TEXTS:

• Web Technologies: A Computer Science Perspective, Jeffrey C. Jackson, 2007, Pearson Prentice Hall Amazon     Pearson Prentice Hall     Author
  

  Two books are recommended for HTML and Java. Many students will already have good references for HTML and Java, so these are only recommended if you need them. Please note that I did not order these books through the bookstore.

• HTML 4 for the World Wide Web, 4th ed., Castro, Peachpit Press. Amazon
• Java 2: The Complete Reference, current edition, Naughton and Schildt, Osborne/McGraw Hill. Amazon

Other web software reference books are listed on the resources page.

OBJECTIVE:

After completing the course, students will understand the concepts and have the knowledge of how web applications are designed and constructed. Students will be able to engineer high quality building blocks for web applications.

CONTENT:

Detailed study of the engineering methods and technologies for building highly interactive web sites for e-commerce and other web-based applications. Engineering principles for building web sites that exhibit high reliability, usability, security, availability, scalability and maintainability are presented. Methods such as client-server programming, component-based software development, middleware, and reusable components are covered. After the course, students should be prepared to create software for large-scale web sites.

SWE 642 teaches some of the topics related to the exciting software development models that are used to support web and e-commerce applications. We will be studying the software design and development side of web applications, rather than the policy, business, or networking sides. An introductory level knowledge of HTML and Java is required. SWE 619 is a required prerequisite and SWE 632 is a good background course. The class will be very practical (how to build things) and require several small programming assignments.

The course content will focus on client-side and server-side software design and development. We will learn technologies such as HTML, JavaScripts the J2EE platform, JDBC, and XML.

READING:

We will read from Jackson, various sources on the web, and transparencies that will be made available on the web site. The schedule for the readings is given on the schedule web page.

EXAMS:

There will be a midterm and a final exam, both in class. The final exam will focus on material covered after the midterm.

HOMEWORKS:

Several homework assignments will be given. I will post the assignments on the class web site and discuss them in class. You will submit your solutions by placing links to the executables on your class web sites and submitting the source files through blackboard. Be sure that you are on the class mailing list, as refinements and hints for the assignments will be sent through email as well as posted on blackboard. Assignments will be checked immediately after the due date; if you finish an assignment late, you must inform us by email when it is ready for us to grade it. Changing an assignment after the due date without prior permission will be treated as a late submission.

Programs will be graded on style and formatting as well as correctness.

MAKEUPS:

Unless arrangements are worked out in advance, missed tests cannot be made up, and 10 percent per class meeting will be deducted for late homework submissions. Under no circumstances will any assignment be accepted after the official end of classes (the start of finals week).

HONOR CODE STATEMENT:

As with all GMU courses, SWE 642 is governed by the GMU Honor Code. In this course, all assignments, exams, and project submissions carry with them an implicit statement that it is the sole work of the author, unless joint work is explicitly authorized. Help may be obtained from the instructor or other students to understand the description of the problem and any technology, but the solution, particularly the design portion, must be the student's own work. If joint work is authorized, all contributing students must be listed on the submission. Any deviation from this is considered an Honor Code violation, and as a minimum, will result in failure of the submission and as a maximum, failure of the class.

IN-CLASS COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATION:

Phone calls, text messages, instant messages, email, and general web surfing are not allowed during class time. Computers may only be used to follow the material in class. Violators will have their devices confiscated or asked to leave the room.

DISABILITIES:

If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the DRC.

GRADING:

Grades will be (approximately): 30% the programming assignments, 30% the midterm, and 40% the final.

© Jeff Offutt, 2001 .. 2010, all rights reserved. This document is made available for use by GMU graduate students of SWE 642. Copying, distribution or other use of this document without express permission of the author is forbidden. You may create links to pages in this web site, but may not copy all or part of the text without permission of the author.