Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam |  | Authors: Bryan Basham, Kathy Sierra, Bert Bates
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
List Price: $49.99
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Seller: QSS_Books
Rating:  146 reviews
Sales Rank: 13742
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Pages: 912
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.4
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 8 x 2.2
ISBN: 0596516681
Dewey Decimal Number: 005.376
EAN: 9780596516680
ASIN: 0596516681
Publication Date: March 25, 2008
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Product Description
Imagine a world without eBay...unthinkable! How would you get that Farrah Fawcett poster, retired Beanie Baby, or first-edition pet rock? Handling over a gazillion (OK, we exaggerate--it's actually only 1 billion) page views each day, server-side Java makes eBay work.
Isn't it time you learned the latest (J2EE 1.4) versions of Servlets & JSPs? This book will get you way up to speed on the technology you'll know it so well, in fact, that you can pass the Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) 1.4 exam. If that's what you want to do, that is. Maybe you don't care about the exam, but need to use Servlets & JSPs in your next project. You're working on a deadline. You're over the legal limit for caffeine. You can't waste your time with a book that makes sense only AFTER you're an expert (or worse one that puts you to sleep).
No problem. Head First Servlets and JSP's brain-friendly approach drives the knowledge straight into your head (without sharp instruments). You'll interact with servlets and JSPs in ways that help you learn quickly and deeply. It may not be The Da Vinci Code, but quickly see why so many reviewers call it "a page turner". Most importantly, this book will help you use what you learn. It won't get you through the exam only to have you forget everything the next day.
Learn to write servlets and JSPs, what makes the Container tick (and what ticks it off), how to use the new JSP Expression Language (EL), what you should NOT write in a JSP, how to write deployment descriptors, secure applications, and even use some server-side design patterns. Can't talk about Struts at a cocktail party? That'll change. You won't just pass the exam, you will truly understand this stuff, and you'll be able to put it to work right away.
This new exam is tough--much tougher than the previous version of the SCWCD. The authors of Head First Servlets and JSP know: they created it. (Not that it EVER occurred to them that if they made the exam really hard you'd have to buy a study guide to pass it.) The least they could do is give you a stimulating, fun way to pass the thing. If you're one of the thousands who used Head First EJB to pass the SCWCD exam, you know what to expect!
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 146
 Head First Servlets & JSP rocks! October 2, 2004
Thomas Duff (Portland, OR United States)
46 out of 52 found this review helpful
Looking for either an enjoyable intro into JSP and Servlets or material on passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer exam? Grab a copy of Head First Servlets & JSP by Bryan Basham, Kathy Sierra, and Bert Bates. It rocks...
Chapter list: Intro; Why use Servlets & JSPs; Web app architecture; Mini MVC tutorial; Being a servlet; Being a web app; Conversational state; Being a JSP; Script-free pages; Custom tags are powerful; When JSTL is not enough; Deploying your web app; Keep it secret, keep it safe; The power of filters; Enterprise design patterns; Final mock exam; Index
I've stated my preference in the past to learning subjects with a bit of humor thrown in. OK... a *lot* of humor. If I have a chance to pick up a new tech skill with a study guide that makes me laugh and stay interested, I'm in heaven. Is it any wonder then that I absolutely love the Head First series? Bates and Sierra have created a concept that is unlike anything else on the market. Through the use of cartoons, hand-drawn examples, off-beat questions, and other various types of learning material, they engage your brain on a number of levels. And as a result, you're sucked in and learning stuff in spite of yourself.
In this installment, they tackle the subject of servlets and JSPs. Rather than try and explain things "technically", they have a common cast of characters throughout the book making observations and points about the material. Using the hand-drawn notes around illustrations and code, you quickly understand the underlying concepts of what happens with servlet requests and responses, and how JSPs interact with the web server. And given that there are exercises and questions at the end of each chapter (along with the answers), you have a chance to reinforce your learning immediately.
There are two uses for this book. The primary goal is to help you pass the Sun Certified Web Component Developer exam. If you already know about servlets and JSPs, get the book for the mock exam and the questions at the end of each chapter. The authors helped write the actual Sun test, so you'll get a good feel for the types of questions you'll face. The other use of this book would be to learn and understand the subject matter, like a tutorial. Once again, an excellent choice for that purpose. You'll still need to get some sort of "official" reference book of some sort if you get deeper into the material, but this is a perfect way to get started.
Once again, another winner from the warped minds that created the Head First concept. May they continue to thrive for a long time!
 Head first SCWCD September 19, 2005
Riccardo Audano (Chiavari, Italy)
24 out of 28 found this review helpful
Written in the now familiar light and funny style of the Head First Series, this text is also extremely precise, clear, correct and informative. Be warned though, tit has the wrong title. (that's why I give it 4 star instead of 5). It should be called
Head First SCWCD and not Head First Servlets & JSP, since the scope of this text is to prepare you for the SCWCD exam, and it succeeds in that brilliantly. As a first book to learn Servlets & JSP programming though, I think it is a terrible, if funny, book.
In fact it is very good on conceptual matters and especially on the tricky casees and questions that you might encounter in the exam, but it lacks the hands on and by example approach necessary to learn how to actually DO things.
[...] This said, it is still a great book if you intend to refresh or improve your Servlet and JSP knowledge, or to actually take the exam and get certified.
Only , please, enough with this style, let's find another funny one, if I read another Java book with martial arts characters in it I will feel sick ! ;)
Excellent, but not perfect September 8, 2005
Yo-shou Tsao
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I have read the book and pass the SCWCD exam. Overall speaking, this is an excellent book for prepare the exam.
However, there are two issues with the book
1. The layout of the book content is very uncommon. It is good, but you need time to get used with it.
2. There are too many error in the first edition. You can find the errata on Oreilly website, which is about 16 pages!
Very Good, But ... February 3, 2005
Self-Study (N. VA,USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I generally agree with most of the positive reviews. I always disliked the verbose style of old Orielly books - no white space, few diagrams, summaries, tables, etc. However buyers should consider some downsides to the style of this book.
You'll need to get through 700+ pages to complete this book compared to about half that for "Professional SCWCD Certification" Granted the scope of the exam has grown, but this is also due to it's style, and making it an introductory book as well as a study guide. On one hand, you'll find you will read these pages faster. So it's nearly a wash. On the other, there were many times I wanted the shorter version of the test topic.
Some may find the style makes them a bit dyslexic. For some, too many pictures can be distracting.
It doesn't seem it will be a great reference. However, its good writing may trump the fact that it's not organized like a reference.
Overall, it's hard to beat, especially if this is the one book you get on JSP/Servlets - well written, large scope, goes from introduction to SCWCD. But it may not be the best for someone who's just looking for a study guide or reference.
Bottom line: I would buy it despite these stylistic downsides.
Quirky presentation will reap rewards. September 5, 2006
K. Keller (Dublin, Ireland)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Ordinarily, I'd regard myself as having a healthy cynicism for the style and approach of the Head First series; all those pictures and diagrams, and characters with thought bubbles appearing throughout the book, are, well, a bit frivolous and dizzy. Just give me the facts, in a straightforward manner, and I'll learn the material, thank you very much.
However, I've been converted. This book, while appearing wacky and perhaps ludicrous, does what it claims to do, with aplomb. All those funky graphics do actually help to break up what is a rather large amount of information that you need to absorb in order to pass the Sun Certified Web Component Developer exam; they are beneficial to your learning, and indeed almost become endearing.
I quickly realised my aloof attitude was unfounded, and that this was a quality learning tool. I threw myself into the book and surprised myself with the wealth of knowledge that I gained.
Many of the facets of web applications, of which I had a cursory understanding prior to reading this book, began to slot into place, and their relevance to one another became apparent as I progressed through the book. The big picture was revealed bit by bit.
Either to learn more about how web applications work, or to pass your SCWCD exam, this book has plenty to offer those with little hands-on experience of coding web applications, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 146
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