Ideal for any Java programmer trying to master JDBC database programming in a hurry, the remarkably concise and useful JDBC: Practical Guide for Java Programmers offers an example-based quick tour of essential APIs and techniques that you can use every day at your desk.

Weighing in at just over 100 pages, this text bucks the trend in today's computing titles in terms of size and focus. Instead of trying to cover everything about Java, this text zeros in on essential JDBC concepts and APIs. An experienced teacher, the author presents his own "framework" for connecting to databases in Java. Short, essential examples and compact explanation are the rule here.

From the basics of querying and updating databases, to more advanced techniques like using prepared statements, updated result sets and batch updates, the author's choice of examples is dead-on. Even experienced Java programmers can use this text as a reference to crucial advanced techniques. Standout material here includes using the Swing JTable table control to present multiple records and a quick tour of servlet APIs. The book closes with a "case study" for an online video store combining the techniques presented early on.

With an extremely compact format and a no-frills approach to essential JDBC APIs and techniques, this text will serve as a reference and tutorial that can get you started with JDBC perhaps more quickly than any other available title. It's particularly well suited for those programmers who want to learn by example. Though small in size, it manages to cover several advanced features of JDBC that would require a lot of digging in a traditional Java tutorial. --Richard Dragan