On Wed, May 31, 2017 at 10:32 AM, Barkow, Eileen <[email protected]> wrote:
> It seems to me that java is becoming just as complex as C++, at least > what you have to know of it to pass the certification exam. > I have been studying some sample java certification exams and cannot > understand how anyone can pass them without lots and lots and lots of > study. > Most of the questions consists of trying to predict what the compiler will > do with some convoluted code no one would actually program; > and it gets even more hairy with the new lambda expressions, predicates > and other > Shorthand expressions supposedly designed to make things easier but just > complicates the predictions. > And many of the questions require selecting 2,3,4 or more multiple choice > answers and getting any part wrong means that the entire question is marked > in error. > > Having to remember the fine, intricate points of various methods and > classes which can easily be looked up in the API if programming, > And predicting what could easily be run thru the compiler, is not a real > measure of knowing how to program. > I have known people who knew all the obscure details of a compiler but who > were not able to code a simple program on their own. > And since these certification exams cost about $300-$400 a pop to take, > I think that some of them are just a money grabbing stunt. > > I completely agree with your assertions. Most "certificates" can most easily be acquired by an "idiot savant" who can memorize, but not really think creatively. IMO, a big part of programming is really stating the problem "properly". The question's phrasing often "suggests" the approach to the answer. So a bad phrasing can cause a bad answer. When I do Java programming, I use a Java IDE, such as Netbeans or Eclipse. ISPF edit is a _joke_ compared to these tools. And, with them, it is far easier to program. With Netbeans, for example, I can simply point it to the JAR file and JavaDoc directories to have in-editor contextual help. And it can easily reformat code to standards. Or even refactor it if I need to make some more complicated internal changes. A good IDE takes care of the "housecleaning" for us. -- Windows. A funny name for a operating system that doesn't let you see anything. Maranatha! <>< John McKown ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
