Is the book best for beginning user?

Is Core J2EE Patterns: Best Practices and Design Strategies best for beginning user?

What do you mean by a "beginning user"? Generally, it's better to first learn what the technology is all about (i.e. actual coding if possible) and then learn about design patterns, anti patterns, etc.

start with www.patterndepot.com/put/8/JavaPatterns.htm

what is the design patterns and anti patterns?
Are these like something OO design?
thanks

I would suggest that you do a search in this forum

For design patterns
http://www.patterndepot.com/put/8/Background.PDF

I've seen these patterns books and have wondered which one is good for starting off with myself. I have been programming in java for a while, but wouldn't these books be more general in nature, more of a high level approach to how you would implement something, wouldn't they provide insight in how something should be developed even in other languages possibly?

Originally posted by siu chung man:
what is the design patterns and anti patterns?
Are these like something OO design?

Design patterns are proven ways to structure one's code to solve a problem. Anti-patterns are the opposite--recipes for trouble if you don't avoid them. The best way to start learning about design patterns is to read a book. Google for "Thinking in Patterns", for example. It's a free PDF by Bruce Eckel (the author of the whole "Thinking in..." series).

Originally posted by John Hembree:
I've seen these patterns books and have wondered which one is good for starting off with myself. I have been programming in java for a while, but wouldn't these books be more general in nature, more of a high level approach to how you would implement something, wouldn't they provide insight in how something should be developed even in other languages possibly?

There are both "pattern catalog" type of books and "patterns applied" type of books. The other describes patterns, displays some UML and perhaps some code. The other focuses on the code and explicit case studies.

There is also "Head First EJB" which is due out Septemeber by JavaRanch's own Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates. The "Head First Java" was an excellent book, so I am hoping for good things in their next tome.
Hope that helps
Andrew
A carrot is as close as a rabbit gets to a diamond. Capt. Beefheart

but this book is for SCBCD

Originally posted by Andrew Lowcock:
There is also "Head First EJB" which is due out Septemeber by JavaRanch's own Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates. The "Head First Java" was an excellent book, so I am hoping for good things in their next tome.
Hope that helps
Andrew
A carrot is as close as a rabbit gets to a diamond. Capt. Beefheart

Originally posted by Lasse Koskela:

There are both "pattern catalog" type of books and "patterns applied" type of books. The other describes patterns, displays some UML and perhaps some code. The other focuses on the code and explicit case studies.

So I'm assuming that this is more of a pattern applied style that's in the book promotion this week.

So I'm assuming that this is more of a pattern applied style that's in the book promotion this week.

Actually, I believe (based on the 1st edition) it's more of a pattern catalog but I'll let the authors themselves say the last word on this... You might also want to take a look at this thread.

From all the reviews I have read of this book, it is a catalogue book and not applied, there was a specific thread about this distinction but I can not find it now.

OK, I have found it now, here it is: http://www.coderanch.com/t/312351/EJB-JEE/java/Comaprision

If it's more of a catalogue then how is it design patterns for J2EE? Do they look at the core technologies in J2EE and then only discuss the patterns that would match that technology?
Thanks for the link I will look at it, maybe it would have answered my question if I read that before posting.
[ August 29, 2003: Message edited by: John Hembree ]

Do they look at the core technologies in J2EE and then only discuss the patterns that would match that technology?

Yep.

Of the many pattern books at the bunkhouse then, what's a good book to learn about patterns in general. I'm new to java and patterns but not to programming in itself, I've been doing it for years just in the M$ world...

Well, there's always the Gang of Four book (examples in C++) and it's Java "translation", Applied Java Patterns. They present a number of fundamental design patterns that every software developer should know about.

Also, there's Design Patterns Explained, which has gotten great reviews (I haven't read it but it must be good). And many have suggested that it's a great book to start the journey with...

Thanks for the info.

Originally posted by Lasse Koskela:
...the Gang of Four book

The so-called GoF book is THE BEST FIRST INTRODUCTION for anyone who is new to Design Patterns. If you first gain familiarity with the basic design patterns by Gamma, et al, you should be able to appreciate more fully the higher-level patterns in books such as Alur, et al.
By the way :roll: the phrase "Gang of Four" should not alarm our Chinese friends: it has nothing to do with a certain political situation which was called by this phrase, mostly by Western pundits/news-makers

. It refers to the four wonderful authors of the Design Patterns book. I'm sure you all knew this.

John
[ August 29, 2003: Message edited by: john prieur ]