JDuck: building a software engineering tool in Java as a CS2 project

ABSTRACT

This paper describes our experiences in having students build a software engineering tool as a course project in a CS2 course. The tool, which we called JDuck (Java Documenter of Code, oK), was modelled on the javadoc tool that is part of Sun Microsystem's standard Java Development Kit (JDK). That is, a working version of JDuck would be able to read in Java source code and generate HTML files that summarize the basic structure of the provided classes. We discuss how we set up the project, what we think the students learned, what they told us they learned, and what we would do differently next time.

REFERENCES

• 1: Elliot Berk, The JLex Home Page, http://www, cs. princeton, edu/'appel/modern/ java/JLex/
• 2: Erich Gamma , Richard Helm , Ralph Johnson , John Vlissides, Design patterns: elements of reusable object-oriented software, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1995
• 3: The Java Development Kit Home Page,Sun Microsystems, http ://j ava. sun. corn/product s/j dk/
• 4: The Javadoc Home Page, Sun Microsystems, http ://j ava. sun. corn/product s/j dk/j avadoc/
• 5: Steve McConnell, Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules, Microsoft Press, Redmond, WA, 1996

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.1 Project and People Management
          Subjects: Training

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Experimentation, Human Factors