source JMeter framework
• How to set up Tomcat clustering to provide scalability and high availability to Web applications
• How to embed Tomcat within custom applications

Who is this book for?

This book is for J2EE system administrators and Java developers with responsibilities for Tomcat configuration, performance tuning, system security, or deployment architecture.

What is this book about?

Professional Apache Tomcat 5 shows system administrators and Java developers how to install, configure, and run the Tomcat server. The authors focus on solving real-world problems encountered in all phases of server administration, including the following:

• Installation
• Configuration
• Managing class loaders and connectors
• Security
• Shared hosting and clustering
• System testing

The book provides comprehensive coverage of all of the latest features of Tomcat Releases 4.1 and 5.0. (Tomcat 5.0, which is expected to release at the end of this year, supports JSP 2.0 and Servlets 2.4. Given that many companies are slow to upgrade, the authors also cover Release 4.1.).

Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Vivek Chopra, Amit Bakore, Jon Eaves, Ben Galbraith, Sing Li
Release Date: 2004-05-28
ISBN/EAN: 0764559028 / 9780764559020

New Price: $1.50 / Used Price: $0.82

New Price: $18.20 / Used Price: $3.89

If you want exposure to the new open source lightweight SOA-driven Apache Beehive framework project, then pick up Pro Apache Beehive, the first book on this MVC Web framework, which is increasingly gaining interest in the Eclipse community through Eclipse Pollinate. Author Kunal Mittal addresses specific Beehive topics such as page flows, controls, JSR 181 web services, XMLBeans and more.

This book proceeds to describe how these technologies are used in WebLogic Workshop, and how other IDEs are extending support for these technologies. Mittal also compares PageFlows in Workshop to the Standard.

New Price: $0.89 / Used Price: $0.01