MIDP 2.0 Style Guide for the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)First, a very important note: *this is not a technical book*. If you are already familiar with older versions of MIDP, this book is an overkill and might be a bit boring from time to time. Having said that, the book really does a good job introducing the MIDP GUI concepts and much more. It's a very readable book and contains plenty of clear examples.
In the first four introductory chapters (Introduction, MIDP Characteristics, Designing Applications for MIDP and Screen Layout) the authors briefly go over the most important features of MIDP. A special emphasis is given to the new fearures introduced by the latest MIDP 2.0.
Then they move to the most important MIDP GUI elements. Each element is introduced and its usage is suggested and the next six chapters explain design patterns and rules to be used with the most common GUI elements (Lists, Text, Forms & Form Items, Alerts and Canvas Screens).
The 11th chapter was the most interesting chapter for me - it explains the recommended usage of GUI elements related to game programming. The game package is brand new and introduced in MIDP 2.0. Here the elements such as offscreen buffer, layers and sprites are described. There is even a small subchapter about game performance and resource usage and, at the very end of the chapter, the authors give some general advices related to game creation and programming concluding with a crucial remark: "Always test your games on actual devices".
Chapter 12 explains Abstract Commands and the next three chapters introduce the features that really distinguish MIDP development from other Java applications. These features are, of course, strongly related to mobile devices properties and include Application Discovery, Installation and Mangement, Push Functionality and (many times neglected) Security.
The last chapter (16) goes briefly into some of more advanced topics of MIDP 2.0 (touch input, overall application preformance and multithreading). This chapter is very basic and contains some obvious hints, but, as I said, this is not a technical book and the chapter does a good job presenting the features that might help GUI designers.
The book is intended for beginners in the MIDP application development and, as the name of the book says, is mostly *a style guide* providing plenty of hints and advices. These advices are nicely separated in two classes: "For Developers" and "For MIDP Implementators". Authors use "Recommend", "Strongly Recommend" and "Consider" to mark the importance of these hints.
The book is coming from Sun and takes its place in the fameous "from the source" series which implies a certain level of quality. I can recommend this book for all beginners in MIDP area and, especially, to GUI designers and product managers wanting to became more familiar with the MIDP application look & feel.

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MIDP 2.0 Style Guide for the JavaaA A2 Platform, Micro Edition, is the comprehensive reference for designing and creating interactive JavaaA Aapplications for consumer-oriented mobile devices. Readers learn how to best exploit MIDP 2.0 features, such as the gaming API, multimedia, and security for user-friendly MIDlets. Readers who create MIDP environments (MIDP implementors) also learn how to best support developers and users.This book begins by introducing readers to the unique requirements of the consumer market and to the characteristics of MIDs and the MIDP 2.0 environment. Readers have a first look at the process of designing applications for MIDP in general terms before examining the nuts and bolts of creating usable, predictable applications. The authors provide user interface designers, application developers, and MIDP implementers with clearly illustrated standards for working with screen layouts, lists, text boxes, forms, alerts, canvas screens, and game screens. Visual examples demonstrate both what does and what does not work. The book ends with the authors' strategies for improving usability, security, and performance.Key topic coverage includes: *designing applications for MIDP *working with and displaying lists, text boxes, and alerts *working with and laying out forms and form items *creating and implementing canvases *using the new game package *using and implementing abstract commands *integrating MIDP and MIDlet suites into a device *using push functionality *understanding the MIDP 2.0 security model *using touch input *enhancing performance and using multiple threadsMIDP 2.0 Style Guide for the JavaaA A2 Platform, Micro Edition, is the insider's guide to creating applications and devices that create consumer demand. 0321198018B05302003

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