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Head First Design Patterns

(Head First)

By Kathy Sierra, Bert Bates, Elisabeth Freeman, Eric Freeman

(106)

| Paperback | 9780596007126

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Book Description

You're not alone. At any given moment, somewhere in the world someone struggles with the same software design problems you have. You know you don't want to reinvent the wheel (or worse, a flat tire), so you look to Design Patterns--the lessons learned by those who've faced the same problems. With Design Patterns, you get to take advantage of the best practices and experience of others, so that you can spend your time on...something else. Something more challenging. Something more complex. Something more fun. You want to learn about the patterns that matter--why to use them, when to use them, how to use them (and when NOT to use them). But you don't just want to see how patterns look in a book, you want to know how they look "in the wild". In their native environment. In other words, in real world applications. You also want to learn how patterns are used in the Java API, and how to exploit Java's built-in pattern support in your own code. You want to learn the real OO design principles and why everything your boss told you about inheritance might be wrong (and what to do instead). You want to learn how those principles will help the next time you're up a creek without a design paddle pattern. Most importantly, you want to learn the "secret language" of Design Patterns so that you can hold your own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions his stunningly clever use of Command, Facade, Proxy, and Factory in between sips of a martini. You'll easily counter with your deep understanding of why Singleton isn't as simple as it sounds, how the Factory is so often misunderstood, or on the real relationship between Decorator, Facade and Adapter. With Head First Design Patterns, you'll avoid the embarrassment of thinking Decorator is something from the "Trading Spaces" show. Best of all, in a way that won't put you to sleep! We think your time is too important (and too short) to spend it struggling with academic texts. If you've read a Head First book, you know what to expect--a visually-rich format designed for the way your brain works. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, Head First Design Patterns will load patterns into your brain in a way that sticks. In a way that lets you put them to work immediately. In a way that makes you better at solving software design problems, and better at speaking the language of patterns with others on your team.

6 Reviews

2 people find this helpful

This is a good book for people are new to learn about design pattern. With interesting charts & materials, you won't be boring reading this book.
For those experts and knowledge-readers, however, this book may be too easy for you. Nevertheless, you can still find important concepts & useful co ... (continue)

This is a good book for people are new to learn about design pattern. With interesting charts & materials, you won't be boring reading this book.
For those experts and knowledge-readers, however, this book may be too easy for you. Nevertheless, you can still find important concepts & useful comments in this book.

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Luke Chi said on Jan 4, 2008 | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

This is the best book about Desgin Pattern for novice. You shouldn't miss it if you haven't read the one by Gamma

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vincentlai said on May 17, 2007 | Add your feedback

quite good for reference

finally...finished reading this one.
its quite good to read it, though sometimes I do not really get it, can take as tool to sharpen ur minds in design or programming in java...
worth a look and thinking in patterns.

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Syn said on Aug 22, 2011 | Add your feedback

What's with the hot chick on the cover ???

So, you got your ideas about Java and basic OO programming fixed and want to go deeper? This is the perfect book to help you in your quest. It's an easy to read but still very technical and precise tutorial on design patterns and OO design strategies. It finally demistifies a central part of OO prog ... (continue)

So, you got your ideas about Java and basic OO programming fixed and want to go deeper? This is the perfect book to help you in your quest. It's an easy to read but still very technical and precise tutorial on design patterns and OO design strategies. It finally demistifies a central part of OO programming that was considered hard and very advanced just because there were no well done and accessible text describing it. And plus, you will get all this in a lively, varied, funny and attention-catching exposition. Superficially it appears just a book made by "unconventiional" authors who like to personalize their work, but behind it are important ideas about what makes learning, studying and paying attention hard and painful or easy and fun.
If you read the preface and pay attention to how the book is organized you will also get a lesson in learning theory and on how to make your teaching more effective and interesting and your study hours more rewarding. So it is a very useful book both for the student and the teacher.
We need a translation in italian SOON! ;)
My only perplexity is this: Kathy I know your ideas about reviving the stagnant tech book market by making books more fun and passionating, but what's with the hot chick on the cover? OK, I agree it is way more interesting than the standard O'Reilly animals.. but still...that's exploiting hormons, not being interesting ;)
Anyhow.. number ONE book on design patterns, sorry GOF

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The Teach said on Nov 3, 2009 | Add your feedback

This is a beginner-friendly book for design patterns. The authors used daily-life problems to explain vividly, accompanied with figures and drawings, some of the basic patterns. The writing style and organization allows readers to quickly grasp the essentials of those patterns. On the other hand, th ... (continue)

This is a beginner-friendly book for design patterns. The authors used daily-life problems to explain vividly, accompanied with figures and drawings, some of the basic patterns. The writing style and organization allows readers to quickly grasp the essentials of those patterns. On the other hand, the authors also introduced object-oriented design principals in appropriate occasions.
If you are looking an introductory book for design patterns, this should be the one for you.

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501 said on Oct 22, 2009 | Add your feedback

Perfect for learning design patterns

Great book. Accessible and deep at the same time. Very good explanations for each of the most important design patterns.
The Head First series books have a unique and distinct style, with the use of many pictures and comics, q&a, exercises, and so on...
Recommended, especially for medium ... (continue)

Great book. Accessible and deep at the same time. Very good explanations for each of the most important design patterns.
The Head First series books have a unique and distinct style, with the use of many pictures and comics, q&a, exercises, and so on...
Recommended, especially for medium level developer willing to improve their object-oriented design or to categorize and give a name to programming patterns they probably already used unconsciously.

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Francesco Pighi said on May 19, 2009 | Add your feedback