Java Reference
In-Depth Information
WHAT EXTRA FILES SHOULD YOU INCLUDE IN SUBMISSIONS?
We often see questions from candidates asking whether they should include their test cases and/or their
class diagrams in their submission.
Our general recommendation is not to include anything that you have not been asked for. The latest
instructions from Sun include a comment that you will not be given extra marks for anything you do outside
of the requirements, so you are not going to gain anything by providing the assessor with these extra files.
However, it is unfortunately possible that in providing these files you may inadvertently lower your score sim-
ply by making a mistake that the assessor notices in a file that you didn't need to provide.
The one time we might consider changing this general recommendation is where the additional files
make it much simpler to understand your submission. A class diagram might be one such example (however,
the assignment is simple enough that if you need a class diagram to understand the submission, then you
have probably overcomplicated your solution).
User directions are essential. After all, if you do not explain to the client how to use the
application, then the application is rendered useless. As a result, you should take great care
when writing these instructions. The only safe assumption you as the developer can make is
that the end user has no experience with this particular application. Every step, no matter how
minute, must be detailed in the instructions. After you list the instructions, test their clarity by
handing them off to unsuspecting friends (preferably nonprogrammers). If they can follow the
instructions, then the instructions are adequate.
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Caution
The current assignment instructions specify that the instructions you write may be placed in a
specific directory or may be available online. This directive has caused confusion in the past, as some candi-
dates have felt that this might mean that this requires them to run a web server—but this is not the case. Sun
only requires that the assessor have access to the instructions, which can be achieved if the instructions are
in the required directory, or alternatively can be called up from within your application (for example, pressing
the F1 key in Microsoft Word will bring up “online help” even if you do not have an Internet connection).
Design Decisions Document
Throughout the SCJD exam, certain design and implementation choices are already dictated
by Sun. One example is that the exam requires the use of the
JTable
Swing component. Other
choices, however, are left up to you, the test taker, to decide. For instance, you may choose to
implement a networking layer that uses RMI, or you may take a different approach that is built
upon sockets. Each implementation has advantages and disadvantages. You must be certain
to document your choices because it is necessary to defend these design decisions to the indi-
vidual who will ultimately decide if your test submission passes or fails.
For the SCJD exam, clearly document your design choices in a design decisions docu-
ment. This document should contain examples of specific decisions, such as your choice of
design pattern or the use of one technology over another. Circumstances may also arise in
which design decisions were made based on unclear functional requirements. If this situation
