Harnessing Java 7

This is the third of three volumes of the Harnessing JavaTM 7 book. It provides a comprehensive approach to learning the Java programming language for intermediate and advanced level Java programmers. If you are new to the Java programming language, you are suggested to read the first and second volumes of this title before this volume.

This volume covers the advanced topics of Java programming language such as Swing, Network Programming, and JDBC. Each topic in the book starts with a discussion of the topic's background. A step-by-step process, with small snippets of Java code, provides easy to follow instructions. At the end of a topic, a complete and ready-to-run Java program is provided.

This volume contains over 130 images and diagrams to help programmers visualize and better understand the topics. More than 130 complete programs, included in this volume, allow the readers to practice and quickly learn the topics.

The chapter on Swing uses a unique approach to building an application with a graphical user interface (GUI). It discusses various aspects, from the very basic concepts of developing a Swing application, to the most advanced topics, such as decorating a Swing component with a JLayer, Drag-and-Drop features, Synth Skinnable L&F, etc. The chapter starts with an introduction to the GUI, using only one line of Java code, and builds to the most advanced concepts of GUI, one-step at a time. The chapter devotes over 55 pages to describe, at length, the different kinds of layout managers. At each step, it includes images to help the reader visualize how the application will look at runtime. Images at every step of the GUI building help the readers finish the chapter more quickly, with a vivid, detailed understanding of each topic.

The chapter on network programming covers the basics of network technologies first, and then, the advanced topics of network programming, using Java class library. It covers IPv4 and IPv6, addressing schemes, subnetting, supernetting, multicasting, TCP/IP sockets, UPD sockets, asynchronous socket I/O, etc.

The chapter on JDBC provides one of a kind coverage of database programming using the JDBC API. It provides the details of connecting and working with databases from all major database vendors such as Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, Sybase, etc. Wherever applicable, the chapter provides the database scripts to work with examples in the following databases: Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Java DB (Apache Derby), Sybase, Adaptive Server Anywhere, etc. It contains a complete discussion on processing a ResultSet and a RowSet. It discusses how to use the RowSetFactory, which is a new feature of JavaTM 7, to obtain a RowSet object of a specific type. Working with Large Objects (LOBs), such as Blob, Clob, and NClob, is covered in detail with Java code examples and database scripts. The following topics are covered in this volume. Swing Applets Network Programming JDBC API Remote Method Invocation Java Native Interface It covers the following new features of JavaTM 7 in detail. JLayer Swing Component Translucent Window Shaped Window Asynchronous Socket IO Multicast DatagramChannel RowSetFactory