Java Event Handling by Grant Palmer

<pre>Author/s : Grant Palmer
Publisher : Prentice Hall
Category : Advanced Java
Review by : Michael Ernest
Rating : horseshoes</pre>
Event handling is not a subject that needs a thick book. I'm looking at my O'Reilly Java books that cover a similar scope and notice they're all under 300 pages. They look and feel readable.
Java Event Handling is 590 pages. Most of it covers the "event API." There are, for my expectations, too few pages that explain events, their workings, and how they power Java. There are almost no pictures, which is a real shame. The index also tells a story: I had trouble finding entries that weren't class or method names.
There's so much one can say about events: JavaBeans, RMI, EJB, Jini, Jiro all rely heavily on them. The least interesting thing is knowing the names of classes and what their methods do; those things should be the by-product of discussion and illustration, not the centerpiece.
The book does seem like a complete reference on its subject. And there are code samples, more than a few, to illustrate key points. Someone who feels lost and wants a lot of examples for a guide may benefit from it. But the "deep questions" that follow learning by repetition don't get much support. Those who can take the precepts given on faith will find it serviceable; those who want proof the author knows what he's talking about will find it unsatisfying.
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