Java for Cold Fusion Developers

Macromedia's new ColdFusion MX brings ColdFusion's proven ease of use and productivity to the scalable, standards-based Java technology architecture. Developers can now take advantage of MX's innovations to create rich Internet applications, and for the first time ColdFusion developers will be able to write Java code in ColdFusion templates. In Java for ColdFusion Developers, Hewitt helps the reader quickly get up to speed on the new features of MX, then leverages what the ColdFusion developer already knows to start delving into object-oriented programming concepts and Java programming. Learn the various development environments, basic Java syntax, error handling, exceptions and debugging, then get a GUI overview with AWT and Swing. Create Web sites in Java and learn servlet architecture, JavaServer Pages and how to work with databases. With plenty of code, audience-specific notes, and practical advice Hewitt helps Web developers graduate into full-fledged Java programmers.

User review
Related materails located at different site,,.
I was not so happy to have to search for the code. I tried the website (where the book informs you to go) and discovered it's no longer there. I tried the publisher, who was no help. I performed searches, read forums, and then finally typed the authors name in as the web address and sure enough finally have the code. So, if you purchase this book first make sure you can actaully get your hands on the code. ,,.

User review
A book that speaks in terms CF developers can understand
Finally a book that didn't assume I was coming from a C/C++ background. I have between eight and ten different books that looked like `the one` to teach me what I wanted to know in Java. I have little interest in learning applets or SWING based interfaces,,.my interest is in web based interfaces. This book spoke in terms I could understand easily based on a ColdFusion frame of reference. Eben Hewitt does a great job comparing and contrasting java data structures with ColdFusion ones and letting the CF developer know exactly what the pros and cons the different approaches entail. Th examples are good and applicable to the types of applications I would build. I strongly recommend this book.

User review
Must-Have Java Book for ColdFusion Developers
A common experience for someone who wants to learn Java is to end up buying too many books, each covering a different aspect (servlet, JSP, Jakarta Struts, ad nauseum), with overlapping topics, and at times even contradicting one another. Eben Hewitt, who has written extensively about ColdFusion and also authored a ColdFusion training course on CD-ROM, has probably written the only book book on Java that you'll need if you are a ColdFusion developer.

His writing is clear, concise, and he tries everywhere possible to relate Java to some aspect of what a ColdFusion developer does in CFML. His coverage of Java may not be as thorough as a Java purist (or fanatic) would want, but everything you need to know is really there within one book, instead of maybe ten. It is enough to wet your appetite, and if you then are still a glutton for punishment, you should seek more detailed and specific reference for the particular platform that you are working in, be it SUN's, IBM's, BEA's, or whatever vendor software your company happens to be using. But, Java is platform-independent, you say! Well, there is this bridge in Brooklyn,,.

User review
Excellent Introduction to Java
When I began reading `Java for ColdFUsion Developers`, I was excited to see how similar writing a Java program is to the syntax used to write CFScript or Action Script. This is an excellent time to learn all three!

The author has organized his information in a logical manner that builds from the basics and moves throught topics that include programming structures and object-oriented application design. Specific to CF developers is the chapter on `Extending ColdFusion with Java` to leverage ColdFusion use in J2EE environments.

Hewitt has an easy tone that makes you feel as though he's talking directly to you. He includes code for creating class files as he moves along to allow you to write and compile as you go. An experienced author with two other CF books behind him, he introduces Java to experienced CF developers who may come from a web background instead of hard-core programming. The book covers the basics thoroughly without breaking your back (unlike other books in my backpack!)

It's not a book for those new to ColdFusion or other types of programming, but it's an excellent resource for those of us who are overwhelmed by the current number of cryptic Java books available. As the introduction to Hal Helms reads, Eben Hewitt achieves his goal by `helping us leverage our ColdFusion knowledge into Java expertise.`

Lisa Wilson, Manager, Sacramento ColdFusion User Group

User review
Are You A Java/Cold Fusion Nut? MX?
Six hundred ninety-two pages of information. But not for the novice. Web professionals and enthusiasts alike will appreciate a title that's as inclusive as this one. But, as the author points out on page three, you must be, `interested in learning Java`. First, determine whether you're interested in Java and second, get your Visa/Mastercard out.