tiger 1.5 study resources

[Bert Bates]

From the 'fox in the chicken-coop dept.'

We're pedaling as fast as we can to get the Tiger update out! In the meantime, I thought I'd share a little of the research we're doing to help you in your studies. My belief at this moment is that there isn't a single source that covers all the topics you'll need to study for the 1.5 exam. There are some good general Java books that cover key Tiger topics, and you can get the 3.0 language spec from Sun, and that's a start. In addition there are some certification resources that are starting to appear, but from what I've seen they are incomplete also

At this point, probably the most complete resource is the Sun ePractice, but it's a bit expensive, and it's only mocks, there is no real training content there. In the meantime, here's a short list of topics that are important in the exam, that you might use to help you determine if the resources you've assembled are complete:

- beware of resouces that contain 1.4-only topics like bit-shifting, or the math classes, you might spend valuable study time on the wrong topics!
- look for resources that discuss both flavors of initialization blocks, and how they relate to each other.
- make sure that the discussions of exceptions cover all the new exception objectives
- understand the effects of serialization on subclasses.
- the exam covers enums pretty thoroughly, make sure that your resources give a complete coverage of this new tiger topic!

We'll update this list over the next several weeks, in the meantime, good luck with your studies!

- Bert
[ July 14, 2005: Message edited by: Bert Bates ]

[reubin haz]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:

- beware of resouces that contain 1.4-only topics like bit-shifting, or the math classes, you might spend valuable study time on the wrong topics!
- look for resources that discuss both flavors of initialization blocks, and how they relate to each other.

Are you saying SCJP5.0 does not cover Math class at all?

I'm not sure what this is: 'both flavors of initialization blocks', are you talking about static and non-static initialization blocks?

Please explain, thanks.

[Bert Bates]

Hi Reubin -

1st: I'll put on my bartender hat... that's a real cool palindromic name you have... is it for real? We like for folks to use their real names at the ranch, because we've found it leads to a friendlier atmosphere.

2nd: My scjp hat: yes to both of your questions

[Barry Gaunt]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
that's a real cool palindromic name you have... is it for real?

Well I'll be danged!

[reubin haz]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
that's a real cool palindromic name you have... is it for real?

You are the first one who detected it
I'm So glad to talk to the author of K&B book.

Now its my real name

[Sreedevi Vinod]

Bert,

Do we have questions from the following ?
EnumSet and EnumMap
Defining custom generic classes
PriorityQueue
Lock class
Has anything new been added in threads ?
Also, what kind of questions can be asked from cohesion and coupling ?
Can you show some sample mock questions/resources for this topic ?

Thanks
Devi

[Tapas Kumar]

Bert,
Any update on when the book will be available?
Regards
Tapas

[Marcus Green]

Bert, what Topic/objective does this come from (you mentioned it in your post)

- look for resources that discuss both flavors of initialization blocks, and how they relate to each other.

[Sreedevi Vinod]

I guess it would be objective 1.3

1.3 Develop code that declares, initializes, and uses primitives, arrays, enums, and objects as static, instance, and local variables. Also, use legal identifiers for variable names.

[Bert Bates]

Hey Marcus, et. al.,

It's a good question, and Sreedevi got it right... although I have to admit it's not really clear from the objective. So anyway, make sure you understand static and instance init blocks!

- Bert

[Bert Bates]

Sreevedi-

Let's see if I can answer a few of your questions:

- As far as collections are concerned, the new exam doesn't cover what the Sun docs refer to as "special purpose implementations", so you can skip EnumSet and EnumMap

- For collections, all of the 'general purpose implementations' are covered - so PriorityQueuse should be on your list of topics!

- none of the new Thread 5.0 stuff is on the exam

- The coupling and cohesion questions are at a farly easy level - these topics can be a bit subjective, so the questions probably won't be 'hair-splitters'... does that make sense?

hth,

Bert

[Devender Thareja]

Hi Bert,

Somewhere you mentioned that you are goin to post mock exams for Java5. Will that be anytime soon.

Regards.

[Bert Bates]

Yes!

[Akshay Kiran]

How soon would that be Bert? I'm taking the exam on 7th September

Can you tell me if Atomic variables and other flavours of threading in the java.util.concurrent will be included in the exam?

Also, has the awt been excluded completely from it, don't remember seeing any of it, though 1.4 seemed to have it.

And of course, expert advice is solicited

thanks

[Marcus Green]

AWT and any graphic classes was not, definitly not on the 1.4 exam and is not on the 1.5 exam. I have been reading and writing up on the 1.5 objectives since they came out, and doing nothing else full time for the last 3 months and I have not even heard of Atomic variables in the context of threads. (Now I do a google I suspect you are referring to the idea of the mutex lock and exclusive access to threads, which is on the exam, big time). Of course Bert is more the person to give you the definitive answer on any question like this ...

Good luck with your studies..
[ August 23, 2005: Message edited by: Marcus Green ]

[Akshay Kiran]

yes yes yes, mutually exclusive locks, atomic variables (primitives that have locks) and other thigns like explicit locks.
They figure in the exam you say?!

Man, this needs looking into- anybody who has taken the exam would mind helping?

(And Marcus, you were right, there's no awt in 1.4 either, maybe I confused SCJP objectives with some other JFC thing I saw.)

thanks

[Bert Bates]

None of the threading features that are new to 5.0 are on the exam. In other words, all the threading stuff that was availabile in 1.4 is what you should study.