web programming

I started reading "JavaServer Pages, 3rd Edition" hoping to get a good grasp of JSP.
After 3 days I was wondering why I was still confused about JSP.
Then I started reading the JSP chapter in "Java Servlet Programming, 2nd Edition by Jason Hunter" and suddenly everything made sense. I am *much* more comfortable with the coverage of JSP in "Java Servlet Programming, 2nd Edition". The JSP chapter in "Java Servlet Programming, 2nd Edition" is much more logically organized, and easy to follow.
"JavaServer Pages, 3rd Edition" may have all the correct information, but I found the organization of the book to be confusing.

I purchased the book based upon the O'Reilly reputation but I was very disappointed in this product. I don't feel the examples progress in complexity in a way that is conducive to learning. Often, the author refers to examples in previous chapters as he builds code relevant to the current chapter. Why should the reader have to go 4 chapters back to see the code that will allow you to navigate to the page under discussion? He also has an over reliance on code snippets instead of sacrificing the page real-estate to show the entire example for the sake of clarity. I also was surprised that the focus of the book is entirely on the JSTL with very little discussion of the core Java language.

Now in an updated third edition covering JSP 2.0 and JSTL 1.1, JavaServer Pages is an extremely practical guidebook especially recommended for server-side Java Developers, uses explicit instruction, examples, and sample codes to instruct the reader in JSP application basics, development, and applying JSP in J2EE and JSP component development. A technical user's manual that goes into express detail, offering explicit syntax and step-by-step discussion of technical applications. No professional level Java reference collection can be considered complete or up to date without the inclusion of Hans Bergsten's JavaServer Pages.