This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Java Buzz by Scott Delap. Original Post: Desktop Java Live: Refactoring A Book Feed Title: ClientJava.com Feed URL: http://www.clientjava.com/archives/wireless_mobile.rdf Feed Description: Client/Desktop Related Java Development Latest Java Buzz Posts Latest Java Buzz Posts by Scott Delap Latest Posts From ClientJava.com

I’ve found the writing of Desktop Java Live to be an evolving process the last few months.  The table of contents has changed over time due to community input and my own explorations into areas to write about.  I’ve come to learn that writing a book is much like writing a desktop application.  You can’t simply write the menus first, then the data input forms, then the backend model, and finally wire it all together.  The entire application evolves over time, as does a book. With this in mind, I’m refactoring the content of Desktop Java Live slightly to take maximum advantage of the SourceBeat model.  Originally, the 1.0 release was constrained by how fast I could write chapters on a number of topics as well as example application.  Many of you have asked when is the book going to come out.

After discussions with SourceBeat, we have decided that the 1.0 version of the book will consist of:

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Layout
Chapter 3: GUI Builders
Chapter 4: Look and Feel
Chapter 5: Threading
Chapter 6: Data Binding
Chapter 7: GUI Commands
Chapter 8: ?

This should be right around 250 pages.  I view 1.0 not as the end or the middle of the process but just the beginning.  After the 1.0 release, I will begin writing an RSS reader using the concepts discussed in the first eight chapters.  The next few chapters after chapter 8 will detail its construction.  This approach has a number of advantages.  First, you the readers will get the first eight chapters sooner.  Secondly, I can write the sample application more like a normal application would be developed instead of linearly as the concepts chapters were written.  Finally, readers can be more involved in the sample application’s construction through interaction on the SourceBeat site.  This type of approach wouldn’t be possible with a traditional book.

      After the initial RSS reader has been written, Desktop Java Live will be able to use it as a foundation for possible future chapters such as Glazed Lists, GUI Testing, and conversion to evolving desktop frameworks like Spring Rich and JDNC.

Now I'm sure you all noticed the question mark next to chapter 8. The earlier TOC's had topics such as Events and Messaging, Advanced Threading, etc. However, I think those possibly would be better written post 1.0. I'm kicking around a few ideas for chapter 8 as a result. Any suggestions of a topic that can be discussed in around 30 pages in stand alone nature similar to the other 1.0 chapters?