About this Book
EJB 3 is meant to recast Java server-side development into a mold you might not expect. Therefore, we’ve tried to make this an EJB book you might not anticipate.
Most server-side Java books tend to be serious affairs—heavy on theory, slightly preachy, and geared toward the advanced developer. While we easily fit the stereotype of geeks and aren’t the funniest comedians or entertainers, we’ve tried to add some color to our writing to keep this book as lighthearted and down-to-earth as possible. The tone is intended to be friendly, conversational, and informal. We made a conscious effort to drive the chapter content with examples that are close to the real-world problems you deal with every day. In most cases, we introduce a problem that needs to be solved, show you the code to solve it using EJB 3, and explore features of the technology using the code.
We cover theory when it is necessary. We try to avoid theory for theory’s sake and to make the discussion as lively as we can. The goal of this book is to help you learn EJB 3 quickly and effectively, not to be a comprehensive reference book. We don’t cover features you’re unlikely to use. Instead, we provide deep coverage of the most useful EJB 3 features and its related technologies. We discuss various options so you can make educated choices, warn you about common pitfalls, and tell you about battle-hardened best practices.