Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

Imagine that your IS manager wants more functionality built into the corporate intranet. After many design meetings, everyone agrees that the Java language is the best tool for the job. Only one problem, no one in the IS department actually knows how to write Java code. Talk drifts to attending Java seminars or Java training classes, when your IS manager hands you a stack of CD-ROM disks -- the `` MindQ Developer Training for Java ''.

Questions regarding this article should be directed to the author at jc_cann@ix.netcom.com

• Overview of the Training Series



• Features of the Training Series



• Java Security Module



• Java for C/C++ Programmers Module



• Resources



• Summary

Price: $995 annual subscription / single developer
Supported Platforms: Window 95 and Windows NT

The MindQ Developer Training for Java is a professional quality suite of multimedia training modules that covers all aspects of acquisition and application of the Java language. At the recent Java Internet Business Expo (JIBE) in New York, MindQ's Java training series was announced as a finalist for the Editor's Choice award in the category of ``Java Training.'' It was the only interactive desktop training course announced as a finalist.

Her e is the summary of the modules included in the Developer Training for Java. Note that those with a dart are available at no cost from MindQ's Web site .

Features of the Training Series

When you start the MindQ tutorial, you see a screen that shows the tutorial's content. Then you have the option to learn how to use the tutorial. After you have worked through the tutorial introduction, you head straight into the contents of the lesson.

Navigation through the tutorial screens is a snap. You can use the contents screen and the mouse to move between lessons. Each lesson contains several subtopics. To move sequentially through the subtopics, you hit the space-bar or right-click the mouse. Finally, other navigation options are shown in the navigation bar in the left-hand corner of the screen.

The multimedia presentation of the Java material is ex cellent. You notice immediately the high production quality of these tutorial modules. The application window is easily navigable while remaining informative.

The MindQ training series has an impressive list of features:

Comprehensive reference

Underlined keywords, advanced user reference, URL hyperlinks that launch your browser.

Multimedia

Audio and scrolling text, graphics, animation, video clips.

User-defined options

Attach notes to slides, extract notes to a text file, preferences for audio/text, set-up browser to load hyperlinks.

Instructional Topics

Different types of presentation methods, conceptual and interactive to hands-on application of principles.

Self Assessment

Reality Checks, or self-assessment quizzes embedded within the lessons.

For this review, I examined two modules of the MindQ Developer Training for Java. ``Java Security'' is a conceptual module that describes the theory and practice of using and writing Java applets in a World Wide Web setting. The ``Java for C/C++ Programmers'' module is application module. Its goal is to ease the transition to Java from a C/C++ background. Both provided a good contrast of the training techniques employed by the MindQ developers -- the ``Java Security'' module is conceptual, while the ``Java for C/C++ Programmers'' takes the hands-on approach to learning the Java language.

Java Security Module

Audience:
New Java users, MIS, Applet Developers, Corporations that allow Internet access by employees.

Technicality: Low (2 of 5) (See our Rating Scale )

Summary:
Balanced presentation of the current state of Java security. Content written by computer science professors from Princeton. Includes practical advice on Internet risk assessment and exact steps a company could take to p rotect its intellectual property and data from rogue Java programmers. MIS managers, non-technical staff will reap many benefits. Novice Internet programmers also can learn the details of the Java security model.

If you would like to demo Developer Training for Java, you can download the ``Java Security Module'' at no cost from MindQ's Java Training page .

• Lesson 1 - Intro to Java Security



• Architecture of Java



• Java Security Model



• Browser-dependent security



• Risks of using Java



• Lesson 2 - Hostile Applets



• Describe hostile applets -- denial of service, stealing process time, forge electronic mail



• How to recover from hostile applets



• How to disable Java in browser






• Lesson 3 - New Java Security Features



• Java firewalls



• Cryptography (CRYPTO API in JDK 1.1)



• Digitally-signed applets



• Verification



• Lesson 4 - Guidelines for Java Users



• How to Implement a Java Security Policy



• Common sense precautions






• Appendices - Seven Attack Applets -- Historical Java applets that were found by Princeton computer scientists and independent consultants. Many were discussed in popular press such as New York Times and Washington Post. Of course, all the security holes utilized by these applets are fixed in current browser implementations.

Java for C/C++ Programmers Module

Audience:
Experienced C or C++ programmers. MindQ developed this tutorial so C/C++ programmers could omit the ``Overview of Java'' and ``Basic Java Syntax'' modules.

Technicality:
High (4 of 5) (See our Rating Scale ).

Summary:
Starts with simple concepts and drills down to the details of programming with Java. Details the differences between Java and C and C++. Covers syntax, primitive data types and core language classes. Builds to objected-oriented concepts, including superclass overloading and polymorphism. Ends with thorough discussion of event-driven programming. Several hands-on exercises will definitely challenge even the most seasoned C/C++ programmers. Do not try to tackle this module in one sitting!

• Lesson 1 -- Intro to Java



• What is Java?



• Java and the Internet



• The History of Java



• Java System Architecture



• Applets vs. Applications



• Summary of Java Development Environments



• The Java Developer's Kit



• Your First Applet - - Hello World



• Running Your Applet With HTML



• Downloading, Compiling and Running Applets



• Hands-on Exercise



• Lesson 2 -- Basics of Java Syntax



• Source Character Set



• Commenting Code



• Java Keywords



• Primitive Data Types



• Identifiers



• Introduction to Literals



• Formatted Output



• Scope and Lifetime of Variables



• Summary of Operators and Precedence



• Using the Math Libraries



• The Numeric Classes



• Type Conversions



• Introduction to Control Structures



• Introduction to Exceptions



• Hands-on Exercise



• Lesson 3 -- Reference Data Types



• Memory Allocation



• References



• Array Referen ces



• Hands-on Exercise






• Lesson 4 -- Other Differences Between C/C++ and Java



• The Preprocessor



• Name Space Control



• Standard Libraries



• Structures, Unions, and Classes



• Differences in Compilation Models



• Lesson 5 -- The World of Objects and Classes



• Concepts in Object Oriented Programming



• What are Objects?



• Combining Data and Operations



• What are Classes?



• Communication Between Objects



• Hiding Data within an Object



• Reusing Existing Classes



• Overriding Superclass Methods



• What is Polymorphism?



• Lesson 6 -- Event-Driven Programming



• What is Event-Driven Programming?



• The Basics of Events



• Events Handling Model



• GUI Programming and Events






• Module Summary



• Final Challenge

Resources

MindQ Web Site: http://www.mindq.com
MindQ Telephone Sales: +1-800-646-3008
MindQ Email Sales: sales@mindq.com

Summary

In total, the ``Mind Q Developer Training for Java'' is the best computer-based training (CBT) tutorial that I have used personally. I think it has the correct mix of multimedia, reference, options, and hands-on training converge to provide an excellent learning environment. In particular, I enjoyed the audio option of the modules and the video clips used to elaborate on particular topics.

Corporate IS shops who look to use Java to update their intranet or Internet sites will find these tutorials to be a valuable and inexpens ive alternative to seminar training. ISVs who look to use Java as a core development language should also find this training suited to their needs.

Within the Java for C/C++ programmers, I thought the hands-on code exercises were challenging enough to make me focus on the problem solution. However, I definitely needed my Java reference book to complete the exercises.

I liked the keyword highlight for language keywords in the Java code examples; however, the highlights became quite annoying within text regions because so many words are highlighted -- I turned off the keyword highlight option about three slides into the first lesson. To highlight only keyword syntax in code examples would be more useful.

Finally, like most tutorials, the MindQ Developer Training for Java will only take Java education to a certain point (albeit a high point). Nothing beats real-world application of the principles learned in the modules!

Rating Scale

• 1 = Non tec hnical -- understandable by anyone.



• 2 = Low technical -- understandable by computer-literate individuals, i.e., people who can use a computer for spreadsheets, word processing, etc.



• 3 = Mid technical -- understandable by those with technical computer skills and limited experience, e.g., novice to mid-level programmers.



• 4 = High technical -- understandable by those with advanced technical computer skills and experience, e.g., experienced programmers.



• 5 = Extreme technical -- Only understood by experts within the field in question.

Author Biography

Jeffery Cann is a Senior Software Engineer who works in the field of Computer Telephone Integration (CTI). During his career, he has had the opportunity to use many types of interactive computer training programs and teach at the college level. He works on Unix in C and Oracle PL-SQL on an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application.