Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 14:36:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lisa Mann <lisam@oreilly.com>
To: lwn@lwn.net
Subject: Java Performance Tuning


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	
CONTACT: Lisa Mann
(707) 829-0515 ext. 230
lisam@oreilly.com				
http://www.oreilly.com


"ANY JAVA PROGRAM CAN RUN FAST" SAYS AUTHOR


Sebastopol, CA--Performance has been an important issue for Java
developers since the first version of Java hit the streets. Java's
performance has improved dramatically since that first release, but you
can never have code that runs too fast.

"Making those first interpreted programs run fast enough was a huge
challenge for many developers," says Jack Shirazi, author of the
just-released book "Java Performance Tuning" (O'Reilly, $34.95). "Since
then, Java performance has improved enormously, and any Java program
can now be made to run fast enough, provided you avoid the main
performance pitfalls."

Especially when writing mission-critical applications, no one wants to
be limited by their programming environment. "Java Performance Tuning" is
a guide many Java developers will find indispensable. "There is a
perception that Java programs are slow," says Shirazi. "Part of this
perception is pure assumption; many people assume that if a program is
not compiled, it must be slow. Part of this perception is based in
reality. In earlier versions of Java, you had to struggle hard and
compromise a lot to make a Java application run quickly. But even now,
and even with good design practices, the first version of a program is
often slower than expected. Just as the first version of the code is
likely to have bugs that need fixing; the first version often needs
tuning for speed. Fortunately, if you know where to focus your
attention, tuning is usually easier than debugging."

Performance tuning is inherently a messy task. Using many real-life
examples to work through the performance process in detail, "Java
Performance Tuning" shows how tricks such as minimizing object creation,
replacing strings with arrays, and others can really pay off on
improving your code's performance. Equally important, this book offers
common-sense advice about what to tune and what to leave alone-crucial
to maximizing performance without damaging your program's architecture.
It also provides performance tuning checklists that enable developers
to make their tuning as comprehensive as possible.

"Java Performance Tuning" is a book for developers who are ready to "roll
up their sleeves" and examine their code in detail in order to apply
different tuning techniques to produce code that is robust,
maintainable, and fast.


Chapter 4, Object Creation, is available free online at: 
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/javapt/chapter/ch04.html

For more information about the book, including Table of Contents,
index, author bio, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/javapt/

For a cover graphic in jpeg format, go to:
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/0596000154.jpg


# # #
Java Performance Tuning
By Jack Shirazi
0-596-00015-4, 440 pages, $34.95
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
http://www.oreilly.com