Chapter 1. Introduction
As software developers, we are constantly being asked to build applications in less time and with less money. And, of course, these applications are expected to be better and faster than ever before. Object-oriented techniques and component software environments are in wide use now, in the hope that they can help us build applications more quickly. Development tools like Microsoft’s Visual Basic have made it easier to build applications faster by taking a building-block approach to software development. Such tools provide a visual programming model that allows you to include software components rapidly in your applications.
The JavaBeans architecture brings the component development model to Java, and that’s the subject of this book. But before we get started, I want to spend a little time describing the component model, and follow that with a general overview of JavaBeans. If you already have an understanding of these subjects, or you just want to get right into it, you can go directly to Chapter 2. Otherwise, you’ll probably find that the information in this chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book.
The Component Model
Components are self-contained elements of software that can be controlled dynamically and assembled to form applications. But that’s not the end of it. These components must also interoperate according to a set of rules and guidelines. They must behave in ways that are expected. It’s like a society of software citizens. The citizens ...
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