Last updated:
See the FAQs at the end of this page.
I will keep adding new FAQs as questions come up about the class.
This page is to track my personal information for the University of Washington Java 2 Programming class. Please look here for current information, updates, notes, and status.
Be sure to include or JavaFun00: (where 00 is your number) at the start of the e-mail subject so I can quickly identify the e-mail as being from one my UofW students.
At the start of the class I will assign each student a number, i.e. JavaFun01, etc... Please use this number, along with your name, with all corespondence with me (I track my students in the order of entry into the class, so this makes looking things up much easier--thanks).
| Tom or Thomas? | I go by Tom. My Boeing e-mail is Thomas..., so I will also answer to that, but Tom is fine. Mr. Dickens is my Father. |
| Textbook Version? | As specified on the UofW class web-site, out text is: Thinking in Java, 2nd ed. by Bruce Eckel, Prentice Hall, 2000; ISBN 1-13-027363-5. This textbook is required. Even though there is a Third edition of the text available, all of the notes on the UofW web-site for the class are for the Second edition of the text, and all feedback I give will be from the Second edition of the text. Please be sure to locate a Second edition of the text. Here's a free version by the author, Bruce Eckel, in MS-Word format, in a 1.8M Zip file. All 1159 pages of it. Thanks Bruce! |
| How to write up the program? | Walk me through what you've done, how you've tested, and what your resulting output is. The bottom line of what I'm looking for is proof that you've learned the concepts. Discussing your code and output is the best way to convince me of what you know and what you were thinking. |
| Homework e-mail | Please include the questions/answers and program output/discussion in the body of your e-mail. This way you can easily see my comments in the reply e-mail. I can also easily spell-check my reply without having to also spell-check your pasted-in-by-me text. |
| JDK Version? | I will use the JDK 1.4.1 version on a Windows XP PC, using the Eclipse IDE (http://eclipse.org/) for testing your assignments. If your assignment requires something different, please indicate that very clearly at the top of your assignment. |
| ZIP or JAR files? | I prefer ZIP files. With my e-mail setup I can open them directly while with a JAR file I need to save the file to disk, then open it. Either work fine for Java. |
| How do I grade programs? |
I use the UofW grading criteria, which an additional
specification of 20% for the discussion of your program.
5 points: Sources Compiles |
| Assignment pictures? | Feel free to include one or more screen-shots to show what you see from your program. I've also had students put together web-pages for their assignments and e-mail me the URL so they don't e-mail lots of large files. Do what you think will make your assignment clear to me. |
| Javadoc referenecs? |
Javadoc API from Sun |
| Javadoc author and private tags? | Use the flag -author with javadoc to include the
author tag information. Also try the -private
javadoc tag to get your private variables and methods listed.
|
| What about the final? | Final Notes: Here are some study notes to prepare for the final. Good luck! |
| I see other's assignments graded before mine, which was turned in earlier. What's up? | With one to two dozen assignments to grade, I find it easier to grade all assignments of the same number at once. I will then go on to the next assignment number and grade all of those. If I break before all are graded, some will be graded a few days out of sequence from when I received them. |
| How do I withdraw from the class? |
If circumstances cause you to have to drop the class, I understand;
life happens and family/health comes first. Please:
How do I withdraw from my course? (The following policy also applies to distance learning certificate courses or programs. Also, please note that you cannot withdraw from a UWEO course via MyUW.) If you withdraw in person, or by written request via fax to 206-685-9359 or e-mail to uweoreg@ese.washington.edu, by the 15th calendar day after the day you registered, you will receive a full refund, minus the quarterly registration fee. If you withdraw in person or by written request by the 30th calendar day after the day you registered, you will receive a half refund, minus the registration fee. You may request to withdraw after 30 calendar days, but no refund will be made. To request a refund for the cost of all course supplemental materials, return the materials with a written refund request to UW Educational Outreach within 30 days of enrollment. Group-start courses: The full refund deadline for distance learning group-start courses is the close of the business day on the first day of the course. |
| Can I get for an extension to finish up the class? | According to the UofW, their requirements
for requesting an extension are detailed in the
Online Student Handbook: Extensions Can I request a course extension? If you have extenuating circumstances that would hinder completing your course by the expiration date, you may request an extension of up to three months from your instructor. Extensions are subject to instructor approval and availability, so this option may not automatically be available. For noncredit and certificate courses, check your registration materials or course guide for extension periods. You must meet the following criteria to request an extension:
Instructors may deny your request for an extension based on the described extenuating circumstances. If your request for an extension is approved, then your instructor must submit written approval via e-mail or letter directly to UW Program Support Services. If you are granted an extension, then your course enrollment will be extended three months from your expiration date, unless otherwise stipulated. No additional fee will be charged. Only one extension per course is permitted. Failure to complete the course or to obtain approval for an extension by the expiration date will result in your being dropped from the course.
My view on extensions: Unless you have been consistently working on the class, and have act-of-God circumstances to deal with, I am not very likely to consider an extension. I have granted extensions in the past and have been very disapointed in the follow-through. |