Java Advanced - Course Exam

Types

• For each Java primitive type explain its purpose, its default value, its value range

Literals

• For the char literals, explain the meaning of \u, \n, \t, \', \" literals
• For the integral literals, only the decimal notation is covered (neither octal nor hexadecimal)
• For the floating point literals
  • explain the meaning of the e, f, d suffixes
  • use the Float/Double.NaN, .NEGATIVE_INFINITY, .POSITIVE_INFINITY constants
• Use the L(l) suffix to get a long literal instead of an int

Conversion

• Explain the widening conversion chain byte -> short -> int -> long -> float -> double
• Given code, spot valid and invalid primitive types casting operations

Create Loops

• Write code using all kind of Java loops : for, while, do-while and for each (introduced in Java 5)
• Predict behavior of nested loops
• Use break and continue in nested loops, both unlabeled and labeled syntaxes.

Define Branching

• Write syntactically correct tests using if, switch structures
• Define correct types of arguments for both keywords

• Use correct syntax and explain the ternary x ? y : z operator
• Identify correct operands and return type compatibility

• Write code that defines class attributes using the static keyword and manipulate them
• Define class method, explain how to call them

• Explain how to define constant attributes using final
• Identify places where blank final can be initialized
• Describe the meaning of final applied to methods
• Prevent classes from being subclassed by declaring them final

• Explain the Java SE classpath mechanism
• Understand the ClassLoader hierarchy and implications on the static scope.
• Given an object instance get its ClassLoader from its Class
• Get the system classloader using ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader()
• Write code that uses ClassLoader to load external resources on the file system.

• Understand the new operator to create an object.
• Determine the initialization sequence of fields, static fields, static block, constructor, ancestor constructors
• Explain the use of this() and super() in constructors and identify where you can call them

• Explain the overloading mechanism
• Identify the method name, arguments types and order differentiates 2 method signatures
• Explain why the return type does not differentiate 2 methods
• Given code, determine method resolution behavior when using polymorphism in parameters including Java 5 Autoboxing and varargs

• Write code that define basic inner classes (anonymous or not)
• Explain the usage of the outer class "this", in the inner class
• Use final modifier for local variables in enclosing classes to get access to it

An introduction from IBM to Annotations is here.
The definition of Annotations can be found in chapter 9.6 & 9.7 of the Java Language Specification and in the description of the java.lang.annotation package.

• Identify code that use Annotations.
• Create code that use standard Annotations.
• Develop custom Annotations.
• Explain the advantages of Annotations.
• Describe what marker annotations and meta-annotations are and how to use them.

Not covered: EJB 3 specific things!

The Generics Tutorial from Sun covers the basic knowledge that is necessary for this category.

• Create code that uses Generics.
• Describe the benefits of Generics.
• Develop code which deals with legacy code that is not generified.

• Identify the goals of Typesafe Enums.
• Create enum constructors and explain how to create Enums.
• Write code that shows the correct and incorrect usage of Typesafe Enums.
• Use the methods in enums.
• Work with EnumSet and EnumMap.

• Create and throw a custom exception class.
• Use the throws keyword.
• Know the java standard exception hierarchy for: Throwable, Error, OutOfMemoryError, Exception, RuntimeException, NullPointerException, IOException...
• Understand execution flow for nested try/catch/finally clauses.
• Understand and use nested exceptions.
• Differentiate checked and unchecked exceptions.