AT-M42 Client-Server Programming on the Java Platform

• Aims
• Learning Outcomes
• Module Content
• Assessment
• Reading
• Software

To examine the use of the Java platform for the development of client-server and enterprise computing applications.

After completing this module you will be able to:

• describe the correct use of objects, classes, interfaces, exceptions, and collections.
• describe the major infrastructure features of an enterprise application, the java APIs that give access to these and the typical architectures used in enterprise application development.
• identify and describe common software design patterns used in the implementation of enterprise architectures
• design and implement an enterprise computing application with a web interface using the Grails framework.

• The keys to object-oriented programming on the Java platform: objects and methods, collection classes, closures, composition & inheritance, polymorphism, interfaces, threaded execution, exception handling, components and properties, unit testing.
• Enterprise infrastructure: TCP/IP and sockets; RMI; Web and HTTP; SQL and RDBMS. An introduction to the Java APIs to support these: sockets; RMI; Servlets and JSP; JDBC.
• Software design patterns and system architecture. The three-tier enterprise architecture: presentation tier and web presentation, business tier and enterprise integration tier. The web container and enterprise java bean container.

The development of an Adventure game:

• Using collection classes.
• Using methods, simple IO and closures.
• Using objects.
• Using classes and unit testing.

Background for the project.

First-hand experience of

• Basic building blocks: objects, numbers and expressions; strings and regular expressions.
• Collection classes: lists, maps and ranges.
• Methods and flow of control.
• Closures and files.
• Classes, inheritance and polymorphism.
• Unit testing.

Assessment – % completed lab work.

Lifting the lid on Grails.

• The architecture of Grails
• Domain classes, controllers and views
• Application services and plugins
• Web Services

Assessment – group mark

• The software development process: test-driven development, agile methods, continuous integration.
• Case-study using the Grails framework.

Assessment – group work.

• Part 1: 20%: Assesses Learning Outcome 1.
  • Completed lab exercises
• Part 2: 40% Assesses Learning Outcome 2 and 3.
  • Seminar to discuss Modern approaches to enterprise application development. Group size 4-5 people.
• Part 3: 40%: Assesses Learning Outcome 4.
  • An small group design project to analyse, design and prototype a multi-tier multi-user adventure game. Assessment (a group mark) based on a presentation of the prototypes and documentation. Group size 4-5 people.

All work will be completed within the two weeks of the module and submitted by 5.00 pm Friday, 8th May.

• Recommended Reading:
  • K. Barclay and J. Savage, Groovy Programming, Morgan Kauffman, 2007. On Amazon.co.uk at http://bit.ly/qrUJY.
  • G. Rocher and J. Brown, The Definitive Guide to Grails, 2nd. Ed., Apress, 2009. On Amazon.co.uk at http://bit.ly/OkJsl.

• Further Reading:
  • Bruce Eckel, Thinking in Java (2nd Ed.), Prentice Hall, 2000. Available in full in Word ’97, PDF and HTML form on the net: http://www.MindView.net.
  • M. Fowler, Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture, Addison Wesley, 2003.

See also reading list.

• Java Platform Standard Edition 1.5+: http://java.sun.com.
• Groovy Programming Language and SDK: http://groovy.codehaus.org/.
• Grails Web Framework: http://grails.org/.

• Apache Tomcat Web Server (for servlet examples)
• Apache Derby database (for database examples)

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