GCO1812 Object-oriented programming 2 , Unit Information Guide (Semester 1, 2006)

This unit will further extend the use and application of object-oriented programming through the use of recursion, polymorphism, inheritance, exception handling and input/output. Text-menu based programs will be written in the earlier stages of the unit. Later in the unit, GUIs will be developed using event driven processes. The concept of an abstract data structure will be explored and the various container classes provided in the java libraries will be examined. Some of these container classes will be used for developing complex multiple-class object-oriented programs. Test harnesses will be developed for each program.

On completion of the unit students will:

• understand the concept of recursion in a computer program;
• understand the principles of polymorphism in an object-oriented program;
• understand the concept of an abstract data structure;
• be familiar with the various container classes provided in the java libraries;
• understand the concept of event-driven processes in an object-oriented program.

On completion of the unit students will:

• Appreciate the need for effective design strategies in software development.

Students will be able to:

• use recursion to solve new problems;
• use exception handling techniques;
• use polymorphism in an object-oriented program;
• use inheritance to reuse existing classes in an object-oriented program;
• read and write data to screen and files;
• use the container classes in the Java libraries to develop data storage and retrieval in solving programming problems;
• implement data structures using arrays (single and multi-dimensional);
• develop a graphic user interface in Java, using event driven interactions with the user;
• develop a full and effective test harness for the complete testing of each new program system.

Required text(s)

Lewis, L. & Loftus, W. Java Software Solutions, 3rd Edition, Addison-Wesley, 2003, 0-201-78129-8 (do not use the newer 4th edition)

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Software requirements:

Java SDK 1.4.2 is required for compiling code. See http://java.sun.com/

JCreator 3.50 LE is the recommended IDE to use for writing code. See http://www.jcreator.com/

Hardware requirements:

On-campus students may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 12 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for online discussion groups.

Robertson, L. A., Simple Program Design, 4th Ed., Thomson, 2003, 0-17-010704-3

Study resources for GCO1812 are:

12 study guides

Your textbook

This Unit Information outlining the administrative information for the unit.

The Unit Web Site where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary material will be posted.

Online discussion forums

The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+

Assessment for the unit consists of 3 assignments with a weighting of 40% of the final unit mark, and an examination with a weighting of 60%. Read this section VERY carefully.

To pass this unit you must:

• attempt all assignments and the examination
• achieve no less than 40% of the marks for supervised assessment (the exam)
• achieve no less than 40% of the marks for unsupervised assessment (the assignments)
• score at least 50% of the possible marks for the unit after the 'formula' is applied to the supervised and unsupervised components.

Failing to meet any or all of the above requirements may mean that you do not qualify to pass the unit.

Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

Result = Minimum [ S + 10, U + 10, (S * W + U * (1-W) ) ]

Assessment Requirements

Assignment specifications will be made available by your lecturer. Information about assignments will be published on the Unit's Notices Newsgroup.

Assignments will need to be submitted in electronic form in any storage devices, both floppy diskette and CD-ROM are acceptable.

Late submission of assignments

Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of a drop in grade for each 4 days late (or part thereof). Assignments received later than one week after the due date will not normally be accepted.

This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment. 

Extensions

It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. 

Requests for extensions must be made by the method explained by your lecturer, and must be instigated at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission. Please contact your lecturer in person or by email for extension requests.

Grading of assessment

Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.

You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Students are welcomed to consult the lecturer in person or by email. Students are also encouraged to form study groups amongst peers for discussion and revision purposes.

Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

Consultation Times

Wednesday: 2-4pm (Malaysian time: GMT +8 hours)

Thursday: 2-4pm (Malaysian time: GMT +8 hours)

If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:

Ms Sze Wong
Fax +603 5638 3055

All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.