Wicked Cool Java: Code Bits, Open-Source Libraries, and Project Ideas [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

This book is a lot of fun as it focuses on many interesting ideas for Java programmers. Do not expect complete solutions to complex problems. Instead it highlights many open source Java packages and APIs and gives very simple examples of how they can be used. It is up to the reader to go to the web, download the various packages, and play with them. For example, in the area of music, the author discusses JMusic, which provides a solid framework for computer-assisted composition in Java, and is also used for generative music, instrument building, interactive performance, and music analysis. The book just shows a simple program that generates a filtered sawtooth wave, and a few other simple examples. The readers are expected to explore the API themselves for meatier applications. Other open source packages that are highlighted and explored on a simple level are JFugue, another API for music programming, Javolution for embedded programming applications, and Piccolo, an API from the University of Maryland that supports the development of 2D structured graphics programs in general and Zoomable User Interfaces (ZUIs), in particular.
The book also explores the more interesting parts of the Java language itself such as using the AWT Robot class for automating key/mouse events, using the new enum types in Java 5, and several off-beat applications of the various Java classes that handle XML data.
None of the ideas shown here lead to full blown applications that will make you rich. Instead, the idea is to get you thinking in creative ways about what can be accomplished with the Java language and also to introduce you to some interesting open source API's that are out there on the web that are both labor-saving and creative. I would recommend this book to any experienced Java programmer. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents so I do that here:
Chapter 1: Java Language and Core API
Chapter 2: String Utilities
Chapter 3: Processing XML and HTML
Chapter 4: Crawling the Semantic Web
Chapter 5: Math and Science
Chapter 6: Graphics and Data Visualization
Chapter 7: Multimedia and Sychronization
Chapter 8: Fun, Integration and Project Ideas

"Wicked Cool Java", by Brian D. Eubanks, bills itself as "an idea sourcebook" for Java developers who are "looking for interesting and useful APIs or for project ideas." This book serves as an introduction to a hodge-podge of APIs covering a breadth of topics. Eubanks devotes sections of the book to such overarching topics as processing XML and HTML, the semantic web, scientific and mathematical applications, graphics and data visualization, and multimedia among others. I would expect that most Java developers would find some topic within "Wicked Cool Java" that excites them.

"Wicked Cool Java" seems to fit squarely in the realm of the cookbook style of programming books. Each topic of discussion is punctuated with short code examples, and while many of the topics stand on their own, some do build on previous topics. The presentation and explanation are clear and the code is sufficiently illustrative.

I do have a couple of problems with the book. The first two chapters are "Java Language and the Core API" and "String Utilities." Given the stated objectives of the book, I have a hard time seeing where the first two chapters fit in. These chapters simply explain various aspects of the core Java language. Some of the information covers new Java 5 additions to the language, but much of it covers features that have been part of the language since 1.4 and even 1.1. In my opinion, there is nothing "wicked cool" about anonymous classes, for example. This is just one example of a basic feature of the language that I would think most people picking up the book should already be familiar with. The new Java 5 features discussed, Java 1.4 regular expressions, and the difference between "==" and "equals()" are but a few of the topics here that seem out of place. My other gripe is that URLs aren't given for most of the APIs under discussion. Instead the author expects us to visit the book's website for this information. While this isn't a big problem, it certainly is annoying.

Complaints aside, I did enjoy reading about many of the APIs that I was unfamiliar with. The text does inspire me to want to try out some of the material presented therein, which is after all what Eubanks was trying to accomplish. So while I might not call it "Wicked Cool", "Kinda Cool" might be a bit more appropriate.

Most technical books cover a specific topic; JSP, JDBC, the Java language, or something like that. This book is different. It's a grab bag of wide ranging topics. These range from regular expressions, to RSS parsing, to audio processing. What I like about that is the inspiration it brings. That kind of "I can do that with Java, cool!" type experience. That being said, it's tough to recommend it as a book everyone should read. You should have a look at the table of contents to see if there is enough in it to justify the purchase.