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


Book Description
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.


Book Info
Designed specifically to teach you all you need to know to pass the Java 2 certification exam. Designed to help tackle the complex programming problems of the Developer exam. CD-ROM included.


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.


About the Author
Philip Heller is a technical author, novelist, public speaker, and consultant. He has been instrumental in the creation and maintenance of the Java Programmer and Developer exams. His popular seminars on certification have been delivered internationally. He is the co-author of several books on Java, all available from Sybex. Simon Roberts is a Sun Microsystems programmer, an instructor, an authority on the Java language, and the key player in the development of the entire Java certification program.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
In one book -- Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide, Third Edition -- you￯﾿ﾽll find all the study resources you need to pass the newest versions of both of Sun￯﾿ﾽs flagship Java certification tests: the Programmer￯﾿ﾽs Exam and the Developer￯﾿ﾽs Exam. This is authoritative stuff: Coauthor Simon Roberts has been directly involved in helping to create Sun￯﾿ﾽs Java exams.

There￯﾿ﾽs a lot to know in order to pass Sun￯﾿ﾽs ￯﾿ﾽentry-level￯﾿ﾽ Java Programmer￯﾿ﾽs Exam, and this book covers it all: basic syntax, operators, assignments, modifiers, converting and casting, flow control, exceptions, assertions, objects, classes, threads, the java.lang and java.util packages, I/O, and more.

Then it￯﾿ﾽs on to the Developer￯﾿ﾽs Exam, which (among other things) requires you to write a real application, based on Sun￯﾿ﾽs detailed directions. Heller and Roberts respond by walking you through two multi-chapter projects of comparable complexity: a room reservation system, and a help desk trouble-ticket system. In each case, you implement user interfaces, networking, and database integration.

In addition to hundreds of sample questions delivered by an extremely flexible test engine, the accompanying CD-ROM contains a complete practice Programmer￯﾿ﾽs Exam, plus a fully searchable eBook. Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER