Jenson Chew

Thanks Andrew for the reply.

It does make things clearer to me. And the reason I asked those questions is I've been working with various companies before, and a few of them are trying to adopt Scrum, while one of them faded off after the first few weeks and no longer in practice, the other one actually doing it daily, but it really doesn't solve the problem effectively, I believe that's also part of the attitude. Instead of using Scrum meeting for planning and delivery, it sometimes can turn out to be finger pointing and faults blaming; some other times, team members can just smoke through the meeting (due to there's no solid follow up after the meeting, and the next meeting, the members continue the same tactics, and the Scrum master just allow this to keep happening again and again).

I think the attitude really play a vital role in adopting Scrum methodologies, I myself is not a big fan of Scrum, but I think Scrum with XP would be a good combination for software development team if they want to deliver better software and be more productive, as well as really working as a team, not only to solve each member's own sets of problems, but also to help with other members' problems. Working in a agile team is not about accomplishing your own goals and work and that's it, it's about working as a team to deliver quality software fast with the least possible bugs.

I'm quite disappointed with the few companies which I had worked with before, that their Agile adoptions are all but a complete failure.

Is it possible that one to adopt agile methodology in his daily work even though the whole team is not doing so? Would that make any significant contribution to the deliverable and the productivity, as well as the quality of the software? Or it would be better off to be adopted across the team to be effective?

Thanks.

Regards,
Jenson

Dear Stellman and Jennifer,

Glad that nowadays there are more and more Agile discussions and books available. From the various implementation of Agile methodologies, it's clear that there are 1 or 2 more popular implementation of it. Once of them is Scrum, and the other one is XP. Here in Singapore, Scrum seems to be more popular, until Scrum Master course is tailored for those who's interested to become Scrum Master.

To me, it's good for everyone and every team, every company to adopt Agile, however, whether they adopt it successfully and correctly, it's yet to be certified, as I doubt anyone out there would think of whether they need someone to audit their processes, whether the implementation of Agile methodologies in their team and company is successful and correct.

A lot of people out there are always telling people they are adopting agile methodologies, and I wonder whether they are just following trends or really adopting for the better of their developments needs and processes?

I wish to ask how you look at the current trend of Agile, would it just a trendy topic/methodologies, or it will go a long way ahead? Would it transform and get improved into another methodologies? Do wee need a body out there to audit those who are certified Scrum Master, as well as those who claimed they adopted Agile in their development and processes?

Is there any clear key differences and advantages between each implementation, and whether one is more superior than the rest?

What is the right attitude one should have when doing things agile-ly, as well as the key considerations in adopting the correct implementation of Agile, he/she needs?

Thank you for your time.

Regards,
Jenson

Dear Amritendu De,

Thanks for the reply.

If I remember correctly, Hibernate and SPRING were initially developed for Java development.

Thanks for highlighting the key point, that is it's easier to find skilled Spring-Hibernate resources.

I have heard lots of negative feedbacks on SPRING and NHibernate for .NET, and most of the features are only available to Java, though the common features are also made to .NET version.

Sorry that I pull in .NET which is not that relevant, as this is a Java forum. My apologies for that.

I have never been involved with TDD and Agile development before, would really love to kickstart with Java, and have everything setup, even just for many small projects to get myself familiar with it, and maybe to proceed further.

All the while, have been a .NET developer, as Java is not the preferred language for all the past companies I've worked with, even the current company.

Thanks for your efforts and time put in to reply me.

Wish you have great sales volume for your book!

Cheers,
Jenson

Dear Amritendu De,

First of all, I've been inactive for quite osmetime, but after I've read the email notification of this book promo, I can't help but login to ask a few questions here:

1. Agile Java has been around for long, so does SPRING, and the rest. I want to ask how does Spring, Hibernate, Data Modeling, REST and TDD come into picture for Agile Java, what are the benefits of all these in Java development as well as the future development of Java as a choice of programming language, in terms of software development, as well as a programming language itself?

2. SRPING come out from the backgroun of Java development, following its success and popularity, it now has NHibernate for .NET development. What is the benefits you see in pairing it with Java comparing to .NET? They both serve the purposes of different platform needs, however, following the open source adoption by Microsoft on its .NET Framework, how would this affect the future development of SPRING and HIBERNATE, would it be a universal framework next time, instead of a separate version for Java and .NET each?

3. Would TDD be the more popular choice or the default choice for agile development for the near future? Or it's only for now? Or it will last the test of time that this is the ultimate way for agile methodology for Software Engineering world?

Hope I don't self confuse by asking these questions, and hope these are not newbie questions, I beg your pardon if any of my questions offended you or anyone here too.

Thanks for taking your precious time in reading these.

Cheers,
Jenson

Dear Budi,

Thanks for the detailed reply. I appreciated the efforts.

And I just glance through the sample chapter, and it really helps me to understand who this book is for and how it would help me in picking up the latest Java with the background in C#. I find similarities between Java and C# while I was attending Java modules in my part-time degree, as in Data Structure and Algorithms with Java, just to name one.

I think I'm really fond of OO concepts and programming techniques now, though I was not from a very solid OO background.

I look forward to pick up the book and learn the intermediate level of Java as mentioned in the free chapter ;-)

Thanks again! Wish your book become one of the best sellers of the year ;-)

Regards,
Jenson

Dear Budi,

First of all congratz on the book!

I have a few queries today.

1. I always wanted to pick up Java during my free time. I only managed to pick some real basic Java when I was not that busy. I can tell the contents covered by the book that this book is as good as a introductory course book for OOP programming with Java. Any intention to promote this book as one of the choice for course book for colleges and universities?

2. I only learnt Java during my days in polytechnic and never have the chances to put into practice or as the main
Language I used at work. I have all the while a .NET programming using VB which is not really a OO language. Until recently I was forced to pick up c# in new company which I realized its really a 99% steal from Java. For these, I would like to ask how will this book help a C# programmer with past Java experience to pick up Java and move on from here to be a Java programmer, and put what he learns at work?

3. What do you expect readers to benefit from this book? I mean aside from picking up solid OOP concepts and programming with Java? Or maybe rather what can we, as readers can expect and benefit from this book?

4. Does this book provides the solid foundation to readers to move on from there to intermediate or advanced Java programming?

5. Do you plan to write a book on intermediate/advanced Java book any time in the near future? That would definitely make a great series of OO Java books for all of us.

Thanks and have a nice day! ;-)

Cheers,
Jenson

[EDIT: Changed title from Beginner's Solution to Beginner's Tutorial - Jenson]

Welcome Budi!

In fact, I saw a lot of Java developers using Mac too. I was thinking like you before, until I finally save up enough for a Mac, then I never look back, it has become my main development companion, as well as for my part-time studies, my company are MS partners, but in the end they also bought a Mac for the development needs, to develop an app for iPhone to work with our ASP.NET web system.

But then you can use Adobe Flash and AIR to develop for iPhone, and you can still use your Windows, so not necessary a change.

Just my two cents.

Regards,
Jenson

Hi Satish,

Thanks for spending time answering my questions, it's a lot, but your answers and efforts help me!

By the way, I see that those resources are mostly Adobe site, so you would recommend Adobe resources as the best resources to pick up Flex and Flex integration with Java?

I've lost touch of Java since long again, I think stuff like JSP and servlets are definitely areas that I need to learn about and pick them up. I think I would head first with the Java using Head First Java and frequent this forum to pick up Java fast and easily again before I think of Flex 3 integration. I tried to pick up Flex 3 before, but then lacking the support for a good backend support like Java make me unsure of what to do next.

You rocks, Satish!

Thanks again!

Regards,
Jenson

Hi Satish,

I learnt Java during my old school days which mostly touching on basics and simple projects/assignments. After I've been working for quite some years, I've totally lost touch on Java.

But during the search for a RIA language, Flex came into my sight and I explore a lot of Flex but has yet to start on any Flex project yet. Recently, having the chance to further my studies, I took up part-time degree with a local university. They use Java as the programming language of their choice. So I need to pick up all OOP concepts in Java again, as well as coding out the designs.

I was also introduced to Flex front-end and Java back-end and how powerful a Java back-end could be when it comes to supporting the Flex front-end, for example, the so called Server push claimed by Adobe representative in one of the conference held locally.

However, my questions for you is not regarding the integration is more about your book and learning curve itself.

1. By going through the content summary, I notice that the book is more focus on introducing Flex 3 to Java developers, and perhaps how to make use of Flex 3 front-end to work with Java back-end support? Correct me if I misunderstand the book's intentions.

2. How easy could it be to implement Flex 3 with Java? Would doing so require someone not to be a novice programmer, but someone possesses at least intermediate or preferably advanced Java knowledge and experiences?

3. What are the concerns or issues arise by using Flex 3 with Java in terms of security, robustness, and scalability of system being developed?

4. Is there any existing issue while implementing Flex 3 with Java? Any knowledge gap between Flex 3 and Java? If so, how to bridge them? How one programmer or developer can better make use of the advantages provided by both Flex 3 and Java for development?

5. For Flex Development, normally people develop using the in-house IDE developed by Adobe - Flex Builder (now known as Flash Builder), either standalone or as a plugin to Eclipse. Do you have any special preference towards it? Or you actually recommend using open source approach?

6. What do you think is the best approach to develop Flex 3 with Java? What's the best tools and resources you would recommend to someone going to begin development in Flex 3 with Java?

7. Assuming this is not a book for Java programmer, would you be interested in writing a book using Flex 3 with Java which is catering for the needs of Java greenhorns?

I think I should stop here as my questions is going to be very long soon if I don't stop now. I think that's all I wish to know for now.

Thanks.

Regards,
Jenson

Let me dig it up again and reiterate the importance of having such a book =)

Originally posted by Lynn Beighley:
No stored procedures, but yes, all the crucial things you need to learn about SQL. Here's the table of contents, hopefully that will be helpful:

1 Data and Tables: A place for everything
2 The SELECT Statement: Gifted data retrieval
3 DELETE and UPDATE: A change will do you good
4 Smart Table Design: Why be normal?
5 ALTER: Rewriting the past
6 Advanced SELECT: Seeing your data with new eyes
7 Multi-table Database Design: Outgrowing your table
8 Joins and Multi-table Operations: Can�t we all just get along?
9 Subqueries: Queries Within Queries
10 Outer Joins, Self Joins, and Unions: New maneuvers
11 Constraints, Views, and Transactions: Too many cooks spoil the database
12 Security: Protecting your assets

Hi Lynn,

All these look good to me, I think I would be getting one too. When will it be available off the shelf? Or you recommend to purchase from Amazon? ;)

These are just what I'm going to look into, once again, and hopefully another advanced level SQL book.

By the way, Lynn, do you intend to write another intermediate or advanced level SQL book after this Head First SQL?

Regards,
Jenson

Originally posted by Lynn Beighley:
That is correct, Jenson.

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for the reply. I would expect it to help me to learn how to write good SQL statements and adopt good practices too. Would it introduce one to pick up Stored Procedure well? Or it mainly touch on basic things like database designs, basic queries, and etc?

Regards,
Jenson

Hi Lynn,

Welcome to JavaRanch and thanks for helping to clear our doubts here =)

Have been looking out for a good and simple SQL book to recap what I've learned before =)

Regards,
Jenson

Originally posted by Lynn Beighley:
This book strictly covers SQL syntax and database design. It goes into great depth, but is not for the developer who knows SQL and wants to create connections into his applications. It IS for the developer who has never written a query or designed a table.

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for the reply. So can I assume that, if for those who has a little bit of SQL experience (as in learned in college or self-study before), would it be a nice companion for them to pick up SQL again, and to move on to more advanced level?

Thanks.

Regards,
Jenson