The Web is becoming more and more a way of delivering applications rather than just static Web pages. Java is becoming more and more popular as a tool for building Web applications, thanks to Java servlets and Java Server Pages. Professional Java Server Programming is a big book full of code samples and real-world experience.
Starting with a grounding in Web application development and technologies, the book introduces the various concepts of using Java to deliver Web content--as well as helping to give you the tools you need to work around the limitations of Web servers and Web browsers. You'll also learn how to develop complex database-driven applications--and how to work faster. Since this is a book on the cutting edge of Java development, you'll also find sections on using Java with XML documents and LAP directory servers, as well as Enterprise Java Beans. There's even a good examination of the next generation of Java technologies--Jini and JavaSpaces--with a look at how these can be used in Web applications.
This is a superb and extremely practical book. If you're building Java-based Web server applications, this is a book you need to have next to your terminal, if only for the 300 pages of reference material in the appendices! --Simon Bisson, amazon.co.uk