Readers get a guided tour through the creation of a stripped-down server using the Java computer programming language in this slim volume devoted to illustrating the conceptual foundation of server-side programming.
Pared down to essential details, this book aims to guide beginning programmers through the creation of their own Web server in the Java language, starting with sockets: “[P]hysical electrical sockets are very simple. You plug something in, and you have a circuit. In the programming world, things are a bit more sophisticated.” The book then works through progressively more advanced concepts (sessions, form processing, servlets), up to the creation of JavaServer Pages. Using clear, colloquial language and copious code examples—both in the text and in downloadable files—the book builds a foundation that allows readers to understand concepts by practicing actual, hands-on programming, rather than reading about theoretical constructs. Readers are expected to know the basics of Java programming before starting, as Prasad makes clear in the book’s introductory pages. However, although Java programming newbies may not find many code examples to be immediately clear, the accompanying text is generally easily digestible, and most chapters are short and simply explained. Although the audience for such a book may be relatively narrow—not only is a certain skill set and level of experience required, but also a particular mindset—readers who are familiar with any type of programming should be able to follow Prasad’s sturdy writing and clearly stated arguments. In both the code and the accompanying prose, the author demonstrates efficiency and clarity, two qualities necessary in the practice—and instruction—of programming.
An illuminating, if not in-depth, study of basic principles of programming practice.
