Comp 312 Information (Spring 2007)

Programming

We will use Java 5.0 (1.5) for all programming assignments. Java 5.0 is an significant extension of Java that includes support for parameterizing classes and methods by type (generics). Java 5.0 does not run on Macs with old versions of Mac OS X (versions prior to 10.4). Hence, if you plan to use a Mac for development work on DrJava, you must run the latest version of Mac OS X.

With the exception of an optional warm-up assignment near the beginning of the course, all programming will be done in teams. The class will be divided into two or three teams, each under the supervision of a teaching assistant who will serve as the team manager. Each team will design and implement a substantial extension to DrJava.

Workload and Grading

Students are expected to spend 10-12 hours per week (including lectures and team meetings) on the course, primarily working in teams on software projects. Students are graded primarily on their effectiveness as software developers. Performance on individual assignments will contribute less than 10/% of a students grade.

Each student is required to keep a log book recording the blocks of time (date, time, duration) spent on programming in the course. All phases of the program development process (design, coding, reviewing, testing, and debugging) are included.

Topics Covered

Production Programming Using eXtreme Programming (XP)

Incremental, test-driven program development
Comprehensive unit testing suite included in code base
Pair programming
Group ownership of code
Coding standards

Leading-Edge Programming Technology

Generics
Concurrency
Reflection
Custom class loaders
JUnit, Ant, XML, Clover

Review of OO Design Principles

Design Patterns
How to Write Unit Tests
Refactoring

Concurrent Programming

Threads
Locking disciplines to prevent races
Deadlock

Project Management