An expense that can be justified.

You are already into various Java technologies like
Servlets, JDBC, EJBs and can put together a
small to medium application/project using those.

You somehow implemented the project/app to
satisfy the requirements but you are thinking
that there has to be a better way of going from
a set of requirements to a design (from which the leap to
actual coding is smooth) without feeling like
some vague unrepeatable 'magic' was being done.

You want to formalize the process of jumping from the
'analyze' phase to a 'Object oriented design' phase (that
results in sequence/collaboration diagrams etc) but
without being encumbered by an elaborate and complex
methodology.

You want this process to be small, easy to understand
and flexible so that you can adapt it to your needs.

If the above applies, you should seriously consider
investing in this book.

The Authors use the often used bookstore example to drive
home the process which starts with writing usecases
and ends with a detailed design that satisfies all the
user's requirements.

A list of 10 common mistakes made during each step of
the process can be used as a reference when you are
done understanding the process and are actually applying
it in your projects.

Paul Reed's Application Development with Java and UML
makes a good complement to this book, though
Conallen uses a modified but still complex enough form
of Rational Unified Process (RUP) in his book.

Other Reviews

• Useful but not what it implies
• An expense that can be justified.
• Pricey for what it provides
• A practical follow-up
• Learn object modeling by example with solution