COMP101 PRACTICAL EXERCISE 1 - GIANT LETTERS

(Week 4 Starting October 16th 2006)

Hand-in date: one week after your scheduled tutorial session in week 4.

Aims and Objectives: First Java program --- essentially a copying exercise designed to ensure that all students familiarise themselves with the process of designing, implementing, compiling, running and testing a Java program.


COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT HEALTH WARNING: NOT HANDING IN PRACTICALS CAN SERIOUSLY JEOPARDISE YOUR DEGREE AND FUTURE JOB PROSPECTS!

1. REQUIREMENTS

Design and implement a Java application program that writes your user name (not your password) vertically down the screen using giant letters made up of strings of * characters and blank spaces (not the "tab" character) in much the same way that we wrote the words "JAVA" in the giant Java example program given during last week's lectures.



2. SOLUTION

Your solution should comprise the following:

  1. A report in the form of a single Microsoft Word file.

  2. The Java source files, i.e. the relevant .java files, not the class (.class) files.

The report should comprise the following sections:

  1. Summary: Summary of the requirements statement (Section 1 above).
  2. Analysis and Design: (i) a Class Diagram outlining the class structure for your proposed solution and (ii) a set of summary tables describing the fields, constructors and methods for each class you intend to create (Examples of such tables can be found on the Java Sun WWW pages describing the J2SE 1.5.0 API). Detailed designs for the methods you intend to include described using Nassi-Shneiderman chart (one for each method).
  3. Testing: A test run of your programme (the simplest way of doing this is to cut and paste the result of running your programme into your report).

NOTE: There is no need to use a sophisticated drawing package, the simple drawing capability that comes with Microsoft Word will suffice when creating simple Class Diagrams and Nassi-Shneiderman charts.


3. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION

Once your report is complete you should "upload" your Java source files (extension .java) and your report (prepared uisng Microsoft Word) to the CS department's electronic "practical assignment submission" system. You should not upload any other type of file such as:

  1. .class files as they cannot be viewed by the tutors.
  2. Image files as they often cannot be printed or viewed without special software. If you wish to include images in your report (for example N-S charts produced using a graphics package) import these into you word document.
  3. .pdf files that require special software to output/view.

NOTE: Do not email your report to your tutor, because then there will be no record that you have submitted the work.



4. MARK SCHEME

Marks will be awarded for:

  1. Analysis and design (30%).
  2. Implementation (30%).
  3. Testing (30%).
  4. Write Up (10%).

With the total number of available marks distributed as indicated.

Guidance notes for the execution of COMP101 practicals are available. See also notes on practicals and course work for general guidance on the presentation of work, the COMP101 marking scheme and late submission policy.

Note that:

  1. It is better to hand in an incomplete piece of work rather than nothing at all as this will result in some marks being awarded, while the latter option is guaranteed to result in a mark of 0!
  2. Although the exchange of ideas between students is encouraged, student collaboration should not extend to the submitting of identical, or near identical, pieces of work.


Created and maintained by Frans Coenen. Last updated 13 October 2006