A Java GUI Programmer's Primer

OK...you know java, or you think you know java, and now you want to develop and deliver serious java applications. How should you approach the task of segregating the application part of your code from the user interface? What sort of user interface is appropriate for your application? What issues should you consider before writing one line of code? "A Java GUI" provides answers to these and other java user interface development questions.A word of warning: This book is not for beginners. Readers who have a solid foundation in java fundamentals and object-oriented design in general will gain the most from the book. You will learn many useful design techniques. It will be up to you to decide which one is appropriate for your particular project.If you are a novice I recommend buying the book for your reference library so that when you're ready to move to an advanced level of java coding you'll have it handy.No one book on Java programming, regardless of focus, can hope to cover every feature or nuance within its scope. Fintan's work is no exception, however, he does an excellent job in focusing the material on those issues which contribute directly to good, solid java user interface design practice. He doesn't repeat a lot of the same crap you find in most java books...but he does cover background material, (his coverage of the core java AWT features is the best I've seen anywhere), where it aids in the reader's understanding of what he's about to say. If you've really read any programming texts, and understand what you're reading, you soon discover than many are plagued with typos or outright lies. Fintan's book contains far fewer errors or omissions than most. However, these are easily spotted and it's refreshing to actually be able to compile an author's source code and have it work as advertized.Overall, I rate "A Java GUI" a five star book. If you're looking for a text that cuts to the chase and simply makes you a better java developer, this is the book you're looking for.

As a professional HCI and Java developer I found this book extremely valuable, not for what it said explicitly but what it teaches you implicity.Usability and HCI strategies are incorporated into every stage of the engineering cycle and reveal why Java is a usability-friendly language.The programs and exercises cover most topics you would expect from a language book but the key to the books usefulness is not in the traditional 'let's start coding straight away' approach to programming books.The use of solid HCI/usability techniques throughout the development stages and how to get from paper to products with usability standards and the demonstration of Java as a language that has been developed with consideration of usability issues id invaluable.It is important to note that Dr. Culwin sees the usability engineering methods as part of the sotfware engineering lifecycle, NOT a separate procedure. Also, this book is as much about integrated good software and usability engineering as it is about Java ability to accommodate usability engineering.The programs and tasks give thorough examples to develop various types of interfaces and explains the architectures/design of Java artefacts and provides a hands-on introduction to UML and STD notation.