PROGRAMMING PROJECTS:

1. Due date: 04/05/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: ClickMe2.java, ClickMe2.html .
• The exercise is suggested by The Java^™ Tutorial: the applet in our second example draws a red spot when you click the mouse within applet's bounds. Use Java 2 API documentation to modify the applet so that it will display your name in purple instead of a red spot. (Hint: Purple is made of equal parts of red and blue.)
• This is how your applet should behave: ClickMe2.
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

2. Due date: 04/12/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: Substring.java .
• The exercise is suggested in [2], Chapter 1. Write a program Substring that takes two numbers and a string as command-line arguments and prints out the substring of the string specified by the two numbers. For example:

  	java Substring hello 1 3
  	

  should print out

  	ell
  	

  Try to handle all possible errors that might arise because of bad input.
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

3. Due date: 04/19/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: SavingsAccount.java, BankTest.java .
• The exercise is suggested by Prof. Cay Horstmann. Write a class SavingsAccount that is similar to the BankAccount class of our example 5, except that it has an added instance variable interest. Supply a constructor that sets both the initial balance and the interest rate. Supply a method addInterest() (with no explicit parameter) that adds interest to the account. Write a program BankTest that constructs a savings account with an initial balance of $1000 and interest rate 10%. Then apply the addInterest method five times and print the resulting balance.
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

4. Due date: 04/26/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: Sorter.java, SorterTest.java .
• Look up the definition of the standard java.lang.Comparable interface and of java.util.ArrayList class in the Java^™ API documentation. Write a class Sorter that supports general-purpose sorting of an ArrayList of comparable objects. Your Sorter class should define a static sort() method that takes an ArrayList as an argument, sorts in increasing order the objects in the ArrayList assuming that they are Comparable, and returns boolean true or false depending on success or failure respectively. In case of success the original ArrayList should be sorted, in case of failure the original ArrayList should remain intact. Test your Sorter class with a SorterTest program which would create an ArrayList of java.lang.String objects, print out the original ArrayList, then call your Sorter.sort() method on it, and finally print out the sorted ArrayList. (The String class implements the Comparable interface.)
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

5. Due date: 05/10/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: Nim.java .
• On a lighter note... (to rest after the midterm): the game of Nim, the exercise is suggested by Prof. Cay Horstmann. This is a well-known game with a number of variants. We will consider the following variant, which has an interesting winning strategy. Two players alternately take marbles from a pile. In each move, a player chooses how many marbles to take. The player must take at least one but at most half of the marbles. Then the other player takes a turn. The player who takes the last marble loses. Write a program in which the computer plays against a human opponent. Generate a random integer between 10 and 100 to denote the initial size of the pile. Generate a random integer between 0 and 1 to decide whether the computer of the human takes the first turn. Generate a random integer between 0 and 1 to decide whether the computer plays smart or stupid. In "stupid" mode, the computer simply takes a random legal value (between 1 and n/2) from the pile whenever it has a turn. In "smart" mode the computer takes off enough marbles to make to make the size of the pile a power of two minus 1 - that is, 3, 7, 15, 31, or 63. That is always a legal move, except if the size of the pile is currently one less than a power of 2. In that case, the computer makes a random legal move.
  Note that the computer cannot be beaten in "smart" mode when it has the first move, unless the pile size happens to be 15, 31, or 63. Of course, a human player who has the first turn and knows the winning strategy can win against the computer.
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

6. Due date: 05/17/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: Clock.java, Clock.html .
• The exercise is suggested by Prof. Cay Horstmann. Write an applet Clock that draws a clock face with a time that the user enters in a text field. (The user must enter the time in the format hh:mm, for example 09:45.) You need to find out the angles of the hour hand and the minute hand. The angle of the minute hand is easy: the minute hand travels 360 degrees in 60 minutes. The angle of the hour hand is harder, it travels 360 degrees in 12 * 60 minutes.
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

7. Due date: 05/31/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: NimGame.java, NimGame.html .
• The exercise is based on homework project #5. Reimplement your game of Nim program to work as an applet and as a stand-alone graphical application. You should keep the same program logic as specified in homework #5, but the user interface should be reimplemented as a GUI (Graphical User Interface). The NimGame class, should be able to run not only as an applet in a browser, but also as a stand-alone application (by typing "java NimGame"). As usual your program should graciously handle and recover from all user-input errors. The details of the graphical representation of the Game, as well as user controls is left up to your imagination, skill and amount of time you can spare. The only general guidline is that the interface should be convenient and transparent (intuitive) to any user, even the one who sees your applet for the first time.
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

8. Due date: 06/07/2002, by 5:30 pm.

• Required File Names: PlayNim.java, PlayNim.html .
• The exercise is a continuation of homework project #7. You are asked to add one more mode to your implementation of NimGame - a "Demo" mode. You also need to provide user with a possibility to choose before the game whether he/she wants "Demo" mode, "Smart" mode, or "Stupid" mode. Once the mode is chosen, it can not be changed until the game is over. User should be able to change modes before each new game but not during the game.
  You already know how computer should behave in "Smart" mode and in "Stupid" mode. The new "Demo" mode should be a non-interactive demonstration of a play in which computer plays versus itself (so that a human user would be able to observe an example of an actual game). Being in "Demo" mode, your program should start at least two new independent threads representing two "cyber" players. Each player-thread should consistently follow any of the two usual game strategies, either "Stupid" or "Smart". In the beginning of a "Demo" mode game each player-thread should announce which strategy it will be following. Certainly player-threads have to take turns, i.e. you will need to arrange for synchronization between them.
  Once again your implementation of the Nim game should be GRAPHICAL, and it should be runnable either as an applet or as a stand-alone (graphical) application. The details of the graphical interface of the Game, as well as user controls is left up to your imagination, skill and amount of time you can spare. The only general guidline is that the interface should be convenient and transparent (intuitive) to any user, even the one who sees your applet for the first time.
• Make sure that you submit your header in the required format, and that you follow all the instructions listed below on this page.

READING ASSIGNMENTS:

[1] M.Campione, K.Walrath, A.Huml, "The Java Tutorial, 3rd Ed. A Short Course on the Basics."

[2] D.Flanagan "Java Examples in a Nutshell, 2nd Ed.". Courtesy of D.Flanagan, a complete set of code samples from this book is available free of charge.

04/01/2002

[1], Chapter 1 "Getting Started", sections:

• "Your First Cup of Java"

04/03/2002

[1], Chapter 1 "Getting Started", sections:

• All.

04/08/2002

[1], Chapter 2 "Object-Oriented Programming Concepts", sections:

• "What Is an Object?"
• "What Is a Message?"
• "What Is a Class?"

04/15/2002

[1], Chapter 2 "Object-Oriented Programming Concepts", sections:

• "What Is Inheritance?"
• "What Is an Interface?"
• "How Do These Concepts Translate into Code?"

04/17/2002

[1], Chapter 3 "Language Basics", sections:

• "Variables"
• "Operators"

04/19/2002

[1], Chapter 3 "Language Basics", sections:

• "Expressions, Statements, and Blocks"
• "Control Flow Statements"

04/22/2002

[1], Chapter 5 "Classes and Inheritance", sections:

• "Creating Classes"

04/24/2002

[1], Chapter 5 "Classes and Inheritance", sections:

• "Managing Inheritance"

04/26/2002

[1], Chapter 7 "Handling Errors with Exceptions", sections:

• All

04/29/2002

[1], Chapter 4 "Object Basics and Simple Data Objects", sections:

• "The Life Cycle of an Object"
• "Characters and Strings"

05/01/2002

[1], Chapter 4 "Object Basics and Simple Data Objects", sections:

• "Numbers"
• "Arrays"

05/03/2002

[1], Chapter 5 "Classes and Inheritance", sections:

• "Implementing Nested Classes"

05/08/2002

[1], Appendix B "Internet-Ready Applets", sections:

• "Overview of Applets"
• "Taking Advantage of the Applet API"

05/13/2002

[1], Appendix B "Internet-Ready Applets", sections:

• "Practical Considerations when Writing Applets"
• "Finishing an Applet"

05/17/2002

[1], Appendix B "Internet-Ready Applets", sections:

• "Solving Common Applet Problems"

05/24/2002

[1], Chapter 8 "Threads: Doing Two or More Tasks At Once", sections:

• "What Is a Thread?"
• "Customizing a Thread's run Method"

05/29/2002

[1], Chapter 8 "Threads: Doing Two or More Tasks At Once", sections:

• "The Life Cycle of a Thread"
• "Understanding Thread Priority"

05/31/2002

[1], Chapter 8 "Threads: Doing Two or More Tasks At Once", sections:

• "Synchronizing Threads"
• "Summary"

06/03/2002

The End. Please review all the material before the Final Exam.

GENERAL PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES:

• Assignments will be distributed in class and posted on the class web page. Current homework assignments are listed above on this page. Read the text and stay a bit ahead of the lecture. Material from the reading part of an assignment may appear on midterms and finals. Approximately nine programming projects will be assigned over the course of the quarter. Each project will require you to write a program in Java to solve a specific problem.
• All programming projects must be submitted electronically, by placing your files in the "SUBMIT" folder in your account. Be sure to give your files the EXACT name required (remember that case counts). Computer programs must be submitted by the specified time on the due date. No homework will be accepted by e-mail to the TA or to the instructor. No late projects will be accepted.
  Leave the homework files in your "SUBMIT" folder for the rest of the course, even after they have been collected and graded. You may be able to submit files remotely with ftp, but it is best to make sure your submission works in the Lab before you submit. If you wish, you may overwrite a previous submission with a new version at any time before the due time on the due date. Please do not store any files in your submit directory other than those that are to be or have been collected. To confirm that you have submitted correctly, run the checksubmit program. This check generally requires a trip to the PIC Lab. Your homework scores will bo posted in your gradebook on "my.ucla" web site along with any other feedback from the Reader. Please, check your gradebook on "my.ucla" web site each week to verify your grades. This is very important, it is the only way to know for sure that you actually received credit for your assignment.
• Each program you submit MUST begin with the following header:
  /*
Your name
Your Student ID
Your e-mail address
I certify that the following represents my own independent work and
conforms with the guidelines of academic honesty described in the
course syllabus.
*/
Any homework submitted without this header will not be graded, and you will receive zero credit for it.
• Your code should be as easy to read as possible. Use indentation carefully and consistently to delineate levels of nesting. Disjoint blocks should be well separated by concise and informative comments. This will be worth at least 1 point of every assignment. Although you are allowed a fair amount of choice in style, please try to conform to the conventions used in lecture and in the text.
• You may use the PIC Computer Laboratory in Boelter Hall 2817 to work on your programming assignments. Use the Java 2 SDK (version 1.3) and/or Forte4Java IDE for your projects in this class. These Java^™ Platform development tools are installed on all PC's in the PIC Lab in the following locations:
  • C:\java\jdk131\bin
  • C:\java\forte4j\bin\runide_multiuser.exe
  If you have your own computer and would like to work at home, you can use your favorite java development environment. However, you must still submit your program to your UCLA class account. To do this, bring a floppy disk containing your program to the lab and copy your files to your class account. Always compile and test your programs on the lab machines before submission.
• Start working on programming assignments early. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your work, as the lab may be full near critical time. Deadlines for homework are strictly enforced.
• You are encouraged to discuss aspects of the course with other students, and you may discuss the homework assignments in general terms with others. You may also get help from the TA or the instructor in writing your programs. However, the general rules of academic honesty apply to all homework: each homework assignment must represent your own, independent work. In particular, you may not copy any part of a program written by someone else without citing the reference carefully.
• If you have a question on the way a homework was graded, you must contact the instructor within one week of its return. No e-mail request for regrades will be accepted, you must contact the instructor in person.
• Your programming will improve with practice. After finishing an assignment, do not be afraid to experiment with your own programs.