CS 3390 (Directed Study (Java)):
Projects

Requirements

The objective of a project for this course is the completion of a non-trivial Java application or applet, to perform a task of the student's choosing. Students may work alone or in groups of two. Specific criteria are as follows:

The project must be approved by me (see "Project proposal" below).
The project must involve writing a non-trivial amount of Java code, which must be your own work. The project may include code from published sources (books, Web sites, etc.), but it must also include a non-trivial amount of original code you wrote.
The total work involved in the project must be consistent with the amount of credit you expect to receive for it. (I calculate that for 60% of the grade for a three-unit course, this should be about 60 hours total.)

What to turn in / milestones

Project proposal

What:: A short description of your project, explaining the intended function of the application/applet you plan to write and any research you think you will need to do in addition to designing and writing code. (For example, if you proposed to write a miniature Web server -- quite possible in Java -- you would need to research the HTTP protocol.) It is probably wisest, for this proposal, to be conservative and define the minimum functionality your application/applet will provide; you can always go beyond this minimum functionality later, if time permits.
When:: No later than October 10.
Contribution to total project grade:: 5%
Remarks:: These proposals will be returned as soon as feasible, either approved as is or with suggestions for changes.

Interim progress report

What:: A 5-minute oral presentation describing the status of your project. You do not need to prepare a formal presentation, but you should plan to talk in an organized manner for 5 minutes, using the whiteboard and/or the classroom computer setup and/or transparencies.
When:: In class, October 31.
Contribution to total project grade:: 5%

Final oral presentation

What:

An oral presentation, up to 10 minutes, about your project. In this presentation, you should:

Demonstrate your application or applet, using the classroom computer setup.
Briefly discuss its design.
Briefly discuss any non-Java topics you had to research (e.g., to write a mini-Web server you would have to research the HTTP protocol).
Briefly discuss any unusual problems you encountered during development.

When:

Either during the time slot reserved for this course's final exam (6:30pm to 9:30pm December 9, based on the originally-scheduled meeting time), or during a class period. By default, all presentations will be during the final-exam time slot; if you prefer to give your presentation during class, please let me know in advance. (You then do not need to be present during that exam period.)

Contribution to total project grade:

20%.

Final written report

What:: A brief report (no more than 5 pages should be required) describing your project's goals and outcome. This should be an expanded version of your oral presentation, with a description of your application/applet in place of the demo. It should include bibliographic references as appropriate. (For example, if you researched the HTTP protocol, you should say where.)
When:: Due November 28; accepted through December 12.
Contribution to total project grade:: 20%

Application/applet source code

What:

Complete working source code (.java and/or .html files) for your application/applet, in a machine-readable form that will allow me to compile and execute it. You could do any of the following:

Make the code accessible via the Web and give me a URL.
E-mail me the code.
Put the code on a diskette.

Talk to me if none of these will work for you. Your code should be readable and well-documented.

When:

Due November 28; accepted through December 12.