How to write a Java program


1. Carefully read the assignment plus any skeleton and
implementation plan that is provided.

2. Read it again.

3. Be current on the reading assignments in the textbook.
Example: If you havn't read, mastered, and practiced the textbook
material on branches, there is little chance of you succesfully
writing your own 'if' statements in your Java program.

4. What is the 'logic model'? Every programming assignment will
be similar to programming examples in the textbook or covered
in class. Find what is most similar before starting on you own
coding.
Example: Program 1 shows how to read integers typed on the
computer's keyboard.  Program 3 requires you to read Strings.
How can you adapt the code from Program 1 to work in Program 3?

5. Before writing any Java code, write an Implementation Plan. 
This is your plan for writing your Java program. It is in English.
It explains *what* your Java program needs to to not *how* it will 
do it.
A metaphor is "How would explain to the PB&J robot how to solve
this problem?"  Each step in your plan should be small and simple. 
6-10 steps is the appropriate length (your mileage may vary). 
The Implementation plan provided for you in Program 3 is a good
example.  Hint - students rarely write Implementation Plans that
are too long. Almost always they are too short.

When you come for help at office hourse, standard procedure is
that we will first ask

"Where are you in your Implementation Plan?"  If you don't have
a legible, written plan you will need to write one before we can
help you with your Java code. Don't get the cart in fron of the
horse.

Before we look at your Java code, we will ask

"Have you run Source/Format"?  Run this regularly as you write
your program.


The writing of every Java program starts out with:

1. Create a new Java project for this assignment.
2. Create a new class for this assignment. The name of the file must
match the name of the class in the skeleton.
3. Copy and paste the skeleton *exactly* as it is. Make sure
everything is correctly set up for you to start adding to the
skeleton:
  i) Look for red marks in Eclipse.
  ii)  Run the skeleton.  Even if it does nothing useful, you want
to see if it produces red comments (error messages) in the console
window.