MMS2803 Object Oriented Programming 2 , Unit Information Guide (Semester 1, 2006)

This unit is designed to enhance the skills learnt in MMS1802 to allow a student to design and implement the data structures, user interface and programming approaches which will permit them to solve typical problems encountered in programming to meet commercial requirements. The concepts of inheritance and polymorphism will be developed and abstract classes and interfaces will be examined. The exception hierarchy and exception raising will be introduced as a method of catching program actions. Recursion will be introduced and compared with iteration. A major focus of the unit will be advanced data structures and the appropriate data representations which should be used within a program. Object Oriented design will be extended by examining cohesion and coupling. Advanced Graphical User Interfaces will be introduced via exploring several of the AWT and Swing components, as well as the design principles which should be adhered to for creating more complex interfaces.

Students will

• be able to discuss advanced principles and processes of object oriented software design, including basic UML notation
• be able to describe common abstract data structures (vectors, stacks, queues, lists, binary trees and tables) and identify appropriate uses of such structures
• be able to explain the concept of exception raising and its function
• be able to comprehend the basic principles of recursion
• be able to analyse a supplied UI design and map this into appropriate GUI design elements

Students will develop

• flexibility in selecting an appropriate data structure to match a programming tasks requirements

Students will

• be able to implement a java programming solution which involves file I/O
• be able to implement a java programming solution which involves calls to the Java2D API
• be able to implement abstract data structures using common data representations such as arrays, linked lists, binary trees and disk files
• be able to manipulating exceptions to report appropriate program execution events
• be able to effectively using recursion to solve appropriate problems
• be able to manipulate several Java Swing and AWT components to create an advanced GUI interface for a programming task
• be able to use the Java Media Framework to add simple audio, video and other time-based media to Java applications and applets

Required text(s)

The required textbook for this unit is 'Object-Oriented Problem Solving – JAVA, JAVA, JAVA – Second Edition' by Ralph Morelli. This is a Prentice Hall publication, ISBN 0-13-033370-0.

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:

The software, which will be used for this unit includes:

• The Java 2 Software Development Kit (SDK) - latest version (available from: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp)
• BlueJ Version 1.3 (available from http://www.bluej.org/download/download.html)
• Borland JBuilder (available from: http://www.borland.com/products/downloads/download_jbuilder.html)

All the above items of software may be accessed from several of the on-campus student PC labs and will be available from the MUSO unit pages.

Hardware requirements:

Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations 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 5 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

'Object First With Java – A Practical Introduction to using BlueJ' by David J. Barnes and Michael Kolling

Study resources for MMS2803 are:

This Unit Information outlining the administrative information for the unit
The MMS2803 web site on MUSO, where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary material will be posted.
Newsgroups/discussion groups that can be linked to from the Unit Homepage

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

Assessment for the unit consists of 2 assignments with a weighting of 40% and an examination with a weighting of 60%. Read this section VERY carefully.

To pass this unit you must:

Obtain 40% for both the assignment portion and the exam portion of the mark.

Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

The assignments will have a weighting of 40% and the exam a weighting of 60%. Your final grade will be calculated using the formula

Assessment Requirements

Assignment specifications will be made available on the MMS2803 Unit Web Site Assignment Page. Information about assignments will be published on the Unit's Notices Newsgroup.

Assignments will be submitted by electronic submission to the MMS2803 web site on MUSO.

Late submission of assignments

Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of 10% per day.

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 email to the unit lecturer 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.

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.

You may contact your lecture via email for direct communication. General questions they may be of interest to other students (or that other student may be able to assist with) can be directed to the discussion groups on the MUSO web site for MMS2803.

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

Tuesday - 10:00 am to 11:30 am

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:

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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.