Jeff Friesen’s Beginning Java SE 6 Platform: From Novice to Professional is out now from Apress. In this article Jeff introduces you to his new book by presenting excerpts from its chapter on the Java ...

The Java platforms (J2SE and J2EE) are filled with rich and useful features, making Java an extremely useful resource for more than mere programming. To use Java, a good scripting tool is needed.

Some Java applications’ requirements make integration with a scripting language necessary. For example, your users may need to write scripts that drive the application, extend it, or contain loops and ...