If becoming a J2EE developer is your goal, you must first be able to develop simple Java Web applications using servlets and JSPs (Java Server Pages). If you haven't gotten over this initial hurdle, you should take a look at TLCC's (The Learning Continuum Company) Introduction to WebSphere for Domino Developers course. For a review of this course, please consult Dan Velasco's article titled "Become a WebSphere master with TLCC's Introduction to WebSphere 4.0 for Domino Developers" in the September 2002 issue of DominoPower Magazine, at http://www.dominopower.com/issues/issue200209/websphere001.html.

If your Java Web development skills are top notch, then you're ready to enter the world of J2EE development. To become a J2EE developer, however, you need to know much more than how to create simple servlets and JSPs.

Unfortunately, if you're as pressed for time as I am, the idea of taking four days away from work to learn these techniques may not be feasible. The cost of taking such a course may also be prohibitive. Fortunately, The Learning Continuum Company offers a distance course geared towards learning how to use WSAD (WebSphere Studio Application Developer) to develop J2EE applications, at a cost that's very reasonable.

This course, Servlet and JSP Programming with WebSphere 5 for Domino Developers (course code WSAD5DD2), does an excellent job covering not only servlet and JSP programming techniques, but also how to expand your capabilities through the use of tag libraries, Java Beans, JDBC, connection pools, and more.

Additionally, the course demonstrates how to use many WebSphere Studio features that make J2EE development easier, including:

• Adding built-in JSTL (JSP Standard Tag Library) and Struts support to a Web project.
• Using content assist to add tags to a JSP.
• Using the JavaBean wizard to create JavaBeans.
• Using the Data view to create Database Connections, Definitions, Schemas and Table Definitions.
• Creating SQL statements using the SQL Builder wizard.
• Setting up Connection Pools.
• Recovering Deleted and Modified Resources from local history.
• Refactoring Java Code
• Creating and Managing Test Servers in the Server perspective.
• Application Profiling
• Using CVS
• Using JUnit Testing