Revised 12/02/99
The official web page for this course is http://www2.austin.cc.tx.us/baldwin/Cis2523Spring2000.htm
This document may be modified as the semester progresses in order to incorporate new instructions or clarify existing instructions. Therefore, you should review the instructions periodically and then immediately before submitting an exam to confirm that you are in compliance.
Failure to comply with the instructions usually results in a failing grade for the exam, often zero.
Click here to download a zip file containing the exam documents and possibly some sample class files.
The downloadable zip file is password protected. Contact me at baldwin@austin.cc.tx.us to obtain the password for extracting the exam documents and sample class files from the zip file.
Be sure to preserve the directory structure (if there is one) when unzipping the file to avoid overwriting sample class files that may have the same names.
The exams for this course are take-home exams. You may use any reference material that you have available. However, you are instructed not to obtain assistance from anyone.
One or more of the problems on an exam may require you to write a Java program.
Your name is required in the output for every program and the program specifications will indicate where your name should appear if placement is important.
You must submit Java source files and class files for each program. Store your completed source files and class files for each program on a diskette or in a directory tree on your hard drive (see discussion of submittal methods below).
Store the files for each program in a separate folder (directory) with the name of the folder being the same as the name of the controlling class for the program (example: Prob99). If you mix files in the same folder, the class files from one program may destroy the class files for another program.
Your source code and class files must be compatible with the version of the JavaSoft JDK running on the computers in the Northridge CIS laboratory on the due date of the exam. Send me an email if you need to learn which version of the JDK is currently in use in the labs.
You must program to the JDK 1.2.x version of the JavaSoft (Sun) JDK. (In extremely rare cases, you may encounter compatibility problems with JDK 1.2 and may need to program using JDK 1.1 instead.)
Do not use the JDK 1.0.x event model. Do not use other compilers such as Microsoft J++, Symantec Visual Cafe, IBM Visual Age for Java, etc., for your final submittal The objective of this course is to learn how to program in Java, not to learn how to drag icons around on the screen so that a high-level software development product can write your Java programs for you.
Test the class file for each program (from the Win95 MSDos shell or equivalent) to confirm that the program conforms to the program specifications before submitting it. If it doesn't conform, don't bother submitting it. (There is no partial credit.)
Your instructor will test your program in the following sequence. A failure at any step in the sequence will immediately result in zero credit for the program with no further testing.
1. Execute the class file under the Win95 MSDos shell (using JDK 1.2.x) in the ACC laboratory to confirm proper output. (In rare cases, it may be necessary for me to use JDK 1.1.x instead if the specifications of the program are not compatible with JDK 1.2.)
2. Visually confirm that your source code meets all of the written program specifications.
3. Optionally recompile your source code and retest the class file produced by that compilation to confirm that the source code that you submitted was actually used to produce the class file that you submitted.
You should make a backup copy of your source code and class files on a separate diskette. The backup diskette should be an exact copy of the diskette or directory tree that you submit for credit. Do not make any changes to the backup after you submit your completed exam. Keep the backup until you receive your grade and any questions regarding that grade are resolved. If any changes are made to the backup after the exam is submitted, it will not be valid for resolving any questions which may arise regarding your grade.
Each program will be graded either right or wrong. Partial credit will not be given for source code and class files that do not fully conform to these instructions and the program specifications.
Some of the programs require you to use (without modification) a controlling class and/or other code that I have provided and to duplicate the screen output shown while meeting all other written specifications. In such cases, any modification of the code that I have provided (other than insertion of your name where indicated) will be grounds for disqualification.
You should be able to cut and paste the source code from the electronic copy of the test document into your Java editor (except that you may need to remove control codes inserted by my HTML editor). It is strongly recommended that you cut and paste instead of retyping the source code in order to avoid errors in copying the code.
You must match the specified screen output in every significant way for every program. Extraneous characters on the screen, extra blank lines, missing blank lines, etc., are grounds for disqualification. In other words, your output should be an exact image of the specified output.
In some cases I may provide you with the set of class files that were produced by my solution to a problem so that you can run my version to observe the output. In no case are you to use any of the class files that I provide. In order to get credit for a program, you must provide source code and compiled class files of your own design for all classes required by the program other than those contained in the standard Java class libraries.
Your source code must use an indentation scheme and comments that makes it easy to read and understand.
Caution: Sometimes when printing html files from browsers, characters will be duplicated or omitted. This can sometimes lead to confusion. If you are working from a printed copy, be sure to check it against the electronic copy.
Every semester there are one or two students who are surprised and saddened to learn that I really do mean that you must follow the instructions and meet the specifications exactly or you won't get credit for the program. Don't be one of those students.
Some exams require you to electronically insert answers into the original exam document. You can accomplish this with any good HTML editor, including the Composer that is part of Netscape Communicator.
Some exams also require you to write programs and to submit the resulting source and class files.
Some exams require you to do both.
The completed exam document must be an HTML file that I can read successfully using Netscape Navigator.
The completed programs must satisfy the requirements described earlier in this document and the individual specifications that apply to each program.
Extraneous Material: Please do not submit extra files such as readme.txt files and expect me to pay attention to them. I am not interested in them, and I won't pay attention to them. Please do not put comments in your source code and expect me to pay attention to them. I am not interested in them, and I won't pay attention to them. All I expect to receive from you when you submit your exam is the required material. There is no reason that you will need to communicate any information about your exam to me when you submit it. Any need to discuss the requirements of the exam must be satisfied prior to your submittal of the exam.
There are two acceptable ways for you to submit your completed exam, source files, and class files.
Submittal Method #1 - Sneaker Mail:
Make certain that your name, telephone number, and email address are on the diskette. Make them legible. Also make certain that your name and the name BALDWIN along with the course name, course number, and exam number appear on the outside of the envelope. See the syllabus for information on my office hours.
Please do not submit printed source code or any other printed material. Submit only the diskette.
If you are a classroom student, I will return your diskette or a replacement diskette to you after the test is graded.
If you are an Open Campus student, your diskette will not be returned to you. However, if you remind me, I will provide you with another diskette in exchange for your diskette when you submit your exam
Submittal Method #2 - Electronic Mail:
The message containing the zip file must be in my email inbox by the deadline. If you don't receive a confirming message within 24 hours, that probably means that I didn't receive it and you should resubmit.
If I don't confirm receipt, then your exam has not been submitted. "Lost in the email" is not a valid excuse for failing to submit an exam on time.
Be sure to identify yourself, the class you are enrolled in, and the number of the exam in the email message. Also be sure that the subject line of the email message begins with the word EXAM.
The zip file must be one that I can unzip using the WinZip program http://www.winzip.com/download.htm with no effort required on my part other than to open the file and extract the material contained therein. There must be no requirement for any sort of special decoding. If there is such a requirement, I will not accept the exam.
Using the WinZip program, I will check the boxes labeled "Overwrite Existing Files" and "Use Folder Names" before extracting all of the files in your zip file. It is very important that the integrity of your directory tree structure be faithfully reproduced when the files are extracted. If not, and if any files are destroyed in the process, you will not get credit for the files that are destroyed.
If you have any uncertainty about zipping files, you should probably submit your exams according to Submittal Method #1.
If there is a conflict between your answer and the material in Baldwin's Java Tutorials, the material in Baldwin's Tutorials will prevail, even if your information is based on another reputable source. If you wish to challenge the material in Baldwin's Tutorials, you must provide both answers (the answer from Baldwin's Tutorial and the answer from your other source) and explain why you believe the material from the other source is the better of the two. In this case, you must also identify your other source by title, page, and paragraph number, and be prepared to present that source document to me so that I can evaluate it at my convenience.
The submittal deadline for each exam is provided in the Syllabus each semester. The penalty for failing to meet the submittal deadline is also explained in the Syllabus.
Before you ask, let me tell you that business travel, problems at work, extreme work pressures, divorce, depression, receipt of a "Dear John letter", automobile repairs, flat tires, computer problems, power failures, total eclipses, extremely high outside temperatures, high pollen count, broken lawnmowers, the Superbowl Schedule, and other assorted and interesting excuses are not valid excuses for failing to meet the submittal deadline. About the only excuse that I might be willing to accept would be something on the order of extended hospitalization or serious illness on the part of you or an immediate member of your family. If your excuse is not on that order of magnitude, I really don't want to hear it.
-end-
File: Cis2523ExamInstructions.htm