SE450: Project: Bad Projects [22/24]

Do not choose a project because you want to learn one of Java's many APIs. You will spend all your time with the API and none with your project. (This happened to me!)

Do not spend your time entering lots of data. If you do a record store, your grade will not vary by how many records there are. Lines of code that add data will of course count in the total number of lines of code, but that will only be a very small part of the grade.

Do not emphasize the GUI, or other cool things, like sound. Keep it basic. Make the code pretty. This includes things like good javadocs, good formatting, good variable names, good comments. Be very careful with Swing/AWT so that you don't embed all of your code in your interface.

Problematic:

• Simple database frontend. All interest in data, none in code. Solution: Do not use JDBC! This will help you to focus on your implementation and not on working out configuration issues, as well as keep you from worrying too much about data. (Don't worry, you will get JDBC in SE 452/560/491/554/591...)
• Cool database frontend. For example, guitar chords. All interest in data, none in code. Solution: Do not spend more than on third of time on data and GUI combined.
• Calculator. Too simple.
• Compute complex function of inputs. All interest in algorithm, none in structure. Hard to do a layered design.
• Web applications aren't allowed. Take SE452 to get your fill of those.
• Network applications aren't allowed. This includes RMI and Web based systems. These are difficult to setup and test and demonstrate, all of which have to be done in the process of grading your project.

Do not get too caught up on beautiful graphics/algorithms. Worry more about beautiful structure.