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The Minimum You Need to Know
About Java on OpenVMS Volume 1

Special Features: CD-ROM included, chapter assignments, exercises with answers, comprehensive
index, and tons of useful code

Pages: 352 pp
ISBN: 0-9770866-1-5
Format: Softcover, Perfect binding, 7 in. x 9 in.
Retail price: $45.00

Available for ordering through:

Island Computers
Barnes & Noble
Alibris
Alibris UK
AbeBooks
Powells
Sony (EPUB version)

Discover what is required to write real business applications on OpenVMS using Java. Java on
OpenVMS covers the ugly side of Java, the Java Native Interface, so readers can more easily
develop back end applications.

Requested by the industry as a follow-up to The Minimum You Need to Know to Be an OpenVMS Application Developer
Learn how to store Java source in CMS and use MMS for builds
Use Java to replace existing OpenVMS applications which use FMS,RMS, and/or RDB

Tips from the Book

Everything is a class….almost.
Passing by reference isn’t what you think it is, no matter what the other books tell you.
JNI_ABORT means you want to free your local copy without copying back to the Java environment. JNI_COMMIT means you want to copy back to Java and keep your local copy.
Naturally, 0 means you want to copy back to Java and free your local copy. Isn’t that justobvious?
Date handling in Java is somewhat littered with land mines. Java provides you with a Date class, then tells you not to use it. When you use the classes that are supposed to replace the now depreciated Date class, you are forced to use Date objects. Use a Date object in your code where it will actually get a name and the compiler will flag a warning.

Reviews

"Hughes confronts the biggest setbacks of working with Java and what you need to do to work
through them."

Regan Windsor, Reader Views

"The exercises, assignments and teasers are designed to keep you wide awake - and in the
process you'll be well on your way to dealing with the many challenges and dangers you'll come
across in the real world."

ETA Online Review

“An Essential Manual For Application Developers. I highly recommend the book as an asset to
computer programmers and those entering the IT field.”

Tracy Roberts, Write Field Services Reviewer

“I've attended two college semesters of Java programming ("Java I" and "Java II") but wished I had
read this book before listening to sermons from purveyors of the Java cult. This book provides a
wonderful reality-check. In the Introduction he relays a tongue-in-cheek description of how
corporate IT decisions are made. I am now sure he has figured out a way to bug my office
telephone line.”

Neil Rieck, OpenVMS Application Developer

"When looking for sage advice on IT, go to the guru, Roland Hughes."

Heather Froeschl, Book Review Journal

But as Fred Brooks observed in his IT classic, The Mythical Man-month, the root of the problem is not just rising costs, but something inherent in the evolving nature of the information revolution. As the amount of data available rises faster than the ability to process it, programming tasks become ever more challenging. As a result, even as hardware costs are dropping, many software costs continue to rise. To cut costs, many projects start cheap, and are forced to add staff later when problems emerge. Unfortunately, the addition of people to a software project late in the process actually makes things worse. In a similar vein, Hughes suggests that IT management, by looking for a silver bullet, is ignoring the roots of the problem by only seeking short-term cost-cutting solutions. Silver bullets are often advertised, but do they really exist? Hughes clearly feels that in the end, quick fixes and short term cost cutting measures are penny wise and pound foolish. In the final section of the book, “Ruminations,” Hughes engages in a colorful and educational rant about the state of the IT industry and the programmers that work in it, offering useful advice and insight that will be valued by novice and veteran programmers alike. Bravo, Mr. Hughes! Any IT professional using VMS should have this book on his/her shelf, and the “prequel” and sequel as well.

Rod Clark, bookreview.com