Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide (3rd Edition) - Hardcover

Heller, Philip; Roberts, Simon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0782140777 ISBN 13: 9780782140774

Publisher: Sybex Inc, 2002

Synopsis

Want to conquer two of the most difficult programmer certifications? The new edition of the best-selling Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide is the resource you need. Authors Philip Heller and Simon Roberts, developers of Sun's Programmer and Developer exams for the Java 2 Platform, give you everything you need to pass the exams the first time. This fully revised edition is updated for the changes in both exams, including coverage of new objectives for J2SE 1.4, a new emphasis on Swing and RMI, and information for tackling the new format of the Developer exam. The book is also enhanced with all-new features from Sybex's market-leading Study Guides, including Exam Essential sections to reinforce key subject areas and real-world scenario sidebars with sample programming assignments. The companion CD contains all the review questions from the book, a practice programmer's exam, and 150 random-test questions, including 100 new questions. The CD also includes a fully searchable electronic edition of the book.

About this title

Review

Newly revised and updated for Java 2 standards, the second edition of The Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide is packed with information on what you'll need to know to pass both the Sun Java Programmer and Developer Exams. With Java certification becoming ever more popular, this title is an essential resource for anyone who's preparing for it.

The cover of the book asserts that one of its team authors actually contributes questions to Sun's tests.

The goal here isn't so much to beat the testmakers (although the book has plenty to say about test-taking strategy) as it is to master the finer points of Java that you'll need to understand to succeed on the exam. The focus is on the areas that Sun has defined as important. The Programmer Exam--the first level of Sun certification--is covered first. Basic language features are reviewed, such as access specifiers, operators, and other keywords that will help make you an expert. (Some sections explain with great clarity the mysteries of Java's "extra" shift operator and other features.) Other chapters cover threads and multithreading strategies, as well as user-interface design with layout managers (which Sun considers important).

The second half of the volume concentrates on the Developer Exam, a more free-form exercise in which programmers write custom code, based on a specification from Sun. Two case studies, one for a room-scheduling application and another for a trouble-ticket system that tracks requests for technical support, illustrate this test. As the solution is presented, you'll learn how to build custom client/server software, and how to use Remote Method Invocation (RMI) and other advanced techniques. There's also advice for the best programming styles and choices for passing this challenging exam.

As in the previous edition, each chapter in this book concludes with sample questions (about 10 each) to help you study. In the new edition, there's now a full sample Programmer Exam (both printed and on the accompanying CD-ROM), which simulates the length and format of the real thing. In all, the new edition of this previously bestselling title will continue to provide helpful preparation for anyone who seeks Sun certification.

Despite the bulk (over 900 pages), this book actually makes for quick reading, and will help anyone decipher some of the more difficult aspects of the Java programming language. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction to Sun certification and the Programmer Exam
• Java language fundamentals: primitive data types, literals, arrays, and garbage collection
• Java operators up close (including evaluation order and the shift operators)
• Access specifiers (public, private, default, and protected)
• Converting and casting rules in Java (including promotions)
• Flow-control statements
• Exception handling
• Object-oriented design primer
• Overloading and overriding
• Inheritance and subclassing
• Inner classes
• Threads and synchronization techniques
• Using the Math, String, and StringBuffer classes effectively
• The Java 2 Collections API
• Layout managers
• Event handling
• AWT components
• Painting
• File I/O
• Introduction to the Sun Developer Exam
• Sample room-reservation case study
• Working with Java databases
• Creating a client/server system from scratch
• Remote Method Invocation (RMI)
• Multithreading issues
• User-interface design with Swing
• Trouble-ticket problem tracker case study
• Using Swing JTable, JTree, and other Swing controls
• How to submit finished exam work to Sun
• Tips for the follow-up exam
• Sample Programmer Exam (including CD-ROM version)
• The future of Sun certification

From the Back Cover

Here's the book you need to prepare for the Programmer's and Developer's exams. This Study Guide provides:

In-depth coverage of every exam objective for the revised Programmer's Exam for J2SE 1.4 Hundreds of challenging practice questions, in the book and on the CD Leading-edge exam preparation software

Authoritative coverage of all Programmer's exam objectives, including: Language fundamentals Operators and assignments Modifiers Converting and casting Flow control, exceptions, and assertions Objects and classes Threads The java.lang and java.util packages Input and output

In-depth coverage of the topics covered in the Developer's exam, including: Swing components and events Layout managers Enhancing and extending the database Writing the network protocol Designing the user interface GUI prototyping Building the database server Connecting the client and server Preparing the upload

Featured on the CD The enclosed CD is packed with vital preparation tools and materials, including a custom testing engine for the Java Programmer's exam. Loaded with hundreds of practice questions, it lets you test yourself by chapter or by randomized testing, and also provides you with explanations for each question. You'll also find a complete practice Programmer's exam and a fully searchable electronic version of the book.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sybex Inc
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0782140777
• ISBN 13: 9780782140774
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 832