JavaRanch: Cattle Drive (java college)

help understanding Calendar constructor vs method

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 14:18:25 MDT

I'm looking at the Calendar class and am a bit confused about the difference and use of the constructor Calendar() and the method getInstance() in the same class.

The constructor says "CONSTRUCTS a Calendar with the default time zone and locale."

The method says "GETS a calendar using the default time zone and locale." and returns a calendar object.

This seems very weird to me. Don't these do the same thing? I'm wondering if perhaps you are not allowed to invoke the constructor of this class. If so, why would that be the case?

The example given in the API shows ...

Calendar rightNow = Calendar.getInstance();

I would have expected something like ...

Cal...

JDBC Frustration

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 15:10:23 MDT

I copied the files from my 98 system to my XP system for JDBC 2a.
For some reason, everything works fine on my 98 system, but I can't get past the login page on XP. And I can't find what is causing the problem!
After trying to login using javaranch as the password, I get a blank page.
Irritating.
Going to go drink some beer.
Happy 4th!

Java-1b approved, now onto Java-2

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 22:51:03 MDT

Katrina OK'ed my Java-1b. I've now sent in Java-2.

Cheers!

JDBC tuning up

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 12:11:02 MDT

I'm finally getting the JDBC assignments transferred over to WindowsXP from Windows98, and in the process, also managed to install the jre1.6.0_05. So when I tried to do the ffbuild, I got a complaint that tools.jar was missing. Took care of that. Now on the second try, I get a complaint that db.driver.jar must be defined, preferably in config/Owner.properties. So I check javaranch.com/props, and it says I can define my build propeties in one 3 places. I have mine in my home directory, but I would like to do the preferred method. So, 2 questions:

1) The userid would be the userid I use to logon to Windows?
(which I don't use, so I'm not sure what it is.......)
2) The content of my build.properties...

help understanding Java-7(Sum)

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:26:55 MDT

Not sure how to ask this without giving too much away. In Java-7, no statement of the precision required is given. I think this means I should do my equivalence check assuming infinite precision. Is that correct? (Hope I'm not saying too much.)

Thanks very much.

help with nitpick in Java-1b

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:08:53 MDT

In Java-1b, I ...

1 - use a loop to fill a string with a full row of the input name.
2 - use a loop to write all the full rows out
3 - write the last partial row, if needed.

Katrina recommended ...
"How about a single loop which counts to 100, printing the name each time?
You can use your namesPerRow variable to decide whether or not you
need to put in a linebreak."

Which I am interpreting as suggesting I use an if-then check inside a single "count-to-100" loop. Would folks agree I'm interpreting this nitpick correctly? If so, I can certainly do that, but I'm lost as to the reason such an approach would be better. Any thoughts??

Thanks very much!

PS - Is...

understanding array declarations

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:40:43 MDT

int i; // I think "get i ready to hold int values"
String s; //I think "get s ready to hold a reference to a string object"

int myArray []; // how should I read this?

Declaring an array almost feels like there are two distinct declarations happening. I think I'm getting stuck on wanting to first see something like ...

Array myArray;

and then declaring what the elements of the array will be. In fact, why do I need to declare the elements at all?

Thanks very much!

best approach for getting feedback on nitpicks?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:56:41 MDT

Hi All -

I'm just starting the Cattle Drive and got my first nitpicks back. I would like to get a little more info about the nitpicks. Would it be better for me to post questions to nitpicks here, or to hit reply in my email?

Thanks.
- Dan

Assignment 4b

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:06:39 MDT

Hello all,

I have spent a fair amount of time on this assignment. I've probably not done it in the method that will be accepted by the nitpickers as I have StringBuffers and substrings all over the place. However it works......all except for 100, 1000, 10000, 100000 etc

I print out stuff like "one thousand zero hundred" etc

I thouught I would be easily able to solve this last part but I guess my brain is beginning to shut down. Can anybody offer any guidance please? before I start trying to insert my keyboard into my ear

Subset of Cubes

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:46:30 MDT

quote:
Write an algorithm, using pseudo code, to perform one of the following tasks, and post it to the class folder by day 4. Then, choose one algorithm that was created and posted by another student to solve the same problem, and analyze the differences between the effectiveness of the two algorithms. Post the result of the analysis, and improvements to your algorithm by day 6 of the seminar. Be creative, and have fun!
Given a string of numbers, identify all of the substrings that form numbers that are divisible by 3. For example, applying the algorithm on the string 37540 should produce the following substrings (not necessarily in this order): 0; 3; 75; 54; 375; 540

I was pm'd about...

Just found JavaRanch

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:14:20 MDT

I just stumbled across JavaRanch and am interested in the Cattle Drive. The site mentions getting "Just Java 2" by Peter van der Linden. Is that info current? Are most folks working through the Cattle Drive using that book?

Thanks!

Just wanted to say Howdy

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:06:18 MDT

Hi

I have been away from the trail for a while now, I have been settling in to my new job.

But I have now set aside some time for study, so you will probably be hearing a lot from me over the next few weeks.

After all, I could be using some of this stuff for real any day now.

Good to see new names on the assignment log,

Cheers

bolo on fred's moose

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:56:07 MDT

Gee, fred, I wonder what happened to your Moose? Roberts may still be at the virtual taxidermist, but yours should be there by now. Ubless it sneaked out to the watering hole!
Everyone BOLO for fred's moose!
And congratulations to you as well!

JDBC ....hmmmm

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:26:07 MDT

Thought I'd done this, but I guess I dreamed it.
I'm getting geared up to tackle JDBC, and I've gotten far enough to view my table in the dos window after compiling Test.java.
I followed the instructions for TestServlet.java, but I get the generic page not available screen.
TestServlet.java is in the same directory as Test.java. The class file is in orion\default-web-app\WEB-INF\classes, and I copied the mysql-connector-java-5.1.5-bin.jar file into orion\lib
I'm thinking either one of my files is in the wrong directory, or could it be that since Windows XP put both orion and my java development directory inside C:\Program Files while mysql and mysql-connector-java and directly off of C:\ I might need to change some path ...

Robert Richardson's got hisself a moose!

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:58:07 MDT

Congrats on yer first!

Blocked again

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 08:19:53 MDT

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