Exercise and Puzzle Feedback please!

[Bert Bates]

Howdy EJB pardners!
Kathy and I are busy finishing up Head First EJB, and we have a few more exercises and puzzles to do. That's where you come in!
If any of you have read Head First Java, we'd like to get your feedback concerning the puzzles and exercises in that book. Which ones did you like, or find useful? Why? Which ones didn't you like? Why?
If you haven't read HFJ we'd still be interested in any puzzle or exercise ideas you think would be helpful for your SCBCD studies!
- Thanks, Bert
p.s.
As a lot of JavaRanchers will tell you, contributers usually get honorable mentions in our books, so this is your chance for 15 minutes of fame!!

[Vedhas Pitkar]

Hi,
When I gave the SCBCD Beta,I noticed that there are a lot of questions of the Drag-and-Drop type.If you would add these type of questions in an accompaning CD,it would be nice.Also,these type of questions were mostly on EJB-QL.

[Gustavo Torreti]

Greetings, Bert!
Well, I like those "Fill in the Blanks" situations. That would be even more useful if coming with graphic help (a.k.a. "drawings").
Once in a Sketch with blanks, you must know both the drawings and the proper naming for whatever is missing - forcing you to remember both who are we talking about and their job within the context.
I strongly beleive you can get what I'm talking about (at least as an introduction ).
hth,
Gus

[Dani Mazzuca]

Hi,
I didn't read the Head First Java, however, if you are going
to provide a mock exam software, I would find very useful if:
1) We would be able to link to an Internet site where we can discuss
a question based on its ID, and also read past discussions on the
subject;
2) We would be able to practice questions about a certain topic
(not about a certain objective). For example, for the SCWCD exam,
practicing about "sessions" or "presentation patterns" or
"thread-safety" or "distributed WEB applications", etc.

Also, I find "Why" exercises, with its appropriate answers, very helpful.
I mean, most of the technological and architectural decisions, also
the most obscure ones, have a reason behind them. Understanding these
reasons simplify the learning process. For example:
"Why does your enterprise bean class actually provide the remote interface method implementation but doesn't declare that it implements the corresponding remote interface (i.e.

public class MyBean [B]
implements  MyRemoteInterface[/B], SessionBean

)?"
Dani

[Mark Spritzler]

I'd like to see some really good exercises for getting great Abs and remove my love handles.
I mean I do 300 sit ups at the gym and I still can't get rid of my belly.
Mark

[Bert Bates]

Mark, Mark, Mark -
Here's your problem man, you gotta do crunches! Sit-ups are like wooden skis!

[Gustavo Torreti]

Dani Mazzuca:
I find "Why" exercises, with its appropriate answers, very helpful.
I mean, most of the technological and architectural decisions, also
the most obscure ones, have a reason behind them. Understanding these
reasons simplify the learning process.

That's a great suggestion, Dani.
The reasons behind the decisions are very helpful, as you learn the fact behing the laws (rules) you'd have to memorise
Perhaps some example situations that deals with that "why" definition could be explored...
Great suggestion, Dani!
Regards,
Gus

[Mark Spritzler]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
Mark, Mark, Mark -
Here's your problem man, you gotta do crunches! Sit-ups are like wooden skis!

Actually I can only do crunches. I can't do a full sit-up.
Mark

[Cathy Vierra]

Hey Bert: The exam is coming out in a week and you guys
are still not sure about what should be in your book.
That book must be (pardon the expression) a barn burner.