TODAY THE JAVA 2 PLATFORM, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) is the most complete and effective platform for enterprise development. J2EE unifies and embodies the knowledge gained from building up-to-date, multitier applications, and provides this knowledge as a standardized set of modular components and services. We believe that J2EE simplifies many aspects of enterprise computing, but it is by no means a simple technology to master. The technology choices, techniques, APIs, and patterns can be overwhelming.

Open Source has had a profound effect on the Java community. As consultants, we know that every new assignment brings new challenges. During our day-to-day work we’ve found Open Source to be invaluable for simplifying the work of our teams and helping us to concentrate on what really matters.

Enterprise Java Development on a Budget: Leveraging Java Open Source Technologies is a book for Java professionals who look beyond the tools placed in their hands by their employers. It’s a book for those trailblazers who time and again tell their colleagues, “I’ve been playing with this tool…and I think this could really make our lives easier.” This book compiles the experiences of two seasoned Java developers and gives the reader a roadmap of best practices and Open Source tools that will support those practices. Open Source is more than just free software; it’s a force that’s shaping the way we think about software and how software is made. Open Source and Java are a perfect combination to tackle the challenges of enterprise development with an open, extensible, nonproprietary arsenal that reflects the best that the industry has to offer.