UOP PRG215 All Weeks Discussions Latest

PRG215 Java Programming

Week 1 Discussion

Java™ Platform Support

All computer programs run on one or more platforms.

Research the term "platform" as it relates to programming in general and Java™ in particular.

Answer these questions:

On what platform(s) can Java programs run?

• What effect, if any, do you think platform support has had on the popularity and use of Java?

Discussion Question: Collaborative Debugging

In industry, most programmers work on teams. One of the most important benefits of working on a programming team is the ability to get a fresh set of eyes to help you debug your programs.

For this week's discussion, post:

A description of any problem(s) you ran into when you tried to code and test this week's program, accompanied by a screenshot of your buggy Java™ code

The steps you took to fix those problems (if you were able to fix them)

Suggestions for helping a classmate fix his/her buggy Java™ code

 

PRG215 Java Programming

Week 2 Discussion

Compound Assignment Operators

A compound assignment operator like += or -= is an operator that does two things at the same time: first, it peforms a calculation; and second, it assigns the calculated value to a variable or constant.

Review the following two examples:

totalPoints += 95; same as totalPoints = totalPoints + 95

finalGrade -= 30; same as finalGrade = finalGrade - 30

With your teammates, discuss the possible benefits, if any, of using a compound operator vs. the alternative. Can you think of any drawbacks to using compound operators?

Discussion Question: Collaborative Debugging

Discuss your work on this week's coding assignment by posting the following to the discussion:

A description of any problem(s) you ran into when you tried to code and test this week's program, accompanied by a screenshot of your buggy Java™ code along with a screenshot of your running program, if needed

The steps you took to fix those problems (if you were able to fix them). Are you eyeballing the code? Relying on the debugger? A combination?

Suggestions for helping a classmate fix his or her buggy Java™ code

 

PRG215 Java Programming

Week 3 Discussion

Controlling Loop Behavior with Booleans

When you declare a variable of type boolean, that variable can hold only one of two values: true (1) or false (0). While progarmmers can use variables of type boolean in any way that makes sense for the programs they are writing, one typical use of boolean variables is associated with controlling loop behavior.

Research the use of boolean variables in controlling loop behavior.

Discuss what you have learned by posting your answers to the following questions:

Why are boolean variables used more often than other variable types to control loop behavior?

How does the name a programmer gives a boolean variable affect its effectiveness in controlling loop behavior?

Discussion Question: Collaborative Debugging

Discuss your work on this week's coding assignment by posting the following to the discusion:

• A description of any problem(s) you ran into when you tried to code and test this week's program, accompanied by a screenshot of your buggy Java™ code along with a screenshot of your running program, if needed

• The steps you took to fix those problems (if you were able to fix them). Are you eyeballing the code? Relying on the debugger? A combination?

• Suggestions for helping a classmate fix his or her buggy Java™ code

 

PRG215 Java Programming

Week 4 Discussion

Clarifying Classes and Objects

Ironically, the defining concept supposed to make object-oriented programming languages easier to code than procedural languages, the concept of defining a class that can be used to create multiple, similar objects, is often one of the toughest for procedural programmers to grasp.

Many analogies have been used to explain the class > object concept, including:

cookie cutter > cookies: one cookie cutter can make multiple cookies, each of which may vary slightly (frosting, sprinkles, etc.) just as programmers can vary each object they instantiate from a class.

common noun > proper noun: man is a common noun; like a class, it defines a set of assumptions (two arms, two legs, one head, etc.) but doesn't refer to any specific individual. Instances of that common noun, like objects, do refer to specific individuals: Steve Smith, Ralph Jones, and Dan White. It's the same with other common nouns, like river (Boise River, Allegheny River, Nile River), city (Seattle, Boston, Phoenix), and so on.

blueprint > finished building: a single set of blueprints (class) defines specifications for a house, but every actual house (object) built from that blueprint will vary slightly.

Discuss this concept by posting your answers to the following questions:

Do you feel you understand the concept of creating multiple instances (objects) from a single class? If not, explain your confusion. If so, help clarify the concept to your teammates.

How do you suppose viewing a system as a collection of objects that interact with each other might affect the way programmers analyze and design Java™ programs, as opposed to viewing a system as a series of sequential instructions, which is how procedural programmers analyzed and designed programmers before object-oriented

languages like Java came along?

Discussion Question: Collaborative Debugging

Discuss your work on this week's coding assignment by posting the following to the discussion:

A description of any problem(s) you ran into when you tried to code and test this week's program, accompanied by a screenshot of your buggy Java™ code along with a screenshot of your running program, if needed

The steps you took to fix those problems (if you were able to fix them). Are you eyeballing the code? Relying on the debugger? A combination?

Suggestions for helping a classmate fix his or her buggy Java™ code

 

PRG215 Java Programming

Week 5 Discussion

Predefined Exception Classes

(3 Answers Included)

Depending on the exception programmers want to handle, they may need to write their own exception handling code or they may be able to use predefined exception classes.

Discuss what, if anything, programmers must do to make predefined exception classes available to their programs.

Discussion Question: Collaborative Debugging

(3 Answers Included)

Discuss your work on this week's coding assignment by posting the following to the discussion:

A description of any problem(s) you ran into when you tried to code and test this week's program, accompanied by a screenshot of your buggy Java™ code along with a screenshot of your running program, if needed

The steps you took to fix those problems (if you were able to fix them). Are you eyeballing the code? Relying on the debugger? A combination?

Suggestions for helping a classmate fix his or her buggy Java™ code