This is a great book. The chapters are very well organized and the bulletted information of key concepts in every chapter is really really helpful for last minute reference.
One thing that I want to mention is the style of writing of the authors. This is one book where after each chapter you feel you've really gained something...and you quickly want to move the next chapter to learn more...and long after the exam is over you still feel confident of the knowledge that you've acquired.
The treatment of various servlets and JSP concepts is precise and consistent with the requirements of the exam. However don't get the impression that it does not cover the key concepts in detail.. In fact it does a wonderful job. For example..I had no prior experience with tag libraries before , yet I managed to get a score of 96% on the exam and that too after studying for just two weeks. And my only primary resource was this book and the provided CD.
The three practice tests on the CD are essential for getting a good score on the actual exam.
All in all a great book..well worth your money!!
Best of luck!
Tanay

After reading the other Java books from Manning, we are hoping they will continue the trend of producing good technically focused books that are less bulky than the 1000 page tomes.

This is actually a study guide for the Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) Exam. The authors re-iterate that this is a study guide so it will not cover all the topics that advanced JSP/ Servlet developers require. Ok, say for example you have passed the Java Programmer exam (SCJP) and now ready for another challenge. Even in the preface, the authors are giving useful information about resource you will require to pass this exam.

Chapter 1 presents the servlet container and a simple Hello World servlet. The authors make good use of diagrams and source code snippets. Chapter 2 covers the basics of JSP with a Hello User JSP example. Page 19 contains a good reference table that shows the JSP syntax elements, with the the exam objects next to each element and the book section number. Chapter 3 concludes the first section of the book with an introduction to HTTP. Developers getting ready to take the exam may think that this is all very basic stuff and not enough to pass the exam. Well they will be pleased because the next section adds the necessary acceleration. From chapter 4 to 10, the topics presented include the servlet model (and lifecycle), deployment (web.xml and war files), Servlet Context,Server-side exceptions, Session Management, security and thread-safety. Each chapter starts with the exam objectives and ends with a set of review questions in a similar style as the exam.

The third section is about JSP (chapters 11-16). They cover JSP directives, scriplets, comments and all the other fundametals. After the fundamentals, Javabeans and Tag libraries are discussed.

In the last section, the authors introduce design patterns (MVC, DAO, Front controller and business delegate) and filters (not in the exam).

In the Appendix, the end of chapter review questions are answered and explained.

The authors have done a great job at covering all the topics without dwelling too much on any one topic. Even if you are not going to take the exam, this book will help you understand many intermediate topics in a concise manner. This is another excellent Manning book.

Collaboratively developed and written by Java experts Hanumant Deshmukh and Jignesh Malavia, SCWCD Exam Study Kit is an extensive book and CD combination created especially to prepare for the Sun Certified Web Component Developer exam. All the exam topics are covered in depth, from exception handling to security, design patterns, and much more. 120 review questions and a quick prep section for a last-minute refresher round out this excellent study guide highly recommended not only for SCWCD exam takers, but for anyone intending to put their exam credentials to good use - the SCWCD Exam Study Kit doubles as a solid reference for dedicated programmers. If you are preparing for the SCWCD exam, then you need to secure a copy of the SCWCD Exam Study Kit from Manning Publications!