A couple of weeks ago I got a review copy of XPages Portable Command Guide. Being eager, I had already bought the electronic version.
First, a couple of points about the differing media. The electronic version is great for bookmarking and searching. Plus, because I always have my iPad with me, I always have PCG with me. But one of the nice additions on the paper version is quick reference material on the inside covers. This allows you to quickly find where to go to in the book based on certain needs.
As for the book itself, it’s aimed specifically at those already developing XPages applications. So it’s not going to tell you how to build an application – for that, read the Mastering XPages book. It’s going to tell you how to optimise your server, your application, and your Client-Side JavaScript. It’s also aimed at all XPages developers. I’m willing to bet there are only a handful of people in the world who already know everything that’s in the book. Anyone else will definitely learn something. And I learnt lots.
There is a host of information on the xsp.properties, which is where to go to optimise your server and application. One of the properties I learnt more about here was xsp.application.forcefullrefresh to fully refresh the application after each save in Designer. Just as one would expect, the book describes exactly what it does, to help inform on when to use it.
Another example of this in action is the Java getComponentFor and SSJS getComponent and how they work. I firmly believe that if you understand what’s happening, it’s easier to use it properly – that’s one of the guiding principles behind my second session at BLUG tomorrow. The explanation of getClientId, when it will not work and why also highlights this.
The book also goes in depth on Client-Side JavaScript. With mobile controls and developers going beyond the basics for other XPages development, this is particularly timely. There are also elements useful if you are converting an existing web application to use XPages, such as The benefits of attachQuerySubmitListener to utilise existing CSJS validation. One aspect I also look forward to investigating is overriding XSP.alert, perhaps to create a nicer alert than the Web 1.0 look and feel of basic browser alert boxes.
But the book also covers intermediate / advanced topics, such as using XPath for data binding, a great description of managed beans using the discussion database, clear instructions in Java debugging, and an excellent description of the JSF lifecycle and how to read stack traces.
All in all, it is a must-have resource, not only for XPages developers but also Domino Administrators who are administering servers with XPages applications on them. Thanks to Martin, Tony, Dan and Maire for their efforts.
Tim, David and I spoke to the authors a couple of weeks ago, so look out for that episode of The XCast soon.
