Learning path for Cafe Duet

Chuck Carpenter

Hi Gang,

I am looking to start learning Cafe Duet. I have a programming background and I did some Java programming years ago, but I will have a lot catching up to due. I recently completed the AMX Programmer I and II and submitted my practical for certification and waiting on the results of that. I plan on taking the AMX Cafe Duet class in May and I am looking to get a head start on things.

What docs/books do you guys recommend reading first?

Thanks


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PhreaK

If you have your head around java then life won't be to bad. Duet is J2ME 1.4 CDC with the Oscar OSGi implementation and a bunch of API's for talking to NetLinx land. In terms of books / docs for J2ME and Oscar Google is your friend there. However the docs that provide an intro to the Duet API's are lacking / non-existent. Although a lot of the code has full javadoc getting your head around it and building that initial mental map is somewhat of a challenge.

For Java guff I'd highly recommend Effective Java (second ed.) by Joshua Bloch. Neil Bertlett has a good free pdf book that gives you a run down of OSGi and how it all clicks together or there's a good video intro here. Also if you haven't already done so read the Pragmatic Programmer, its a language agnostic book that should be a prereq for any programming. For Duet specific stuff feel free to have a browse around some of the projects on my GitHub profile. Again, these are all internally documented. There's also a util project there that abstracts from the duet API's into a frontend that's a little more friendly to implement.

For prepping for the Duet course I wouldn't worry about the Duet side of things to much. It's much easier to be walked through it and have someone there you can shoot any queries to as they come up. Get your head around Java (ignoring swing and AWT) so that then when the times comes for the course the only new thing you are having to focus on are the API's rather than language semantics.

champ

Duet uses the Eclipse IDE so if you are going to play around with J2me before getting Duet then use Eclipse.

DHawthorne

The biggest problem I have seen with Duet modules is not in the Java, but the fact that too many people tried to write them without any idea how a control system works. If you are already passing familiar with vanilla AMX programming, you have most of the battle won already. Porting the techniques to another language in itself should be trivial.

Chuck Carpenter

You guys are awesome, thanks for the great information!

I never cease to be amazed at the technical depth of this board and the willingness to help other board members.

I hope to return the favor in the future.

Chuck