Product Description
Aimed at helping Java developers, Servlet/JSP developers, andJ2EE developers pass the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam(SCWCD), this guide covers all the important aspects of the Servletand JSP technology including Design Patterns and Filters. Also coveredare the installation of Tomcat and the basics of XML, and Exam QuickPrep for refreshing important concepts at the last minute. Theaccompanying CD includes JWebPlus, the exam simulator fromEnthuware that contains three full size tests on the SCWCDpattern. More than 300 questions in the form of Quizlets, ReviewQuestions, and JWebPlus are included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (105)

Very Good Condition
I never thought of used book is in this condition. Its looks like a new book. I am vary happy with book. I hope in future, I will get book in this condition only.

I have given 5 starts becos of the book condition.

Outdated!
This book was good during it's time, but now it is outdated. The book is designed for SCWCD 1.3, and did a great job covering all the topics. However, Sun Microsystem discontinued SCWCD 1.3 on December 2004. So, if you are like me, disappointed with head first books and looking to be certified as fast as possible, do yourself a favor and buy the second edition of this book. You won't regret it.

Best Test Preparation Material for SCWCD 1.3
This is not only a good book for SCWCD 1.3 exam, but also a good reference for web application development. I read this book thoroughly and took some mock exams available in the internet, then i appeared for the real exam. I got 98%. I would strongly recommend this book for customers to buy.

All you need
This book is all you need to pass the SCWCD Exam in the 1.3 version, I studied extra subjects in order to pass the 1.4 version.

Excellent book.

Good study guide, if out of date and a little boring
This is a solid and useful study guide. Especially useful are the questions at the end of the each chapter, the electronic practice exams on the CD, and the quizlets. The book lacks hands on programming projects, or programming assignments, which would have been really useful for solidifying the material. Yes, you can make stuff like this up for yourself, but then why are you buying a book?

Also note that this book is not for the current version of the exam, and after december 14th 2004, the version of the exam that the book was made for will no longer be relevant.

My favorite chapter was the one on enterpise design patterns. The author also has a good little section on showing how all of the design patterns presented fit into the enterprise architecture as a whole. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the best ways for a Java programmer to stand out from the crowd is to become a Sun Certified Java Programmer, Developer, or Architect. This book helps Java developers prepare for all three certification exams. One of the strengths of this book is that it is extremely focused--it doesn't contain extraneous information, a history of Java, or background on related technologies. This book gives readers exactly what they need to pass the exams. This book also contains a uniques test engine (written in Java by the author) to help readers assess their skills and become confident with the structure of the exams. Amazon.com Review
With full coverage of the three latest Sun Java certificationexams, Java 2 Certification Training Guide provides anexcellent resource for any Java programmer prepping for thesetests.

The best thing about this book is its insider-trackperspective on three Sun exams. This book concentrates on theProgrammer exam (which comprises well over half the book) but alsoaddresses the Architect and Developer tests.Since the author hasworked with Sun to help develop the actual exams, he is a worthy guideto the material here. And as the author himself points out, even ifyou are a great Java programmer, passing these exams isn't easybecause they include details--and sometime obscure features--that youdon't use every day.

Even if you are an experienced Java developer,you will appreciate the author's thorough tour of Java languagefundamentals, core classes, and packages. Even the book's numeroustables present Java information efficiently.

Rather than a generalguide to Java programming, the presentation is geared closely to whatyou'll need for these certification tests. Another standout featurehere are the review questions, which follow Sun's format and style aswell as the inclusion of a sample computer-based exam on CD-ROM.

For readers seeking a higher level of Java certification, the bookprovides everything you will need for the Architect and Developerexams too. Besides a review of Java APIs like JDBC and Remote MethodInvocation (RMI), you will find material on the basics of distributedsystems, including short sections on CORBA and DCOM. For Developercertification, the book lists dos and don'ts for writingsuccessful code on the exam.

With its mix of expert guidance andchallenging sample test questions, Java 2 Certification TrainingGuide makes for an effective guide to getting certified on today'sJava 2 platform. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:test preparation for the Sun Certified Programmer, Architect, andDeveloper Exams; Java language fundamentals; core packages; threads;AWT; event handling; graphics; I/O; Java object-oriented anddistributed architectures; security; JDBC; and RMI. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

This books is very bad, do not buy it.
This book is atrocious.It is very expensive and is completely valueless for passing the exam.It provides no real information, rather it is an endless checklist of things that you need to know to pass the exam.Sun provides this for free in their test objectives list.The mock exam is exactly that, a mockery of an exam.The test engine barely works (I had to modify several files to get it to work) and the questions are poorly phrased and confusing.I would strongly advice anyone who wants to pass the test to save their money and purchase another book instead....

Riddled with errors, typos, and omissions
So far I have read 6 chapters of Part I.There is a typo or an outright mistake on nearly every page.Semantics of the language are described either incorrectly or in terms too vague to even be wrong.Whoever typeset the thing put "fi" and "fl" ligatures in the monospaced code typeface, and after about 100 pages forgot to indicate syntactic metavariables with italics.When I read others' reviews saying that the real exam questions are much harder than those in this book, and then I find that the ones in the book actually have incorrect answers given in some cases, I lose all faith in the rest.I guess you get what you pay for.

Outdated Programmer Cert Section
Used this book exclusively to study for the J2CP test.The example questions were outdated and nowhere near the level of complexity found on the actual test.I passed, but not because of this book (5+ yrs experience w/ Java).

The developer certification section was short on content.Now that Sun has beefed up the Architect exam, I wouldn't trust the Architect section in this book.

The book is good at giving you a solid understanding of the Java language basics.However, the purpose of buying a book like this is to prepare for and pass the certification tests, and there is no hope for someone with little experience to pass any of the exams using this book.

Okay but not great
This book is adequate as a supplement as you prepare for the exam , but it is not exceptional.There were a couple questionable topics, in particular, be cautious of the explanation it gives of polymorphism.The coverage of the Developer exam is very brief, but if you are buying the book only to pass the programmer exam, you should probably do fine.Personally, I found The Complete Java 2 Certificaion Study Guide to be clearer and more effective.

Not the first book I would purchase to prepare for the exam
In preparation for the Java 2 Programmer exam, I worked through this, and two other texts; "A Programmer's Guide to Java Certification" by Mughal and Rasmussen, and "Java 2 Exam Prep" by Bill Brogen.This book, in my opinion, was the weakest of the three.I would only recommend it as a supplemental source of practice questions once you have worked through another certification guide (or two).

Although this book does cover all of the major areas of theexam (test# 310-025), it is missing quite a bit of the syntactical minutia that the exam is so notorious for containing.It is also my opinion that this book does not contain enough "debugging" type review questions- where you a presented with a block of code and asked what (if anything) is syntactically incorrect. This type of question wass very common on the version of the exam that I recently took.

If you are preparing for the exam, I think your best bet is "A Programmer's Guide to Java Certification" by Mughal and Rasmussen.If you reach a point at which you can answer all of the review and practice questions in this book, you are probably more than prepared to take a shot at certification.

I'd also like to recommend the three Marcus Green practice tests (available from javaranch.com).They are an excellent last-minute study tool and an accurate indicator of how well you will do on the actual exam.My actual score turned out to be a few points higher than my average score on these practice tests.

Good Luck!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Java is the fastest-growing programming language, which explains why Sun's programmer and developer certifications are two of the hottest in the industry. As popular as Java is, it can be a daunting topic for a beginner.

Java Certification JumpStart demystifies the subject and gives aspiring Java programmers the solid foundation they need to pursue more advanced Java training. Written by an experienced instructor, this book is an ideal first-step for Java certification candidates, or those considering a career in Java programming who have little or no experience with the technology. And it's a perfect precursor to Sybex's best-selling Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide, 3ed (ISBN: 0782140777). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best Java Book for Beginners or for those revising
After 2.5 years of not doing any Java Programming, my skills have become a little rusty, so I have decided to study for the SCJP. Then I realized that most Java books out there don't teach you the fundamentals very well. For a beginner's book, one thing I will expect are instructions on how to set path (yes... after 2.5 years of not programming I nearly forgot how to set path). This is one of the very few books that have instructions on how to do so. It is also very clear in explaining the basic concepts needed for Java. Unlike some other books, it does not have complicated programming examples that require plenty of deciphering to be able to understand the concept its trying to illustrate. Instead, it uses very simple, to the point examples to explain java concepts. It helped to clear up many misunderstandings I had about the subject. This is a great book for those who are just starting out or like me, need a bit of revision. This book is not the only book I'll have to read to study for the SCJP (for that, I'll also need to read the SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Exam 310-065), but it is a good starting point for building a strong foundation in Java programming.

Good first Java book
I picked this book up cheap and with little effort you can too.I'm not saying this is the best Java book in the world, but it certainly does what it says it does.Introduce you to Java and giving you lots of useful information that will save you time.I wasn't able to find anywhere to download the code, but I had no problems compiling it after I typed it in.There is enough of these books out there now that people have whipped through to not buy it new.So if you are looking for a first Java book for $1-5 I'd say this is good choice. ... Read more

Product Description
Sun Microsystems--the creator of Java--offers a Certification Exam that programmers take to demonstrate their proficiency with the language. Passing the test can mean a higher salary or a better job. This book is the ultimate authority for taking the test--since the author of the book actually developed the exam for Sun! He designed and implemented the testing guidelines and wrote the questions! This Study Guide covers every exam objective defined by Sun--including sample questions and annotated answers--and has been given the stamp of approval from the Sun Education Team. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (105)

Java certification material
If you are preparing for JCP examination, go for this book. The concepts are very clearly stated in an easily understandable language. It is worth buying !

I like this book
This book by simon roberts is a very fine book which helps even the beginners who are new to the language understand the concepts very clearly. I would even say that this is the best book for all those who want to take the JCP exam.Finally I would like to cong'late simon and philip for writing such a splendid book.

Good Book - but exam is much more
I studied this book to complement my knowledge of java for java 1.1 exam. The objectives are served well and the book is nice to study. I particularly liked the discussion on Layouts and language fundamentals.... Though this book is good but the real exam covers more like reading fromsockets, number conversion etc.Hope this helps!

missing notes
Some of the certification themes r missing like GridBagLayou

Excellent resource for certication
This book is requisite for anyone who want to clear certication.The advantage to the readers of this book is that every topic discussed is to the point.there are certain objective like "is a" "hasa" relationships among classes is left out in this book. The authorsof this book has precise knowlwdge of pattern of examination. In all a mustfor java certifcation aspirant ... Read more

Product Description
This exam guide prepares readers for the two official Sun Java certification exams. The book/CD-ROM set contains more than 20 practice tests based on real Sun proctored exams. The practice tests on CD-ROM give the reader automated grading and results. The book contains complete coverage of Java 1.2 and all the related technologies that a Java developer needs to understand to pass the exams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (65)

The best book I have ever read, including the Bible
Ladies and gentlemen,

Never in the course of history has someone contributed in such a significant manner to the furthering of mankind.Mr. Jardin has outdone even Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in thrusting himself into the limelight as a leader of all humanity.With a clever combination of technical "boo-boos" interspersed with a collage of typographical errors, Mr. Jardin has kept apace with if not surpassed such literary and scientific talents as Hawthorne, Ibsen, Arthur C. Clarke, Steven Hawking and Snoop Doggy Dog.Java is truly the world's language; "C.J." has found new and exciting interpretations into not only the Java programming language but also the English "speaking" language.
Had I more resources, I would purchase all available remaining copies; had I more ability, I would praise Mr. Jardin in even loftier terms.And Mr. Jardin can use all of your help -- he is currently a down-and-out developer living on the streets of downtown San Diego writing code for food.Please give back to Cary, if for no other reason than for all that he has given to us in this timeless, never-ending book for the ages, destined to outpace the Bible as the most influential work in existence today.

- Zorkon

Way too many errors!
I bought the book a couple of years ago & started reading it.After a few chapters I stopped because I was too disgusted with the large number of errors, which included both typos & obviously incorrect information (e.g. byte claimed to be 16 bits long).I have subsequently bought, read, & recommend both the Simon Roberts book and the Bill Brogden book.Personally, I think the Roberts book is better.

Oh My God!
I just spent two days working through the first five chapters of the book.At first, the typos were amusing, but after a while, they became extremely frustrating and tedious.I must admit, I learned a lot cross-checking the gargage that he was dishing out. I can not believe that New Riders wouldn'tpublish an errata sheet for this book.It's a published rough draft thatwas never was never seen by a technical editor--an absolute embarrassmentfor New Riders and Cary Jardin.I blame New Riders and will avoid theirpublications.

I guess I've gotta shop for another book, now.You should,too.

I cannot believe this book was published.
This book is so poor I have been forced to take New Riders press off our recommended book sellers list.It is obvious that it has never been looked at by a technical editor.

What is even worse is that New Riders andMacmillan Computer Publishing have not issued any update or even errata forthe text.

Purchase the Boone or Roberts/Heller text instead.

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eeffefewffdfsffdfsdfsdfs ... Read more

Product Description
Nobody wins the Masters the first time they play golf.Nobody gets recruited by the Toronto Maple Leafs the first time they strap on skates.To be good at anything, you have to practice, and to become SCJA Certified, you have to practice hard. If you want to pass the Sun Certified Java Associate exam, you have got to practice, and no other resource on the market will empower you to pass the exam like this one: Cameron McKenzie's Ultimage SCJA Exam Questions Guide.To pass the SCJA certification exam, you've got to be ready for the tricky and challenging questions Sun will throw at you. Get prepared by getting The SCJA Exam Questions Guide, and hone your Java skills on over 350 exam inspired questions - the equivalent of SEVEN FULL SCJA EXAMS!LASER SHARP COVERAGE OF EACH EXAM OBJECTIVEThe book starts off with an in depth look at each of the objective sections of the SCJA exam. For each top level objective, twenty or more, highly focused, exam inspired, mock exam questions are thrown at the SCJA candidate. The questions are then thoroughly answered in impressive detail, explaining not only why the given answer is correct, by why other options are incorrect as well. After covering all eight sections of the SCJA exam, the reader has been challenged with over 160 exam related questions, effectively preparing the candidate for the SCJA test sitting. But the testing of the candidate doesn't stop there!HIGHLY TARGETED MOCK EXAM QUESTIONSFrom there, the reader is taken through three, twenty question, mock SCJA exams.The SCJA exam can be broken down into three separate sections: understanding Java technologies, understanding object-oriented analysis and design, and basic Java syntax. A twenty question mock exam is dedicated to each of these sections.Following this, the reader is challenged on 15 Java 1.5 related questions, 15 fundamental questions, and finally, a 51 question, mock exam simulation.The Equivalent of More Than 6, Full, SCJA Exams in total!! Get it now, and get SCJA certified, FAST. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Passed on the First Attempt
I used this book, the Sun Learning Connection Web Based Training courses 'Fundamentals of the Java Programming Language (J2SE)' and 'Java Programming Fundamentals' and the first test in the Sun Learning Connection Java Technology ePractice Certification Exams, and I passed the SCJA exam on my first attempt this morning. It's a great little resource.

Lessons learned:
- Slow down! Take your time and read the question and all of the possible answers completely through before actually answering the question
- Read carefully - sometimes the difference between a right answer and a wrong answer is one little semicolon
- Book some study time on your calendar and schedule your test - this will give you some incentive to actually take the time to prepare and will help prevent you putting the test off until it's more 'convenient'

Michael Slater's suggestion to go through the book, then supplement with other sources and then go through it again is spot-on. Make sure you read and understand the answer explanations thoroughly, especially for the questions that you answer incorrectly.

If you master the information in this book you should be able to pass the exam without too much difficulty. Good luck!

gives you the confidence you need to pass
This book is packed with over 350 questions and thorough answers.

Each exam objective gets hit with about 10-15 different questions, tackling the objective from every angle that is possible.

It's hard to believe that anyone could go through this book, do all the questions, and not come out of the SCJA exam with an incredibly high score.

do this before you take the exam
If you want a high score on the exam, start going through this book about a week before your exam date. When you write, make sure you can answer all the questions correctly and you know why certain answers are right, and why certain answers are wrong. The book provides all of thet information so it help you learn all of the really important things that might trip you up on the exam.

A quick "SCJA Mock Questions" review
The book seems larger on the web, don't let the photos trick you into thinking you are getting a huge book for the price. Although, the book seems to cover all the material and at close to 400 pages is probably a good deal. After all, there isn't much out there on this subject available on public sites...(check with the school bookstores, but i dont think many people have spent much time writing textbooks on this subject)maybe thats why the publisher charges so much for a book thats only 8.5 x 5.5 inches!

Helpful questions with solutions
The practise tests are thorough and the author explains the answers in detail. Its good to have if you already know java programming and you want to prepare for the SCJA test. ... Read more

Product Description
Java 2 Exam Prep, 2nd Edition is the updated and revised version of one of our best selling titles in the Exam Prep series.This content-rich and highly detailed book gives the reader not only thorough test preparation for the Sun Certified Java Programmer, Java 2 exam (310-025), but also serves as a valuable on-the-job reference.The book covers key test content and objectives like learning Java language fundamentals, creatingAmazon.com Review
Written for the new or experienced Java developer seeking Sunprogrammer certification, Java 2 Exam Prep provides a conciseand quite thorough review of the nuts and bolts of the Javaprogramming language, along with an appealing mix of review questionsand hands-on exercises.

The tour of the Java programming languageprovided in Java 2 Exam Prep naturally centers on the basicsneeded to complete certification. You'll get all the required detailshere, including everything from keywords, data types, and arrays todesigning classes and using built-in APIs like AWT, Swing, and networkclasses.

But it's the review test questions that are probably thedistinguishing feature of this book. Each chapter presents about 20review questions. (Earlier sections generally have more, and latersections have a few less.) By the end of the book, any reader whocarefully works through these problems will have a definite leg up onthe certification exam. While other review books certainly providesample Java questions, the range of quizzed material in Java 2 ExamPrep is a standout.

Each chapter also has short hands-onexercises. After reading about basic concepts and necessary APIs andtrying out the test questions, you might discover holes in your Javaknowledge. The exercises let you build knowledge in weaker areas. Thelayout of each chapter lets you concentrate on those areas that needthe most work.

If the format of Java 2 Exam Prep is awinner, its pleasant tone and clearly presented review of essentialmaterial can help bring blurry topics into focus. Though the Javacertification exams themselves are known for their sometimes arcanedetail, the upfront style of Java 2 Exam Prep may be just whatyou need to review Java successfully and earn Javacertification. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: TheJava certification process, Java data types, installing the JDK, flowcontrol, exceptions, arrays, class design, patterns, garbagecollection, thread programming, AWT and JFC/Swing basics, layoutmanagers, event handling, AWT and Java 2D graphics APIs, I/O,SmartCards, and servlet fundamentals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (102)

Way off the Mark
Although I did pass the exam, it was with no help from this book, the exam questions are nothing like the reall exam, save yourself the time, use another study guide and get yourself self test software

Regarding A reader from Lee's Summit's Review
| is both a bitwise and logical op in Java unlike in C or C++. The || op is called the conditional-or. See page 388 and 389 of the Java language spec, 2nd ed.

Factual error on the VERY FIRST PAGE!....
You would think that a study guide would be pretty accurate, but ... WOW!I found several factual errors on the very first page of the book.The following error is on the "Cram Sheet" which is the very first page of the book (right behind the cover).The Cram Sheet says "Logical OR operators | and ||."Well, | is not a logical operator; it is a bitwise arithmetic operator.It goes on to say in the next two sentences "The | operator always evaluates both operands.The || operator 'short-circuits' an evaluation and does not evaluate the right hand term ...".WOW!!!!!!!!!!Nuf said!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a bad choice, but don't make it your primary study guide
I had just passed the Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 1.4 Platform exam (with a score of 80%), and I want to help prospective test takers in finding the "right" Java study guide.I bewildered by the number of books available, and I had to try many of them before I settled on the right one.Here are my short reviews for each of the major Java study guides:

"Sun Certified Programmer & Developer for Java 2 Study Guide" by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates (five stars): I felt this book was the best among all the Java study guides.Both the authors were responsible for the Java certification exam's development, and the practice questions are *very* similar to the actual exam. The authors also cover exactly what will be on the 1.4 exam, pointing out potential topics, questions, and pitfalls.I can't recommend this book highly enough.

"A Programmer's Guide to Java Certification" by Khalid Mughal and Rolf Rasmussen (four stars): This is a good choice if you plan on taking the 1.2 exam.The book also has a dual purpose of teaching Java and sometimes goes beyond the actual scope of the exam, but it is nonetheless excellent.However, as the title suggests, this isn't the book for you if you don't have any programming experience.Also, the book's practice questions are much, much harder than the actual exam.

"Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide (3rd Edition)" by Philip Heller and Simon Roberts (two stars): This was the most disappointing book of all.I don't know why so many people swear by it, but the book appeared to have been rushed into production.Many of the errors and typos have been updated in the book's second printing, but the book's coverage of topics is quite weak.Lastly, the practice questions were not only too easy, but they don't look very similar to how questions look on the real test.It's not a terrible book (many people appear to have passed the exam with just this book), but there are better options.

"Java 2 Exam Prep" by Bill Brodgen (three stars): This compact study guide isn't a bad choice for prospective test takers with a good Java foundation.It covers all the exam's topics succinctly, but as another reviewer noted, it should not be your primary study guide.I personally did not find the book particularly useful.

Lastly, sign up for Sun's ePractice practice exams. You'll get three sample tests, and they will help you prepare for the exam by showing you how the questions will look and what type of questions they will ask.I didn't like the idea of spending the extra money, but the practice exams definitely helped me prepare for the real thing.

I highly recommended this book
I'm not so agree with some of the comment that have been posted on this book, I have used this book for my preparation for SCJP exam and till now after two years, I still have farely good impression on the book and refer it in my day to day work. I admit this book cant be used solely as the only guide especially for newbie but it serve as a good complement to a more detail guide, i pick up tricks from this book which I cant find in other place, in certain area it really shield light when I was confused by other material.

I passed with 86% from zero knowledge of Java in less than 3 months time, I think this book have lift me up to certain level.
Get it if you want to score high and pass at the first time ... Read more

Product Description
--This e-trainer prepares you for your Java 2 certification exam with in-depth coverage of all objectives in a specialized adaptive format.--Contains an assessment test to help you plan your study, a personalized test engine and lesson plans, and hundreds of sample test questions to help you attain Java 2 Certification.--Perfect companion to the Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide and Exam Notes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Learning Java From the Bug Kings?
I bought this software primarily to get another angle on the certification test, but this software is unusable!

I installed it on two different machines (one Windows 2000, the other Windows 98), and in each case it failed to run properly.In one case (W98), the user could do nothing, since the left navigation applet crashes and so allows for no navigation.In the other (W2000) the user could take a test, and it would display a your score, but it would fail when the user attempted to display any question that had been previously graded.

The software is built upon Java applets that run in a browser, but it fails with null pointer exceptions (as seen in the Java console), all over the place.If I were Simon Roberts, Philip Heller, or Michael Ernest, I'd feel like hiding where no one would find me.I mean, here they are, with their names on this software that's supposed to teach Java, and the Java code that's driving the application crashes with null pointers?!?Sad, very sad.I'm just glad I didn't pay retail.

Just buy the book
The software basically covers the SAME EXACT INFO as the book and 99.99% of the times its word for word the same. Why spend extra money ? Just get the book. Also, on my computer there were about 15 - 20 test questions where some html tags were not interpreted properly and were therefore indecipherable in some cases (I do know HTML). The book is great. Just get the book. The authors could have did a lot more with this concept, but sadly they didn't.I did pass the SCJP test and their book helped a lot.

"Must-have" software for the serious Java Cert student
This is an excellent tool not only for learning ALL of the Java Certification material but also for charting the progress of your study.

It allows you instantly to review your progress. And with it's comprehensive review questions it's very useful for helping to pinpoint troublespots or missing areas in your study.

This is the only tool I've come across that easily helps you determine if what you THINK you know is the same as what you ACTUALLY know.

After completing all of the many review questions and practice tests contained in this product, the Exam itself was almost an anti-climax!

It deals especially well with some topics like Threads and IO which are really not covered all that well with other guides.

Initially I was somewhat concerned with the rather steep cost of this guide but as it turned out it was well worth the price!

Useful tool
Worthwhile complement to "Complete Java 2 Certification."Offers practice and timed exams.Keeps statistics.Allows review of answered questions.Provides explanation for each question.Good investment.

Not Ready For Prime Time
There are a number of subtle errors present in the material.The material states that the call to string1.toUpperCase() alters the value of string1.Please recall that Strings are immutable.I have found that there is some very good material here that I was unaware of.The sybex web-site offers no errata. ... Read more

Product Description

Cracking the Sun Java Programmer Plus (SJPP) certification exam is not an easy task. But the difficult search for a comprehensive yet concise study guide ends here. This book walks you step-by-step through programming techniques and solutions designed to prepare you for the exam, providing the knowledge and confidence that is necessary for success.

Cracking Sun Java Programmer Plus Certification equips the reader for SJPP certification through a hands-on presentation of the complete objectives of the exam. It creatively applies flowcharts/pseudo code/UML to analyze a programming task, evaluate it, and develop real Java code to solve itâ€"all of the steps that are expected in SJPP exam. The book also gives insight into typical programming mistakes and guides the reader to avoid traps and pitfalls. Concepts are reinforced using hundreds of coding examples, as well as pictures and illustrations.

Product Description
How many different ways can a great technical book stand out from the pack? That's a question you'll be able to answer in spades, once you ve gone through Cameron McKenzie s, Ultimate SCJA Certification Study Guide.Everyone that puts their hands on the SCJA Certification Guide, from www.scja.com, comments on two things right away: 1) how entertaining the book is, and 2) how easy it is to read. "I couldn t believe it! I read through the first three chapters in one sitting, and those three chapters made me want to read three more!" Those are the types of comments we are flooded with when people finally get their hands on their SCJA Certification Guide.And there are very good reasons as to why this Java book is so readable, and so enjoyable, not the least of which is the fact that the entire book was written, from start to finish, by one, and only one, author. The one-author-book is a rarity in the technical world these days, but its significance can't be understated. From start to finish, the author makes the objective of this book clear: to get the reader certified, FAST. With one, single, focused author penning the pages, this book reads like a single, clear and contiguous thought. The fragmentation seen in so many books, written by multiple authors, is nowhere to be seen in this logical and free-flowing certification guide.But not only is the book entertaining and easy to read, it approaches Java, and the whole issue of approaching Java certification, from an entirely new perspective. Most people penning a book on Java would start the book by discussing syntax and code. But Cameron McKenzie refuses to fall into that old trap, instead, turning the SCJA Exam objectives on their head, by starting off with an in depth discussion the big picture issues, getting the reader excited about Java, and enthusiastic about learning how the language works.This is the ultimate Java Certification Guide. If you want to get certified, get your hands on Cameron McKenzie's SCJA Certification Study Guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Better than average review book
I bought this book based on other rave reviews I read, but I think it is just a little better than average. Good, but not great. I found lots of typos and a few incorrect questions/answers in the review questions. I haven't taken the exam yet so I can't say whether it has helped me pass the test. Without studying at all, I was able to score better than 80% on the 175 questions in the book and I'll definitely say the book was a very good review for Java fundamentals. I have nothing to compare this book with but will say that it is a good book to get you back into Java if you have been away from it for a bit.

Review For SSCJA
This book has some good moments, and some not so bright.The chapters on Polymorphism and Interfaces could certainly use some additional explanation. For example, when reading the material covered in those chapters, and then trying to answer the questions at their end, you find you haven't actually been provided with all of the material, leaving one to ponder if there weren't indeed a few paragraphs deleted in the final edit. I also suspect there are a few blatant errors and/or contradictions in other chapters' examples, etc. On the other hand, some of the narratives throughout the book (including the narrative on Polymorphism) are quite effective in taking complex subject matter and distilling it down to important details, which I personally find refreshing is a technically-oriented text. With appropriate enhancements, this book could be excellent.

It was okay.
Some of the parts of this book reminded me of trying to learn the OSI model for networking...BORING. It is very hard to make theory entertaining, but seriously...Learning about J2EE protocols and whatnot had me wanting to put a bullet in my head. There is just too much fluff and not enough example. Almost what seems to be a disorganization of information between chapters. All in all the book helped, but some distractions were the many errors and the questions at the end of the chapters.

Excellent Resource
This book was recommended reading for a course at Western Governor's University. I have to say, that while I am not generally one to go out and buy extra "text" books, I am very glad I bought this one.

Not only is the book chocked full of invaluable information regarding the areas covered on the SCJA exam, the information is presented in a very easy to follow and humerous fashion.

There were many times while reading that I actually found myself laughing out loud at the analogies the author used to illustrate his point.

This is actually the first "text" book that I have read in it's entirety. It's also one that I don't plan to resell as I can see it being a useful reference for quite some time to come.

Bottom line: If you are studying for the SCJA exam - or just want to learn a little more about Java -- this is a great book to add to your reading list.

Good book...not given exam yet...but book seems to be good...
Good book...reached in good condition...I got it delivered in India and service was really good...it reached me within 20 days... ... Read more

Product Description
The heavy integration and amount of technical knowlege required to master the Java programming language is staggering, and also makes software engineering job interviews a challenge. Now, for the first time, a world class Java programmer reveals his "secret handshake" solutions to Java programming interviews. Much more than a rehash of Sun Java documentation and trainig mateirals, and useless "soft skills" information, this book contains over 100 technical interview questions that are simply not explored, or not explored as clearly elewhere. From implementing basic programs to debugging the most involved problems, dozens of examples show you just how to respond to common Java interview questions. Key topics include: Objects, Methods, and OOP Threads, Hashing, and Processes Operator Overloading, Cloneing Pointers, Types, and Variables Casses, Lists, and Multithreading Everything a Java resource needs to know before an interview ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

this is not good book
This is not good book.
Some questions are duplicated.
Some of questions have no answers.
Some answers didn't answer the question.

Wasted money
I bought this book to help me, as a hiring manager who is unfamiliar with java, do better interviews of java programmers. Unfortunately, it didn't help. The answers are often either too simplistic or obviously wrong. From the lousy editing to the shallow selection of questions, it's clear that very little care was taken in writing this book. I should have exercised more care in my purchase selection.

this is a career guide
I think many of the readers misunderstand the aim of this book -
it's to provide an overview of questions that will direct your learning.This is not a comprehensive guide, and the aim of the book is not to provide thousands of pages of useless information.

This book indeed has the 100 most important questions that you will need to know to get a job working in Java.. no more, no less.

I think that the time-saving quailty of this book makes it worthwhile.

If you have loads of time on your hands, and you can spend weeks sifting thigns websites, then you should probably do so.

If your time is valuable like mine, thent this book is a good bet.I also purchased the J2EE Interview questions book and thought it was good as well. Not a bible, but it helped me get the job I have right now.

Wish If I could give a lower rating
Worst book on java and worst $25.00 invested on a book. I have more than a decade of programming experience and most of it in java. The answers are inadequate and mostly way off mark. I have attended quite a few interviews and most of the questions covered in this book are never asked in any interview. The author tries his best to show his C background and has a lot of questions coming from C. But who in todays OO world gives a damn about C-java connection.

this book is a total rip-off
you would be much better buying any other Java book.
First, it contans only 100 questions (any other book has more than that).
Second, there are terrible gramatical errors all over (sometimes I couldn't even understand).
Third, some questions are not even answered correctly (wrong answer, or the answer is not what the question asked).
Overall, I am surprised Amazon sells this book. It is like throwing your money... ... Read more

Product Description
IT certification exams require a lot of study and practice. Many of our customers spend weeks, if not months preparing for the exam. While most classroom training and certification preparation software do a good job of covering exam material and providing practice questions, summarization of the highlights and key study points is often missing. This book is intended to bridge the gap between preparation and the final exam. It is designed to be an easy reference that will walk you through all the exam objectives with easy to remember key points required to successfully pass the certification exam. It reinforces the key points, while helping you focus on the exam requirements. The benefits are multifold and can help you save hours of exam review, while keeping key concepts fresh in your mind before the exam. This critical review will help you with the final exam preparation touches and give you the confidence needed for the big day. Benefits of this exam countdown and quick review guide:1. Focused approach to reviewing exam material - review what you must know2. All key exam concepts highlighted and reinforced3. Time saving - must know facts at your finger tips in one condensed version4. Detailed explanations of all possible answers to practice questions to ensure your grasp of the topic5A full length simulation exam to determine your exam readiness ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Errors in the show case...
Up front, I did not buy this book.Nor have I read it but I can click on "Look inside this book" and under Acronyms page 315-316 you'll see something strange. Starting with the acronyms JNI to varargs you'll find new and interesting definitions.

I mean if you can't spot "JVM" defined as "Common object file format" or perhaps "RMI" defined as "C sharp compiler utility" perhaps you are not ready for the test yet.

It's a shame because I was just about to purchase the book since it looks like exactly the kind of book I would want.A short book that is focused on the test requirements which is not designed to stand on its own and the price is attractive too.Many of us have excellent Java texts around, we are looking for exactly this sort of short test primer which isn't going to try to teach us things we can easily look up.So I'm going to keep looking.

I'm giving 3 stars because I didn't review the whole book. ... Read more

Product Description
There is probably no Java certification more valuable to you than Sun Certified Business Component Developer CX-310-090. To pass you need a readable, no-nonsense book focused like a laser beam on the exam goals.SCBCD Exam Study Kit is that book.

The study kit makes sure you first understand all the concepts you need to know, large and small, and then covers every single exam topic. It provides more than 130 review questions with answers distributed over all chapters and an Exam¹s Eye View section at the end of each chapter on the important points to remember.

Although SCBCD Exam Study Kit has only one purpose‹to help you get certified‹you will find yourself returning to it as a reference after passing the exam. A demo on how to install the necessary software, write a simple bean, deploy the bean, and execute it, as well as a free SCBCD exam simulator developed by Whizlabs Software can be downloaded from the publisher¹s website.

What¹s Inside-All exam objectives, carefully explained -Session, Entity, and Message-Driven Beans -Lifecycle of Session and Entity Beans -Transactions, exceptions, and security -EJB query language -Container-managed and bean-managed persistence -Quick Prep Appendix for last-minute cramming -Exam Simulator available from publisher's website ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

EJB 3.0 not included
This is probably where the SCBCD exam is, but I was a little disappointed to discover that it only covers EJB 2.0 and not EJB 3. Probably a waste of time for most people certifying on older technology when a new version is around.

Excellent read start to finish
This book is an excellent read start to finish. Topics are introduced gradually, the same topics are dug dipper as we proceed. The author makes sure you understand clearly as we proceed.
No confusions created with too many scribblings and notes, going back and forth; like in the "HeadFirst..." I had to drop that one at end of 2 chapters, you can refer to that for some examples if at all.
With this book I never had to refer to anything at all. I definitely recommend this book over the "Head First..."

Clearly written
What I was most impressed in this book was how clearly it's written and yet it goes deeply on those details that can always get you confused on a certification exam.

I am very satisfied.

Good book for SCBD
This is a good book to learn the concepts of EJB but for the exam you need the HFEJB book.
The details of Context objects (which method of Context object you can use in which method call of the Bean class) are more descriptive in HFEJB
If you are planning to sit for the exam this book should be accompanied by HFEJB

Very Good Book
I used this book as a primary preparation tool for the Sun Certified Business Component Developer (SCBCD) exam. Being a beginner in EJB, I found this book to be very friendly. I liked the layout of the book in general and the writing style of the author in particular. Only relevant pieces of code are presented to focus explanation of topic in question. A complete running application may be downloaded from the author's website. The multiple choice questions at the end of every chapter and ALERTs in every chapter made remembering main points easier. Deployment descriptor elements are clarified in considerable detail and they are explained well. Please note that there are errors in this book - some of them are fairly obvious such as using a capital letter as opposed to a small letter (Java versus java) while others are not so obvious but noticeable by experienced java developers. Regardless of its minor faults, I consider this book to be a valuable addition to my library. Normally I would have a cut a star for the errors but because of its content quality, I felt compelled to give 5 stars. I just passed the exam today thanks to this book. I know that I will not hesitate to buy another book from this author. Thanks Mr.Sanghera! I recommend this book highly without any reservations whatsoever. ... Read more

Product Description

The most exam-focused CompTIA Linux+ study guide available

This fully integrated study system delivers trusted and up-to-date coverage of the newly revised CompTIA Linux+ certification exam. Featuring more than 200 review questions, step-by-step exercises, and in-depth explanations, this is the only study guide to include platform-independent practice exams. The CD-ROM contains sample questions, video training, and more.

Customer Reviews (20)

Certification Prep
I am a software developer and admin with a BS in Computer Security. I have been using Ubuntu for 2 years and have been pleased overall with it. I thought after graduation that it would be valuable to have some extra padding on my resume and considered getting this and other certifications. While studying I took notes on what I read and tried to complete the labs. Some did not work out since I did not want to wipe out my PC and saw no reason to become familiar with the fdisk command. To study I re read my notes and took practice exams. When I earned a B on the book's exam I took the real test and passed. It turns out that I should have paid more attention to fdisk and formatting. It may have also helped to have reviewed how pcmcia cards are recognized by Linux and maybe taken additional practice exams. Overall though the book makes a nice desk reference despite its size and did prepare me for the exam. I recommend that if you have 2+ years of Linux experience and some server administration experience then get the book read it cover to cover taking notes along the way and then study until you can not stand it anymore. You will most likely pass but will need to treat it like a traditional course and be stay committed.

Great book!!!!!!!!
Loved the book. I used this to form the basis to get my Linux+ certification. The biggest factor that I enjoyed out of reading this is its ability to appease to any level of user reading it. I knew absolutely nothing about Linux and was able to understand every aspect that was covered. It does suggest you know a little about A+ and Net+ prior to reading it (which I had), but I believe with the way it is delivered even those that don't know that much - yet are computer literate as a user - can still comprehend what is being covered.

This by far is my favorite computer book I have ever read and will suggest it to anyone looking to get into Linux.

I am not getting a good feeling about this book after reading the first chapter
I have taken this book out of my library while waiting for a new Linux+ study guide, which is not the same person who wrote this one.

I read the first chapter and I have worked with Linux and Unix for many years and are familiar with both. It was interesting some of the topics that were mentioned but at issues were the chapter questions that I noticed had some errors and asked some information that was not discussed in the chapter. For example...

1) The first question asked which of the following are applications out of five choices (pick two). I noticed there was three choices and two for operating systems. There answer is that there are two OS and the rest of applications which was not the question asked.

2) There a command talked about listing processes called top. I have never used this command and the common way to do this is with the ps command with some flags. I tried the command top and it is hard to scroll down and look at of the processes running. I believe this is a not a standard command and do not know why he talked about this command.

3) There was a question asked what happens if during an install you need to download a driver or something and what can you do. The issue was that this was in very minor detailed talked in the chapter not as install but on using terminal. The answer was all of the above where one answer was not mentioned in this first chapeter.

After reading the first chapter, I was having bad feelings of this book and feel that it really needed a couple of more reviews to correct errors and missing information before releasing to the public. I also do not really like how the material is presented and that could be because of my experience with Linux...

I have read a few more chapters and some of the material is just review for me and some is also new. One thing I have been noticing is that he focuses on a few Linux versions and not the one I use (Ubuntu) and I am not sure if the test is based on the either SUSE or Fedora Linux or just general concepts since the Linux versions are different.

I have been noticing more errors in his questions and also asking questions about things he briefly mentioned in the chapter but the questions are more specific and were covered necessarily in the chapter. Some I reasoned out correctly since I have a Linux background and some is based on interpretation. In his treatment of the Vi editor, some of his statements are contrary to things that I have seen using Vi.

I think there are other books that this one which I do not recommend... I am just waiting for my Amazon order to be shipped since it is a new book. The other books that are already out there are not so good. I looked at the Passport edition and it was so small that it seemed like it only prepared you for the test without the basics (I believe this is a no no)...

Didn't cover the material to pass the test.
I failed the test by about a 100 points, I have taken other compTIA tests and never failed. I had used UNIX for about 20 years. I kind of knew this text might have problems when the server exercises never worked. I thought the first part of the book was a good starting point for learning Linux. I tried another text that used a lot GUI. There are no GUI questions on the test.

Linux + Book
This book is in great condition and I can't wait to learn more about Linux. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a collection of exams and detailed answer explanations. The questions, answers and explanations are designed to exercise, test, and expand your knowledge of the topics that are relevant to the Java programmer certification exam.

This book has been written for those that are currently reading or have already read a Java fundamentals textbook. The Java fundamentals textbook that you already have on your desk probably covers most if not all of the material necessary for the Java programmer certification exam. In fact, it probably covers far more material than the exam. This workbook will help you to quickly identify your strengths and weaknesses and provide the experience that you need to improve your skills and your performance on the exam.

This book is also for any university student who is studying Java programming using any of the existing Java fundamentals textbooks. This is the workbook that will help you to master the important concepts that are relevant to the certification exam and are most likely relevant to your course exams.

Rather than present the fundamental concepts in the text of long, sleep-inducing chapters, the concepts are presented as explanations to specific mock exam questions. The reader is free to read only the explanations that are relevant to his/her specific needs. The chapter introductions are used only to list or summarize the concepts for a very quick review. If you are not interested in the review, then feel free to ignore the chapter introductions and jump straight into the mock exams. The learning experience is provided by actively working through the exams and by reading the detailed explanations for the questions and answers. Your score on the mock exams is not important. Your score on the real certification exam is likely to be higher.

Did you learn Java on the job? If so, then you probably learned only what was necessary to complete the project at hand, and there are probably large gaps in your knowledge of Java fundamentals. This book will help you to identify those gaps so that you can improve your productivity and confidence in your abilities as a programmer.

Are you getting ready for a job interview? This book can help you to prepare for some of the Java fundamentals questions that might be asked during the interview.

To better support the concurrent use of other Java textbooks, the exams in this book are organized by topic. As you complete each section or chapter of a Java fundamentals textbook, just look for the relevant exam in this workbook. The questions tend to be on the difficult side and are designed to expand your knowledge--not just test it. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Technical Communication, published by Society for Technical Communication on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 588 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Java Certification Jumpstart.
Author: Vivek Vaishampayan
Publication: Technical Communication (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Society for Technical Communication
Volume: 51Issue: 4Page: 566(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more