You can't build today's web-based enterprise applications in isolation: you have to understand an exceptionally wide range of technologies, and bring together teams with widely diverse skills: software architects, J2EE developers, networking professionals, database specialists, application server administrators, and many others. The authors of BEA WebLogic Server Bible recognize this. Their book covers not only WebLogic 6.1 coding and configuration but the entire project.

You'll start with an overview of organizing your project team; then walk through the make-or-break topic of multi-tier J2EE application design — containers, components, use cases, modeling, and more. Once you know what you're trying to accomplish, you'll configure your WebLogic environment, then systematically review each of key J2EE API WebLogic supports — including JDBC, JNDI, JTA for transactions, and RMI (where BEA's implementation has much to recommend it over Sun's).

Next, the authors move on to web component development: JSP and servlets, then tag libraries and custom tags, and then a full section on Enterprise JavaBeans development, including up-to-the-minute coverage of EJB 2.0 message-driven beans. The book's full lifecycle coverage includes detailed coverage of application deployment, testing, tuning, security, and finally, administration. It's an essential resource for every WebLogic 6.x enterprise developer. (Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. He served for nearly ten years as vice president of a New Jersey–based marketing company, where he supervised a wide range of graphics and web design projects. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.