"The Minimum You Need to Know about Java on OpenVMS" by Roland Hughes - Book Review

Logikal Solutions (2006)ISBN 9780977086610Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (8/07)While Java has exploded in the world of the Web and high tech toys, "The Minimum You Need to Know about Java on OpenVMS," focuses on "converting existing core business applications to use Java, yet still preserving your investment on the most stable platform on earth." For maximum understanding and success, this book should be read as a companion to "The Minimum You Need to Know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer."In true "tell it like it is" Hughes' fashion you realize early on in this book that the author is not a big fan of Java. To a seasoned C/ C++ user, the similarities and yet vast differences of Java and C++ can make it a cumbersome (if not extremely frustrating) language to work with. The good news is this is not a sugar-coated book on Java; Hughes confronts the biggest setbacks of working with Java and what you need to do to work through them."The Minimum You Need To Know about Java on OpenVMS" covers basic code for using RTL and SYS functions, tips and tools for accessing RMS indexed files, the why's and how's of interfacing with FMS, details (including code) on creating a sample application (Mega Zillionare, as used in "The Minimum You Need to Know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer"), as well as some additional knowledge transfer and insights from the author.As with the first book in "The Minimum You Need to Know" series, "The Minimum You Need to Know about Java and OpenVMS" provides the reader with invaluable tips and tricks, includes a CD full of code, hands-on-programming exercises, and questions for review. The book reads as though you are being coached through the process of using Java on OpenVMS, as well as being provided with a few insights (and opinions!) along the way."The Minimum You Need to Know about Java on OpenVMS" is an essential tool for anyone tasked with using Java on OpenVMS. dr seuss cat in hat book