Rating:  - Mediocre and wordy
Takes forever to get nowhere: Authors use about 800 pages in order to explain Spring (trivially a framework, i.e. a conceptually trivial subject, not comparable in complexity with e.g. compiler theory).
Wordy, uncreative and just as boring as watching paint drying.
Lacks illustrations of concepts.
Rating:  - Good for an introduction
Lots of good information on the Spring framework, at least for 2005. While I can find a lot of it online already, especially in the excellent documentation provided with the framework itself, I can live with that. What does irritate me is that the book needs more why than how; and more intersection with the real world, more tales from the trenches where things don't always work, and where we cannot simply trim requirements to fit a technology demonstration.
I've been programming long enough to know the difference between a cowboy programmer who gets the job done, but has the good sense to leave before anyone has to deal with the mess he's created; and the professional whose work brings both joy and awe to maintain. I think a book with "Pro" in the title should inspire and encourage that professionalism, not just teach enough of the concepts, syntax and idioms to get by.
Don't get me wrong. If you want to learn Spring, I heartily recommend this book. Just don't be surprised to not find that secret sauce that makes one a professional.
Rating:  - Perfect Spring Book
1. Excellent Organization
2. Easy to Read - explanations are concise and easy to follow, even for Spring beginner like me.
3. Excellent Samples - the evolution of sample code is very clean, concise and easy to read. Even if the listing is 1 or 2 page long, you just need to take a glimpse to understand what's going on. Good presentation!
4. Detailed Coverage - can function as a reference book.
The authors should write more books!
Rating: - Excellent resource
At my old position, I constantly referenced this book, but fortunately the company owned the book. When I left that job, I purchased my own copy. It's well written and provides enough examples to get you started. This book is a MUST HAVE for my library.
Rating: - Slow Getting Started
I'm finding it hard to get into "Pro Spring". In all fairness, I've only read three chapters. However, after those three chapters, it is still unclear just what "Spring" is and what value it adds -- except in vague generalities. I'm no neophyte software developer, having been involved in a wide variety of state-of-the-art software development professionally for 40 years. I've heard enough good things about Spring that I want to learn more, but so far, this doesn't seem to be the way to go.
|
