SCJD with JDK 1.4: just got a phone call From Steve Moore

[Max Habibi]

I just received a phone call from Steve Moore. Steve is the Senior Manager for Sun's Worldwide Certification Program. He, Monica Green, Evelyn, and the assessment team had a meeting about using JDK 1.4 for the current SCJD. It is, finally and officially, perfectly permissible.
All best,
M, author
The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 1.4
[ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: Max Habibi ]

[christy smile]

Hi, Max,
Does that mean I should be testing my project (not the SCJD beta version, but the one I have downloaded more than a year ago) on JDK1.4 from Sun's website as well? BTW, thank you for this important information!
Thanks
Christy

[John Sinues]

That's a real good question Christy. I'd like to know the answer to this also since I, too, downloaded my project well over a year ago.
Inquring minds want to know....
- John

[Hai Wei]

Thanks Max
This gives me more confidence when I use Channel and MappedByteBuffer.

[Max Habibi]

No, I don't believe so. In your documentation, you are asked to specify which JDK you built on: I am under the impression that Sun will only test your code under the corresponding JRE.
However, you might find that using JDK 1.4 will greatly reduce your workload, even as it increases your knowledgebase. For example, imagine being able to use Regular Expressions for your searching.
All best,
M, author
The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 1.4

[Max Habibi]

Hai,
I'm glad that you're using the new 1.4 tools: You'll be a better developer for it. However, I don't think you want to use MappedByteBuffer: As I understand it, it's memory management is platform dependent.
All best,
M, author
The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 1.4

[Max Habibi]

I believe that Steve will be posting something here himself, but I would like to bring up an important point.

I would like to note though, that once the revised assignments for 1.4 come out
of beta and go live, that all assignments downloaded must use the 1.4 or higher.
Those candidates that desire to accomplish the certification with 1.2 must
hurry and get into the process (download the current assignment) soon.

all best,
M, author
The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 1.4
[ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: Max Habibi ]

[Mark Spritzler]

This means you can use any production version you want, including 1.4 which before was not completely sure about.
But now thanks to Max we know its as good as gold.
Mark

[Mike Yu]

Hi Max,
What is your book's ISBN number? I found it from APRESS and it is 1-59059-030-9. But when I went to a local book store (World Biggiest Book Store) and check their online catalog, it came up with a book entitled J2SE and Sun Certified Java Develper with only two authors. (they don't have your books there). Can you confirm the ISBN number for your book?

[Max Habibi]

Hi Mike,
The ISBN is 1590590309: I think the title you ran into was older, tenative title. If you're going to buy the book, I suggest that you buy it from Amazon anyway, since they are offering a $20 discount. You can follow the link in my signature.
Also, the book has three authors: Myself, Terry Camerlengo, and Jeremy Patterson, and both of those guys are way smarter them I am.
All best,
M, author
The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 1.4

[Kathy Sierra]

Howdy, I am currently helping Steve and Evelyn with the Developer exam issues because they're in an incredible crunch right now (Steve's boss just abruptly left and Steve is currently the Main Man). Normally, I am on the development team only for the Programmer Exam, but Simon is their "expert" for the Developer exam (he created it) and he, too, is swamped, so I've been asked to jump in where I can. Some of the notes you've been posting here from Steve and Evelyn have been the notes I sent them, so I can tell you that EVERYTHING CAN CHANGE. Until its officially out of beta, you'll have to be a little flexible.
I'm going to try to add a little more info here, as of now here's where it appears to stand:
* You CAN use 1.4
* Do not, definitely do not, use anything not portable. That would be the absolute worst thing you could do.
* Right now, the beta instruction language says "the submission you return must have been tested and shown to work under a production (not development) version of the Java 2 Platform and that platform must not have been superceded by a new production version for more than 18 months by the time you make your submission."
* that 18-month part is new. Again, it might still change.
* I'm not sure Steve was completely clear about *when* you would be *required* to use 1.4. As of last week, the exam in beta is NOT a new 1.4 developer exam, but just a refresher, and will have the same exam number as the current one, once its finally released. So unless things have just changed in the last few days, its still going to be quite some time before you are *forced* to use 1.4.
* For those of you who've seen the beta, you can see that the assignment is quite different from previous ones, although the core issues are fundamentally the same.
* We're still working on the actual assignments! Even the answers we've been sending to people have been changing (contradicting earlier answers) on an almost daily basis. If you wrote us about your beta assignment and got an answer more than a couple of weeks ago, chances are things have changed.
* Keep in mind that sometimes none of us at SunEd know what the heck we're talking about

* Stay tuned and expect anything. Virtually everything about the Developer exam is still in flux, although currently the word is that you *are* allowed to use 1.4 and I seriously doubt that will change at this point, but I still wouldn't bet the farm. Things change on a weekly basis here, especially when we're in beta. That's the whole point.
cheers,
Kathy
p.s. Max rules. I'm reading his book and it's wonderful.

[Max Habibi]

p.s. Max rules. I'm reading his book and it's wonderful.

Thanks for the kind words Kathy: As I told Steve, please let me know if there's ever anything I can do.
All best,
M, author
The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 1.4
[ October 13, 2002: Message edited by: Max Habibi ]

[Steve Moore]

Hi all -
Thanks Kathy and Max for adding clarification to the situation.
As Max and Kathy stated, I had a meeting with my assessors and cleared up any issues regarding using JDK 1.4 for the current SCJD assignment. No one saw any issues with the assessment matrix and it was agreed that there was not a situation where candidates could be penalized for using the latest JDK.
As we go over the beta results for the new version of the exam and finalize both the assignments (multiple versions now) and add clarifications to the instructions and requirements, I will keep everyone posted.

[Mark Spritzler]

OK, so now I have a question. Does this also mean that we can use 1.3 fo rthe Beta exam?
Mark

[Max Habibi]

Mark,
Is this something you really want to do, or are you just making trouble?

M, author
The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 1.4

[Mark Spritzler]

Well I know I am using 1.4 so I can use regular expressions.
Somehow Evelyn convinced me to try making it by Friday. I still doubt I will make it. I have 50% of the data class done, the LockManager, and all the Exception classes created. My GUI is just some changed code form my previous assignment, but I haven't even gotten to the point of running them to see if they even work.
Mark