Instant Apache Camel Messaging System: Tackle integration problems and learn practical ways to make data flow between your application and other systems using Apache Camel

"Apache Camel Messaging System" is a new book (see [...] published on September, 25th, 2013 by PACKT PUBLISHING (ISBN: 9781782165347). Author is Evgeniy Sharapov. As it's subtitle says, the book describes how to "tackle integration problems and learn practical ways to make data flow between your application and other systems using Apache Camel".Apache Camel is the best integration framework "on the market". It has very good domain specific languages, many connectors, different companies behind it, and an awesome worldwide open source community. So, seeing a new book about Apache Camel is always good news!Danger of ConfusionThere are two new Apache Camel books: - Apache Camel Messaging System, released in September 2013 by PACKT PUBLISHING, see this book review - Apache Camel Message Routing, released in August 2013 by PACKT PUBLISHING, see [...]Sorry PACKT, this is ridiculous! Two books within one month with same name and almost same content. Therefore, both reviews are very similar. Why not connecting both authors to write ONE book ?! Be sure to buy just one of the two books!ContentFirst of all, the book has only 70 pages. So it does not contain that much content. It offers a short introduction to Apache Camel. The book explains in detail what Camel is, how to install it, and how to get started. You will also learn about different domain specific languages and some Enteprise Integration Patterns.Compare to the other new Camel book by PACKT, this one differs in two things: - The introduction / theory is more detailed - The practical examples are less detailedBoth alternatives are a good introduction to Camel, you can get started easily with both!ConclusionGood news: - Yet another new Apache Camel book - Easy to read - Good examples - Good starting point for newbiesBad news: - Just 70 pages. Just for getting started. Therefore, very expensive. - You can find all information of this book on Camel's website for free (though, newbies might not find all this information easily by searching the website) - "Camel in Action" is also available. That's another awesome Apache Camel book, which also explains all basics, but also many many more details (500 pages) - If you already know Apache Camel, you do NOT need this bookSummary:If you are looking an easy-to-read book for getting started with Apache Camel, then this book is for you. Afterwards, you still need to buy "Camel in action", too. "Camel in action" is not as easy as this one for getting started, as even the first chapters contain many details. This might be to much for newbies. So, it is no bad idea to start with this book, then buy "Camel in Action" for using Apache Camel in your projects.Best regards,Kai WähnerTwitter: @KaiWaehnerWebsite: [...]Read the review on my blog: [...]

A good starter book

Nice, good to read, but short book for introducing Apache Camel. Any Newbies to Camel will get some information about this powerful framework, but if you have already worked with Camel, this book will not help you with further information.I completely agree with everything Kai and Claus already mentioned in their comments below and I also strongly recommend Camel in Action !

Its great to see the Camel community goes from strength to strength over the years. And this year there is three new books being published.One of the books is titled - Instant Apache Camel Messaging System, by Evgeniy Sharapov. Published by Packt publishing in September 2013.This week I had the pleasure of reading the book. Its a short book with 78 pages (111 on my iPad mini) and I was able to read it in two evenings. I enjoyed reading the book as it was well written, the english language and grammar is spot on, and there is a "red line" that takes you through the content, with nice transitions from one section to the next.This book covers the following topics- What is Apache Camel- Installation- Quickstart creating your first Camel project- Top 6 features- Where to find more information in the communityAd 1 - What is Apache CamelThe book explains what Apache Camel is in 4 pages. It is a good attempt, but I would liked to see more details, and a figure to better explains the relationship with Camel, Components, Routes, and EIPs.Ad 2 - InstallationInstalling Apache Camel is focused primary on using Apache Maven as the built tool, and this book, covers how to create a new generic Maven project from the command line, and then how to add Camel dependencies, and prepare the project for Eclipse or IDEA editors. Though the author also covers how to manually download and unzip the Apache Camel distribution and how to add JARs to your project.Along the way in the book there is small screenshots of the example project structure and code listings of the Maven pom.xml file and other important pieces to highlight. The author has done a great job striking a balance to the reader so he can easily follow what is going on. I really like its the same example that is used throughout the book, and is being modified on the way, as Camel's functionality is unlocked.I would have liked to see how to create new projects without the command-line such as from the wizards built-in Eclipse. That is easier today as Maven is provided out of the box in Eclipse.Also mentioning about the Camel Maven archetypes would have been good.Ad 3 - QuickstartIn the quickstart chapter we develop a small Camel application that logs a message to the logger, using a Camel route. The content is good and I like there is a screenshot figure of running the application, which shows the reader what happens.The book also goes a bit deeper explaining what CamelContext, and RouteBuilder is. And how the quickstart application works.Ad 4 - Top 6 featuresThis chapter is covering 6 must-know features - though unfortunately the author does not summarize which 6 features that would be.What is covered is:- Some Camel concepts such what is a Message / Exchange- Using Camel Main support- Testing Camel applications with and without Spring- Routing with Java and XML DSL- Transformations- and very briefly talks about EIPs (frankly to short)This is the big and main chapter of the book, that uses the same example which we then add functionality on the way - this is very good. Later in the chapter a new real-life example is being covered about custom document declarations. This is a very good example, and the reader learns how to use content based routing, xpath and java predicates, xslt transformation, using JAXB, and how to write Camel type converters, and a little bit about JMS, and how to put that together and unit test as well. The reader is also shown how to build unit tests, and touching how to advice the routes during testing to mock/replace parts making unit testing in isolation easier.There is a few minor information that could have been updated. When you write a custom Camel type converter, you should use the fully qualified classname of the type converter classes in the META-INF/.../TypeConverter file. This is what we recommend.Also writing a custom type converter for XML -> your JAXB object is not needed as just use camel-jaxb and include the jaxb.index file and Camel has a fallback type converter built-in that does this out of the box.All together a great example that shows more of Camel powers at the time, when the reader is ready to learn more. Very well done by the author.Ad 5 - More informationThe book ends with some details where to find more information, such as other books, and online material on other web sites, user forums such as stackoverflow, and Camel bloggers.A nice touch but I would have liked to see a bit more detail, as the Camel community is vast, and there is a lot of information out there.SummaryThis is a great book for new users to Apache Camel, who are looking for practical examples how to get started using Apache Camel, who may not be able to find such information in one place. All the information you need to get started with Camel is there at your fingertips, but you have to be prepared for being practical and try the source code of the book. This book is not for experience Camel users, whom already have built a couple of Camel applications.After reading this book you will be much better prepared to be successful and be able to learn more and use Apache Camel in your day time job.The information in the book can be found freely available on the internet today, but you will need to jump between content and that would take you a much longer time, than it would be to just purchase this eBook and in a few days be prepared for working with Apache Camel.The title of the book is misleading, I blame the publisher, for not taking the title serious. There is another book that hit the market with a similar scope and title. Readers are being mislead. This book doesn't cover messaging. Its a beginner/introductory book. Use that in the title! It seems the publisher takes some integration like words and put together at random. What if the title was: Instant Concise Application Messaging Exchange Language (hint) - that would be confusing as well.A IMHO better title could have been using words like:- Get started with Apache Camel- Learning Apache Camel- Practical Apache Camel- Beginning Apache CamelThough possible could be more creative with the title, and maybe something like: Instant learn using Apache Camel in 2 days.Okay besides the title, the book is only for new users, but its a great book.Rating: **** (4 out of 5) based on being a highlight practical book for new Camel users, that is easy and fun to read. After reading the book you have a feeling to learn more, and wished the book had more pages.What's nextAlong the way you may want to read these freely available information as well. They explain what Apache Camel is in more detail, and also goes more in deep with the Camel concepts with is important to know.- Open Source Integration with Apache Camel - [...]- Camel in Action chapter 1 - [...]If you intended to go on using Apache Camel, then you may want to pickup another books that goes much more in depth what Apache Camel can do. Today on the market there is:- Camel in Action - Camel Action Claus Ibsen - Apache Camel developers handbook (to be published later this year)Disclaimer: I am co-author of the Camel in Action book.And I end this blog by congratulating Evgeniy Sharapov for authoring a great Apache Camel beginner book, that is a joy to read. You sure have flair and talent for writing. Hope this is not the last book from your hands.Claus IbsenTwitter: @davsclausBlog: [...]Author: Camel in Action