On 6/8/06, Jim Davies <Jim.Davies@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
[ ... ] Many of the books on OO are quite unhelpful. But that's down to the generally poor state of the publishing industry - I don't think that it indicates any increase in the amount of bad science; in fact, I think that the science is in rude health. Around here, certainly. Some of those books may be so unhelpful - wrong, even - as to constitute fraud, but there is nothing deliberate there. And the fraud has nothing to do with the substance of OO; it is the product of bandwagon-jumping and self-promotion. And I shouldn't pay it any mind, if I were you. The concurrency revolution is here, and whatever solution emerges will need to extend existing object technology, even if only at the design level.
I agree with your statements about the publishing industry. It's hard to find a good book! Nevertheless, Brian Goetz and our Java Concurrency Utilities Expert Group (JSR-166) made a valiant attempt to beat the curve :-) Java Concurrency in Practice http://amazon.com/gp/product/0321349601/ I'd be interested to hear your comments. I'd also love to read a short, example-filled book about CSP or other process-oriented approaches to programming. I'm thinking of something with the form of JavaSpaces(*), only about CSP. A lean, efficient volume with a generous complement of novel concepts and useful techniques. (*) http://java.sun.com/developer/Books/JavaSpaces/ -- Joe Bowbeer ~ joebowbeer.thruhere.net