Is there any book studying Java open source code? [closed]

Question

I like reading open-source code to see how particular problems have been solved, or simply to study how to create nice and clean code.

I was wondering if there actually was any good book out there that goes through excerpts of different (preferably in Java) open-source projects to show how patterns have been used and implemented, some nifty tricks, etc.?

Update: I took design patterns as an example, but it’s not really what I am after. I read a lot of open-source code, and I often find interesting ways of doing things which I didn’t think of before – my question is whether there is a book that shows some “cool” open-source code, a bit like how Clean Code uses FitNesse code to illustrate refactoring and other points.

Answer 1

Well, you can read just book about open source project, and authors can show what and how. E.g. I read Pro Spring 2.5 and there is even chapter called "Spring Patterns" with explanation of why and how they call files, directories, design patterns they use and invite you to use etc. Probably take a look at the books about open source projects you investigate.

UPDATE (just that paragraph insert to extend answer:) : as I told previously, you can look through the books about open source projects and find there information how this project is developed, architectural issues etc. Once I looked for real good example of "Open/Closed Principle" using, theory is nice but I would not say that it is so clear how to use it. The only book which helped me was Expert Spring MVC and Web Flow (I already pointed you to google books with that chapter I read). I didn't read the whole book, but I am sure it contains a lot of such things (what and how was used to make Spring done). From book Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship I remember that there is a chapter, when they take a code from one open source project and make it better (unfortunately open source does not mean that it is good enough); that book also contain reference to how some other projects where written (e.g. jUnit). I don't know any book, which is completely dedicated to any project, there are just books where is "theory", and books about project which can have some explanation of what is inside. I would recommend books from APress (Pro and Expert series, afaik "beginning" books does not contain such explanation), and Packt Publishing - their main topic is open source.

UPDATE 2 (just can't stop :) Just remembered new series of books from OReilly "Beautiful ...." - I never read it, but I looked through. It actually consists of different stories behind development, real stories from life. I see there is also Beautiful Code: Leading Programmers Explain How They Think - I should contain what you need. Other "beautiful" books can be worth of your time too.

About patterns in general there are a lot of good books, and it depends on what exactly are you looking for. E.g. Head First Design Patterns is quite good to explain common patterns in fun way. If you need more, you can take a look at Enterprise Integration Patterns: Designing, Building, and Deploying Messaging Solutions to see how different applications, systems etc. can be integrated (and how open source projects do it too). Etc. Just specify what patterns or tricks do you want to read about, community will make its suggestion ;)

Some web links out of my bookmarks:

1. Anti Patterns Catalog - know what you are not going to do!
2. Design Patterns and Martin Fowler's Catalog - that's shortly about what is good to use and know about
3. SOA patterns - community site for SOA patterns (integration etc.)

And few more books to take a look at:

1. Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
2. Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices
3. Code Complete - this book is just a bible of how to write code...

people, who develop open source definitely know what are those books about ;)

Hope that helps

UPDATE (25-05-2011) Just found one book, which I definitely going to buy, and I think it perfectly fits your question:

The Architecture of Open Source Applications

Architects look at thousands of buildings during their training, and study critiques of those buildings written by masters. In contrast, most software developers only ever get to know a handful of large programs well — usually programs they wrote themselves — and never study the great programs of history. As a result, they repeat one another’s mistakes rather than building on one another’s successes. This book’s goal is to change that. In it, the authors of twenty-five open source applications explain how their software is structured, and why. What are each program's major components? How do they interact? And what did their builders learn during their development? In answering these questions, the contributors to this book provide unique insights into how they think. Electronic versions of The Architecture of Open Source Applications for e-readers will be available for download soon.

Answer 2

Good question. But I doubt if there is a book based on a real project. But to answer your "nice and clean" part, Josh Bloch's Effective Java is the right book.