JAVA FOR PROGRAMMERS

- Strings in switch statements, the try-with-resources statement for managing AutoClosable objects, multi-catch for defining a single exception handler to replace multiple exception handlers that perform the same task, the NIO filesystem APIs and inferring the types of generic objects from the variable they’re assigned to by using the <> notation. We also overview the new concurrency API features.

- Java SE 7 filesystem APIs. The authors provide an alternate online version of Chapter 17, Files, Streams and Object Serialization, that’s reimplemented with the new filesystem APIs from Java SE 7.

- Java SE 7’s AutoClosable versions of Connection, Statement and ResultSet. With the source code for Chapter 25, Accessing Databases with JDBC, we provide a version of the chapter’s first example that’s implemented using Java SE 7’s AutoClosable versions of Connection, Statement and ResultSet. AutoClosable objects reduce the likelihood of resource leaks when you use them with Java SE 7’s try-with-resources statement, which automatically closes the AutoClosable objects allocated in the parentheses following the try keyword.

- JDBC 4. Chapter 25, Accessing Databases with JDBC, covers JDBC 4 and uses the Java DB/Apache Derby and MySQL database management systems. The chapter features an OO case study on developing a database-driven address book that demonstrates prepared statements and JDBC 4’s automatic driver discovery.

- Java Server Faces (JSF) 2.0. Chapters 26—27 have been updated to introduce JavaServer Faces (JSF) 2.0 technology, which greatly simplifies building JSF web applications. Chapter 26 includes examples on building web application GUIs, validating forms and session tracking. Chapter 27 discusses data-driven and Ajaxenabled JSF applications. The chapter features a database-driven multitier web address book that allows users to add and view contacts. This Ajax-enabled application gives the reader a nice sense of Web 2.0 software development.

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