Mta ssg soft_dev_individual_without_crop

M I C R O S O F T T E C H N O L O G Y A S S O C I AT E

Student Study Guide
EXAM 98-361
Software Development Fundamentals

Preparing for MTA Certiﬁcation
for Cert ca n
Certiﬁcation
MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATE (MTA
TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATE (MTA)
ECHNOLOGY
C (MTA
A)
STUDENT STUDY GUIDE FOR DEVELOPERS
UDY F DEVELOPERS

98-361 Software Development
Fundamentals

Authors
Tim McMichael (Software Development and Windows Development). Patricia Phillips (Lead Author and Project Manager). Patricia taught
Tim has been a high school computer science teacher for the past computer science for 20 years in Janesville, Wisconsin. She served
11 years. He currently teaches Advanced Placement Computer on Microsoft’s National K-12 Faculty Advisory Board and edited
Science, .NET programming, and computer game programming at the Microsoft MainFunction website for technology teachers for
Raymond S. Kellis High School in Glendale, Arizona. He also serves two years. For the past five years she has worked with Microsoft
as Curriculum Coordinator for IT classes within the Peoria Unified in a variety of roles related to K-12 curriculum development and
School District. Prior to teaching, Tim worked for several years as a pilot programs including Expression Studio web design and XNA
database application developer. Tim earned his B.A. from Colorado game development. In her role as an author and editor, Patricia
State University and his M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Arizona wrote several articles and a student workbook on topics including
State University. In his free time he enjoys creating games with XNA computer science, web design, and computational thinking. She is
Game Studio and spending time with his young daughter. Tim is the currently the editor of the Computer Science Teachers Association
author of the Windows Development Exam Review Kit in the MTA newsletter, the Voice.
Exam Review Kit series.

This content is only for use by or provision to students for their personal use.
Some examples depicted herein are provided for illustration only and are fictitious. No real association or connection is intended or should
be inferred.
Microsoft and other trademarks listed at http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/en/us/IntellectualProperty/Trademarks/EN-US
.aspx are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other marks are property of their respective owners.
© 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. This content is provided “as-is” and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied.

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Career Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Exploring Job Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Value of Certiﬁcation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

98-361 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FUNDAMENTALS

CHAPTER 1 Understanding Core Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.1 Understand computer storage and data types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2 Understand computer decision structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.3 Identify the appropriate method for handling repetition . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.4 Understand error handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

CHAPTER 2 Understanding Object Oriented Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2.1 Understand the fundamentals of classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.2 Understand inheritance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.3 Understand polymorphism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.4 Understand encapsulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CHAPTER 3 Understanding General Software Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3.1 Understand application life-cycle management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.2 Interpret application speciﬁcations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.3 Understand algorithms and data structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

CHAPTER 4 Understanding Web Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4.1 Understand Web page development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.2 Understand Microsoft ASP.NET Web application development . . . . 35
4.3 Understand Web hosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.4 Understand Web services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

CHAPTER 5 Understanding Desktop Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5.1/5.2 Understand Windows Forms applications; Understand
console-based applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
53 Understand Windows services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

CHAPTER 6 Understanding Databases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

6.1 Understand relational database management systems . . . . . . . . . . . 49
6.2 Understand database query methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
6.3 Understand database connection methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

iv Contents

Introduction

M TA validates building-block technology concepts
and helps students explore, discover and
pursue successful careers in Information Technology
Empower yourself As the first step toward
becoming an MCTS, MTA shows your commitment to
technology while connecting you with a community
(IT) in an exciting and rewarding way! As the first step of more than five million Microsoft Certified
in the Microsoft Technology Certification Series, this Professionals. Learn from them and show them what
new, entry-level certification provides students with you know by becoming MTA certified!
confidence, credibility, and differentiation.
This MTA Student Study Guide serves as a study tool
Explore IT career options without committing to help students prepare for their MTA certification
a lot of time and resources MTA exams validate exam. Students are challenged with real-life situations
the core technology knowledge that is in demand for each of the major topics covered in the exam.
today by businesses around the world. Whether you Although successful completion of the study guide
want to explore becoming a network administrator, exercises does not guarantee that you will pass your
software engineer, web developer, or database MTA exam, it is an excellent way to gauge your
analyst, MTA gets you started on the right path. readiness to take the exam and build confidence
that you know your stuff on exam day.
Prepare to compete A little investment in IT can I wish you all the best as you prepare for a successful
go a long way in today’s job market. Becoming MTA career in technology!
certified helps you build a solid foundation to prepare
for intermediate technology studies and for Microsoft Victoria Pohto
Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. Victoria Pohto
It can also help you compete on college admissions MTA Product Marketing Manager
and jumpstart your IT career planning!

Introduction v

Career Planning

M ost IT solutions or infrastructure built on
Microsoft technologies require proficiency
with one or all of the following products, often
knowledge of the fundamental IT concepts critical
for success with intermediate learning and
certifications such as Microsoft Certified Technology
referred to as “The Microsoft Stack.” Specialist (MCTS). Moreover, Microsoft certifications
demonstrate an individual’s commitment of self-
• Microsoft Windows® Server® as the data center
investment and confidence to take his or her
or development platform
knowledge and skills to the next level with an
• Microsoft SQL Server® as the data and business industry-recognized credential.
intelligence (BI) platform
MTA is not a “career certification,” meaning that
• Microsoft Visual Studio® as the suite of application employers recognize you as “job ready,” but it is the
life-cycle management tools first step toward that career goal and can help
differentiate you for an internship or to college
MTA is the starting point of Microsoft technology
admissions committees. As you prepare for your first
certifications, providing aspiring technologists with
job focusing on technology, be sure that you
the fundamental knowledge essential to succeed
are equipped with an MCTS credential—the
with continued studies and a successful career with
intermediate level certification that validates
technology.
Microsoft product and technology skills.
Preparing for and becoming MTA certified helps you
The MTA Certification path on the next page shows
explore a variety of career paths in technology with-
you the MTA exams that are recommended prior
out investing a lot of time and money in a specialized
to taking on some of Microsoft’s intermediate
career path. When you find a path that is right for
technology certification, MCTS.
you, Microsoft learning products and certification can
help you prepare and guide your longer-term career
planning.
If you already know that you want to start building
a career in technology, MTA preparation and certi-
fication is the recommended entry point. Becoming
MTA certified shows that you have a firm working

vi Career Planning

Exploring Job Roles

C hoosing a career path is a big decision and it’s
not always easy, but you’re not alone! Microsoft
created a career site to help students understand the
Server Administrator
As a server administrator, you are in charge
of implementing and managing some
options and possibilities of pursuing a career in IT.
of the most important technology in your
The site also connects you with learning resources,
organization—the servers. You use extensive
student techie communities, and much more to help
monitoring and profiling tools to manage the
you prepare for a career in technology.
network and tune systems so they perform at optimal
To chart your career with Microsoft technology, levels. You are an expert in Active Directory®, and you
visit www.microsoft.com/learning/career/en/us/ have an in-depth understanding of network
career-org-charts.aspx. protocols, and file and directory security.

Database Administrator Computer Support Technician
As a database administrator, you are in charge Consider starting your IT career by becoming
of important databases that span multiple a consumer support technician. You don’t
platforms and environments. You are a strong need any formal work experience, but a
team player who thrives in a fast-paced company might require that you know how to
environment. You build complex, highly scalable install, administer, and troubleshoot operating
databases that meet business needs and security systems in a home network environment that has
requirements. You are an expert in optimizing, desktop computers, laptops, and printers. As a
maintaining, and troubleshooting databases, but also consumer support technician, you’ll also handle
in designing archival, data distribution, and high- network, virus, malicious software, and hardware
availability solutions. support issues. You’ll typically find this position in
small to medium-sized organizations.

viii Exploring Job Roles

Exploring Job Roles

Web Developer and n-tier applications, and knowing how to work
As a web developer, you are an expert in with object-oriented programming, algorithms, data
using the dynamic programming tools and structures, and multithreading. Windows developers
languages that fuel the web. You might work have an in-depth understanding of software engi-
independently or be part of a team that builds neering principles, software life cycles, and security
and integrates interactive web sites, applications, and principles.
services for both internal and public sites. Your role is Additional Online Resources for New Developers:
to make it work, which means developing web
http://msdn.microsoft.com/beginner
applications and testing them on various browsers,
enhancing and modifying them as necessary to http://msdn.microsoft.com/rampup
ensure the best experience for the user. As a web
developer, you might also architect websites, design
data-driven applications, and ﬁnd efﬁcient client- Imagine Cup
server solutions. You must have an in-depth under- The Imagine Cup is the
standing of the software development life cycle and world’s premier student
be able to communicate project status, issues, and technology competition
resolutions. where students from
around the world can learn new skills, make new
friends, and change the world. Competitions
Windows Developer include Software Design, Embedded Development,
As a Windows client developer, knowing how Game Design, Digital Media and Windows Phone 7.
to optimize Windows code and track bugs is a The brightest young minds harness the power of
given. But you also know how to use Microsoft technology to take on the world’s toughest problems.
Visual Studio® and the Microsoft .NET frame- www.imaginecup.com
work to design, develop, test, and deploy Windows-
based applications that run on both corporate servers
and desktop computers. Your key talents include
understanding multiple Windows application models

Exploring Job Roles ix

Value of Certification

T echnology plays a role in virtually everything
we do. In the 20-plus years since Microsoft has
been certifying people on its products and technolo-
technology (ICT) skills are the entry ticket to the
job market, regardless of the country, industry, or
job function. Information Technology is clearly an
gies, millions of people have gained the knowledge, area worth investing time, resources, and education
expertise, and credentials to enhance their careers, in – and technology certification is a key part of the
optimize business solutions, and create innovation education process, validating product and technology
within just about every business and social sector expertise as a result of their learning experiences.
imaginable. Today’s Information Technology (IT)
Microsoft IT Certifications provide objective validation
hiring managers are more often using professional
of the ability to perform critical IT functions success-
credentials, such as Microsoft certification, to identify
fully for worldwide IT professionals, developers, and
properly skilled IT candidates. Certification becomes
information workers. Microsoft certifications repre-
a way to easily differentiate qualified candidates in a
sent a rich and varied spectrum of knowledge, job
sea of resumes.
roles, and responsibilities. Further, earning a specific
The job outlook for IT professionals, as reported in certification provides objective validation of the
a study prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor’s candidate’s ability to perform critical IT functions
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is positive! The BLS successfully. Embraced by industry professionals
indicates an increase that will be “faster than the worldwide, Microsoft certification remains one of the
average for all occupations through 2014” for most effective ways to help reach long-term career
Computer Support Specialists, Systems Engineers, goals.
Database Administrators, and Computer Software
Engineers. One significant message resulting from
this study is that information and communications

x Value of Cer tification

MTA 98-361
SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT
FUNDAMENTALS

Mta ssg soft_dev_individual_without_crop

1 Understanding Core
Programming

IN THI S C HAP TE R

■ 1.1 Understand computer storage and data types

■ 1.2 Understand computer decision structures

■ 1.3 Identify the appropriate method for handling repetition

■ 1.4 Understand error handling

OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G C O R E PR O G R A M M I N G 1 . 1

Understand computer storage and data types

SCENARIO: Ken is a soccer coach who has a difficult time keeping track of all of his players: At the beginning of
the season, each of his players filled out a paper with personal data, but it always takes him a long time to find
the information he needs.
Cassie is one of his brightest players, and Ken knows that she’s a computer programmer. Tired of shuffling
through the huge stack of papers, he asks her to create a program to keep track of his records. The program will
need to store each player’s full name, jersey number, age, gender, height and weight, as well as goals scored and
number of games played.
Cassie agrees to develop the software for him, but she has some decisions to make . . .

1. Which of the following data types would be the best choice for keeping track of players’ ages and
jersey numbers using the least amount of memory?
a. short
b. byte
c. int
2. As with any program, some data will be stored on the heap, while other
data is placed on the stack. Which of the following will be stored on the heap?
a. player’s name Remember: String
is a reference data
b. height
type.
c. age
3. It would make sense to store one of these variables as a char. Which one?
a. player’s name
b. weight
c. gender

Understand computer storage and data types 5

Answers
1. A good choice for keeping track of jersey numbers and ages is:
b. byte. It uses the least amount of memory, but still holds numbers up to 255—more than enough for
ages or jersey numbers!
2. Player data that will be stored on the heap includes:
a. player’s name. This will be stored as a String.
3. The variable that could be stored as a char is:
c. gender. ‘M’ for males, ‘F’ for females!

Essential details
• Integral data types, such as byte, integer, short, and long store whole numbers—such as the number of goals
a player has scored.
• Floating point data types, like float, single, and double can represent numbers that include fractional data,
such as a player’s height.
• Value data types go on the stack; reference data types go on the heap. Look at the first vowel in each to help
you remember: Value = stack. Reference = heap.

FAST TR ACK HELP

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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms173104.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/asz1fz8b.aspx _______ /3

6 CHAPTER 1: Understanding Core Programming


Understand computer decision structures

SCENARIO: Reina has created a simple DVR application to record her favorite television programs, but her code
has some bugs. She’s a big sports fan and always wants to record the broadcasts of sporting events, even if they
conﬂict with another of her favorite programs.
For non-sport favorites, she does not want to record reruns; however, if the scheduled time of a favorite program
conﬂicts with another favorite and will be broadcast again later, she wants to wait and record it in the future.
Unfortunately, her program is not working correctly. Many television programs that she doesn’t want are being
recorded; the programs she DOES want are only being recorded if they are broadcast later.
The C# code (with line numbers added) of Reina’s DVR program looks like this:
1: if (isSportsEvent) { 2. How should line 8 be rewritten?
2: RecordShowNow(); a. if (isOnLater); {
3:
b. if (isConflict || isOnLater); {
}
4: else {
c. if (isConflict && isOnLater) {
5: if (!isConflict || !isRerun) {
6: RecordShowNow(); 3. Reina has placed two
7: } control structures
8: if (isConflict && isOnLater); { (lines 5–7 and lines 8–10)
9: RecordShowLater(); inside her first control Indentation used in
structure. This technique the code is good
10: }
programming style,
11: } is known as:
but it has no effect on
1. Which line is causing shows to a. parenting the execution of the
be recorded now even if there b. encapsulating statement.
is a conflict? c. nesting
a. line 4
b. line 5
c. line 8

Understand computer decision structures 7

Answers
1. Shows are being recorded now even if there is a conflict because:
b. Line 5. The conditional-OR ( || ) returns true if the show isn’t a rerun, even if isConflict is true.
2. Line 8 should read:
c. if (isConflict && isOnLater) {
The semicolon at the end of the line terminates the conditional—RecordShowLater() will always be
called.
3. Placing control structures inside other control structures is called:
c. nesting

Essential details
• The code in the parentheses of an if-statement must be a complete
Boolean (“conditional”) expression. Example:
• “If a person is at least 18 years old, that person will vote”
if (age > 18) vote();
• Logical operators allow programmers to join two expressions. Examples:
• “I will stay home if it’s raining OR if it’s snowing.” (logical-OR)
if (isRaining | isSnowing) stayHome();
If EITHER is true, the entire expression is true; stayHome is called.
• We will buy a new computer if the current one is more than three years
old AND computers are on sale. (logical-AND)
if (computerAge > 3 & isOnSale) buyComputer(); _______ /3
If BOTH are true, the entire expression is true; buyComputer is called.

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Identify the appropriate method for handling repetition

SCENARIO: Adriana is creating a point-of-sale (cash register) application for Fourth Coffee. Her responsibility is
to create a password-protected login system to ensure security of the system. She has ﬁnished the login window
and password check, but she is having trouble implementing it correctly.
Adriana’s project manager wants the system to give the user three attempts to login correctly before locking the
system. In Adriana’s most recent version, the system prompts the user for a name and password three times—
even if the user correctly logs in on the ﬁrst try. After the third attempt, the system always locks—even if the
input is correct.

1. Adriana is using a for loop, which works best when:
a. the number of iterations is known and is unlikely to change during execution
b. the number of iterations is known but is likely to change during execution
c. the number of iterations is unknown
2. What control structure would be best for Adriana’s login system?
a. for loop
b. while loop
c. a recursive method
An “iteration,“ in
3. How many times does a do..while loop execute? this context, is one trip
a. at least zero times through the loop.
b. at least one time
c. at least two times

Identif y the appropriate method for handling repetition 9

Answers
1. for loops work best when:
a. the number of iterations is known and is unlikely to change
2. The best control structure for this situation is:
b. while loop. The number of times the loop will need to be executed is uncertain: It depends on the
data entered by the user. In this case, a while loop (or do..while) is usually the best choice.
3. How many times does a do..while loop execute?
b. at least one time. Unlike a do..while loop, a while loop may not execute at all!

Essential details Note: This loop is essentially identical to the for
loop example. The Boolean expression is checked
• The for loop executes a statement, or a block before the loop executes, so it may never run at
of statements, based on the value of a control all. For instance, if i was initialized to 20, the
variable (also called a counter). Example: expression would evaluate to false and the loop
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) would not execute.
Console.WriteLine(i);
• The do..while loop is similar to a while loop,
Note: i (the control variable) is initialized to zero. but the Boolean expression is not checked until
The loop will continue as long as i is less than 10. after the code executes. Example:
After each iteration, i is incremented.
int i = 0;
• The while loop executes a statement or block of do { Console.WriteLine(i);
ne(i);
;
statements repetitively based on a Boolean expres- i++;} while (i < 10);
0);
sion. You can think of it as a repeating if statement. Note: Even if i is initialized
ized
Example: to 20 (instead of 0), thee _______ /3
int i = 0; loop will execute one time me
while (i < 10) before the Boolean
{ Console.WriteLine(i); expression is evaluated. .
i++;}

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Understand error handling

SCENARIO: Lionel is a student at the School of Fine Art. To help pay his tuition, he took a job in the
school’s student records department. He developed a program that calculates each student’s grade
point average (GPA). He thought it would be simple, because he knows that the formula is:
total grade points divided by total credit hours attempted
However, Lionel’s program crashes with new students who have not attempted any
credit hours, instead of just giving them a GPA of 0.0. Here is his code in C# (line numbers added):
1: double GPA;
2: GPA = totalGP / creditHoursAttempted;
3: Console.WriteLine(GPA);
1. Given what we know about the problem, what is the most
likely exception this code will throw?
a. DivideByZeroException
b. NullReferenceException
c. StackOverflowException
2. What structure should Lionel use to handle the exception?
An exception is an
a. do-catch
error that cannot be
b. catch-exception detected by the compiler
c. try-catch but occurs when the
program is executed. It
3. Which of the following should Lionel’s catch-block probably include?
is referred to as a “run-
a. creditHoursAttempted = 1.0; time error.”
b. totalGP = 4.0;
c. GPA = 0.0;

Understand error handling 11

Answers
1. The exception most likely creating the problem is:
a. DivideByZeroException. If a student’s creditHoursAttempted is zero,
an exception will occur.
2. The structure that will handle the exception is:
c. try-catch
3. Lionel’s catch-block should probably include:
c. GPA = 0.0;. Because the division has already been attempted, there’s no reason to change
the values used in the calculation.

Essential details
• An exception is an object that contains information about an error.
• Developers use the terms throw and catch when talking about exceptions. When an exception
occurs it is thrown. Therefore, you should catch any exceptions your program may encounter.
• Think of a try statement as a warning to the computer that you’re about to try something that
may not work. “I’m going to do some division, and it might result in a DivideByZeroException!”
• The catch block executes if the exception does occur. You can leave this block empty but
generally it’s good to put your “backup plan” in the catch block. In Lionel’s case, that
means setting the GPA to 0.0. If no exception is thrown, the catch block is skipped.d.
• A try-catch structure doesn’t prevent the exception from being thrown, it simply gives
i
the developer a chance to keep the program from crashing.
_______ /3
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2 Understanding
Object Oriented
Programming
IN THI S C HAP TE R

■ 2.1 Understand the fundamentals of classes

■ 2.2 Understand inheritance

■ 2.3 Understand polymorphism

■ 2.4 Understand encapsulation

14 CHAPTER 2: Understanding Object Oriented Programming

OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G O B J E C T O R I E N T E D PR O G R A M M I N G 2 . 1

Understand the fundamentals of classes

SCENARIO: Tailspin Toys is developing a simple, robotic dog for small children. The dog will connect to a
computer via a USB cable, and kids will be able to use a simple application to personalize the toy to
their liking. Although the hardware is nearly complete, Tailspin has not yet created the software that
owners will use to customize their toy dog. Viktor has been hired to begin work on the software.
Initially, Viktor will need to design a class to represent the dogs. Naturally, the class will be named Dog.
The toy—and therefore the Dog class—will need to keep track of the dog’s name, age, and gender, and
it will be able to bark, walk, wag its tail, and sit.
So far, he has written the following C# code
public class Dog {
public Dog() {
name = “Hugo”;
age = 1;
gender = ‘M’;
}
}
1. Which of the following would Many classes have
be a property in the Dog class? more than one
a. bark constructor.
b. name
c. Dog()
2. To create a Dog with a different 3. Which line of code correctly
name, age, or gender, Viktor should add: creates a new Dog in C#?
a. another constructor a. Dog hugo = Dog.new();
b. more properties b. Dog hugo = new Dog();
c. a creation event c. new Dog hugo = Dog();

Understand the fundamentals of classes 15

Answers
1. Which member is a property?
b. name
2. To create a different Dog, Viktor should add:
a. another constructor
3. Which C# code creates a Dog?
b. Dog hugo = new Dog();

Essential details
• An object often represents something from the real world; in this case, the Dog class represents the robotic
toy (or, it simply represents a dog).
• In object-oriented design, verbs (such as barking, walking, tail-wagging, and sitting) are typically methods;
attributes (such as name, age, and gender) are properties or fields.
• A field is a variable declared within a class; a property provides a simple way to access the data stored in a
field.
• A class is like a blueprint. It defines the properties and methods that all objects of that class will have in the
same way a blueprint defines the attributes of a house.
• Multiple objects can be created from a class, or instantiated. Similarly, many houses
can be built from one blueprint.
• Objects are instantiated (created) with the new keyword.

_______ /3
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Understand inheritance

SCENARIO: As Tailspin Toys continues to develop its robotic dog toy, early marketing tests reveal that
customers would like to choose from different breeds of robotic dogs. As a result, Tailspin has decided
to create three
variations: a poodle, a bulldog, and a golden retriever. The company has indicated that they will con-
sider adding additional breeds in the future. The breeds will have a set of common attributes and
behaviors, but each breed may have some unique capabilities.
This presents some challenges for Viktor as he designs the software children will use to customize the
dogs.
He doesn’t want to write all of his code three times—once for each breed. He also doesn’t want future
programmers to create new breeds that are not compatible with his original design. Since Viktor realizes
that a poodle “is a” dog, and the same is true for the other breeds, Viktor decides to use inheritance.
1. In Viktor’s new design, Poodle, Bulldog, and GoldenRetriever are all:
a. abstract classes
b. base classes
c. derived classes
2. To allow breeds to reuse code, and to help ensure that future breeds Base classes are
are compatible, Dog could be declared as: referred to as “parent”
a. abstract classes or “superclasses;”
b. derived derived classes are
referred to as “child”
c. sealed
classes or “subclasses.”
3. Which of the following are NOT going to be inherited
by the three derived classes?
a. constructors
b. properties
c. methods

Understand inheritance 17

Answers
1. In this design, the three breeds are:
c. derived classes
2. To take advantage of code reuse, the Dog should be declared as:
a. abstract. Abstract classes cannot be instantiated, but implemented methods will be shared by all
derived classes.
3. Which of these will NOT be inherited by the derived classes?
a. constructors

Essential details
• Inheritance allows you to create new classes that reuse, extend, and modify the behavior that is defined in
other classes.
• Derived classes inherit all the members of the base class, except for constructors and destructors.
• Use the “is a” test to see if inheritance is appropriate. In Viktor’s case, a Poodle is a Dog, a Bulldog is a Dog,
and a GoldenRetriever is a Dog; therefore, his use of inheritance is correct. However, a Tarantula is
not a Dog, so if Tailspin decides to make robotic spiders, they’ll need a new base class. Otherwise, the spider
would bark and wag its tail!
• An abstract class cannot be instantiated. In other words, Tailspin can no longer
make a robotic dog—each toy will have to be a poodle, bulldog, or golden retriever.
ver.
• Interfaces are similar to abstract classes, but it does not have to adhere to the “is a”
guideline. If Tailspin did decide to make robotic spiders, Viktor could create an interface
erface
that both dogs and spiders could implement. Perhaps it would be called IRobotic. ic.
ic _______ /3
• In C#, a colon is used to indicate inheritance, as in this example:
public class Poodle : Dog

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Understand polymorphism

SCENARIO: Viktor’s work with Tailspin Toys’ robotic dogs is progressing well. He knows that his software for
personalizing the dogs will be popular with customers. Viktor feels that his basic class design ideas are good
and he’s ready to think about the details, as long as the engineers and marketers stop making changes!
Viktor knows that while all dogs share some common behaviors, such as barking, that bark may be very
different from one breed to the next. The Bark method he creates for a Poodle will need to be
different from the Bark method he implements for a GoldenRetriever.
In his Dog class, he’s created a few methods. Here are the headers, written in C#:
public void Bark() { … }
public void WagTail() { … }
public void Walk() { … }

1. To be able to override these methods in the derived classes, what
modifier should Viktor add to all three headers?
a. new
b. static
c. virtual
2. How can Viktor invoke the Bark method in the Dog class from within Overriding a
a derived class? method allows a
derived class to have its
a. Bark()
own implementation,
b. Dog.Bark() different from other
c. base.Bark() derived classes.
3. What should Viktor do if he wants the Bulldog class to just use the Walk
method from Dog?
a. Implement Walk in Bulldog, copying and pasting the code from Dog
b. Implement Walk in Bulldog and simply call Dog’s Walk method
c. Do not implement Walk in Bulldog

Understand polymorphism 19

Answers
1. What modifier should Viktor add to the three methods?
c. virtual
2. How can Viktor invoke the Dog’s Bark()method?
c. base.Bark(). The base keyword is used to access members of the base class.
3. How should Viktor retain the base class’s Walk method in a derived class?
c. Do not implement Walk in Bulldog. No need to call base.Walk()—if a derived class does
not override an inherited method, the base class’s method will automatically be used.

Essential details
• Important keywords:
• base: Used to access members of the base class from within a derived class.
• virtual: Allows a method’s implementation to be overridden in a derived class.
• sealed: When applied to a class, prevents other class from inheriting from it; when applied to a
member, prevents that member from being overridden by other classes.
• new: When used as a modifier, this hides a base class member; the new member replaces the
implementation in the base class. Note: This is different than the new operator used to instantiate an object!
• override: Required to replace an inherited member.
• The following C# code shows how Viktor can replace Dog’s methods in his derived
d
classes (assuming he corrects Dog as indicated by question 1):
public override void Bark() { … }
public override void WagTail() { … }
_______ /3
public override void Walk() { … }

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Understand encapsulation

SCENARIO: Viktor has done a great job designing software to customize Tailspin Toys’ robotic dogs. So
great, in fact, that his boss wants to give him a promotion. Unfortunately, that means Viktor won’t be
able to ﬁnish writing the software himself; instead, a new developer will take over the project. On the new
developer’s ﬁrst day, however, she accidentally sets the robot’s age to -237 and crashes the program.
To ensure that the new developer doesn’t damage code that already works, Viktor decides to “black
box” the code he’s already implemented. This means that the new developer won’t need to see Vik-
tor’s code, but will be able to use it as she continues the project. Viktor can also ensure that values are
checked before any changes are made so that a dog doesn’t end up with a negative age.
1. Viktor has implemented several methods in the Dog class that he uses for Bark, such as OpenMouth
and CloseMouth. He doesn’t want those methods to be called by any derived classes. Which access
modifier should he use for those “black-boxed” methods?
a. public
b. protected
c. private
2. Viktor’s primary methods, Bark, Sit, Walk, and WagTail should be
accessible from anywhere in the project. Which access modifier In C# and Visual
should he use for those methods? Basic, properties
a. public provide “getter” and
b. protected “setter” (also called
“accessor” and “mutator”)
c. private
functionality for instance
3. Which of the following provides a means for reading and/or variables.
modifying private attributes?
a. an interface
b. a constructor
c. a property

Understand encapsulation 21

Answers
1. Which accessibility should Viktor’s “black boxed” methods use?
c. private
2. Which accessibility level should Viktor use for his primary methods?
a. public
3. Reading and/or modifying private attributes is provided by:
c. a property

Essential details
• This type of “black boxing” is often referred to as encapsulation.
• In keeping with the principle of encapsulation, instance variables (attributes or fields) should be given
the most restrictive accessibility level possible. That means making instance variables private whenever
possible.
• Instance variables of base classes are often defined as protected; this allows derived classes (such as the
Poodle class) access to the data, while still hiding the data from other parts of the program.
• One important reason for restricting access to data is to ensure validity when data is changed. Remember
when the new developer tried to set the age attribute to a negative number? Likewise, the gender attribute
should not accept a value of “green.”

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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms173121.aspx _______ /3


3 Understanding
General Software
Development
IN THI S C HAP TE R

■ 3.1 Understand application life-cycle management

■ 3.2 Interpret application speciﬁcations

■ 3.3 Understand algorithms and data structures

24 CHAPTER 2: Understanding General Sof tware Development

OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G G E N E R A L S O F T WA R E D E V E L O P M E N T 3 . 1

Understand application life-cycle management

SCENARIO: Nupur has been named Project Manager of a new reservation system for Blue Yonder Air-
lines. She will lead a team of developers tasked with all phases of the application life cycle.
Napur and her team met with managers from each branch of the company and discussed the com-
pany’s needs and the basic features that everyone requires. The application will be web-based, and will
allow Blue Yonder’s customers to search ﬂights, book reservations, and check in online.
After the meeting, Napur and her developers began outlining the program from their perspective.
Although they haven’t begun coding, the developers are beginning to sketch out the classes and
objects of the project using UML. Their outline is not complete, but a plan for accomplishing the
required tasks is coming together. Napur wants to divide the job in such a way that team members can
work on different parts of the program at the same time.
1. Napur’s meeting with the company’s managers is part of which stage of the application life cycle?
a. Design
b. Development
c. Planning
2. The use of UML in this scenario:
a. is a waste of time because they haven’t started writing code. Developers may
use different names
b. helps ensure that different components will work together when finished.
for the stages or phases
c. helps ensure that the clients understand how the team will create the software. of managing the
3. As the team writes code, Napur will ask each team to test their classes application life cycle,
independently. What is this strategy called? but the basic process
is the same!
a. Load testing
b. Unit testing
c. Integration testing

Understand application life-cycle management 25

Answers
1. Napur’s meeting was the:
c. Planning stage of the application life cycle. Planning (also called envisioning) includes gathering the
client’s needs and requirements; in this case, the rest of the company is Napur’s client.
2. Napur’s use of UML:
b. helps ensure that different components will work together when finished. The clients probably
don’t need to know how to organize the actual development!
3. Testing individual components separately is called:
b. Unit testing

Essential details
• The phases of application life cycle management (ALM) are: planning, designing, developing, testing,
and maintenance.
• The ALM process is iterative, meaning that it repeats. When the application is deployed,
new issues or feature requests are likely to come up, so the process starts again.
• Notice that actually writing code (developing) is only a small part of the overall process.
• UML stands for Unified Modeling Language. It provides a way to create visual models
of the different components of an application.
• Many programmers are familiar with “class diagrams” in object-oriented
programming—these are generally drawn as UML diagrams.

_______ /3
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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd409393%28VS.100%29.aspx



Interpret application speciﬁcations

SCENARIO: Ari has just completed an internship with Contoso Pharmaceuticals, working with their
developers on software used by the company’s employees. His supervisor is very impressed, and has
offered Ari a job on the development team for Contoso’s next-generation application. The company
has decided to start from scratch, allowing the new team to develop the application while employees
continue to use the old system.
The company currently produces more than 1,000 products and plans to expand. The new application
will track all of the company’s inventory as well as some basic shipping and receiving details. Employees
should be able to search through the company’s product catalog and view product details such as
product description, a product image, in-stock quantity, and cost.
1. What type of application will be a good fit for these requirements?
a. console application
b. database application
c. Windows service application
2. Many of the company’s computers are old, with limited RAM and hard drive
space, but are all connected to the company’s intranet. How can Ari ensure
the new version will work on all of the systems? Application
a. Write the program in an older programming language, such as C. speciﬁcations help
b. Develop the program in an older operating system, such as Windows 98. developers understand
c. Make the program a web application so that it can be accessed by a browser. the needs of the client
or user.
3. Ari’s supervisor has asked him to prepare a non-functioning demonstration
of what the new application will look like so that department managers
understand what is being developed and how they will interface with the
application. This is called:
a. a mock-up
b. alpha testing
c. diagramming
Interpret application specifications 27

Answers
1. The most appropriate type of application is:
b. database application. The program will need to store, view, and update a large number of inventory
records.
2. Ari can make sure the software will run on old systems by:
c. making the program a web application. Any computer with a reasonably current web browser
should be able to access the web application without a problem.
3. A non-functioning demonstration is referred to as:
a. a mock-up. A mock-up may not do anything, but it shows the client what the user interface will look
like.

Essential details
• The application specification describes the problem that needs to be solved and communicates the
requirements to the developer.
• Developers take this set of requirements, which are usually created from the perspective of a client or user,
and translate them into a program design.

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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa984771%28VS.71%29.aspx
_______ /3



Understand algorithms and data structures

SCENARIO: Some time ago, Cassie agreed to help her soccer coach, Ken, keep track of the team by creat-
ing a software program especially for the task. The roster application will make it much easier for the
coach to keep track of his players’ personal information and some simple statistics.
Now that Cassie has completed some initial planning, she needs to decide how to organize all of the
data in her program. The application will need to keep track of many players, allowing the user to
search through and pull up any individual’s data. And of course the coach will need to print a few
reports, such as a complete roster sorted by jersey numbers, a phone list arranged alphabetically by the
players’ last names, and the team’s
leaders in goals.
1. Which of the following data structures would be a good choice for organizing the players?
a. stack
b. array
c. linked List
2. Which of the following would help Cassie arrange the players in alphabetical
order?
a. a binary search Data structures are
b. a queue classes used to organize
c. a bubble sort data and perform various
operations upon that data.
3. Which data structure could Cassie use if she only wanted to retrieve players
using a “last in, first out” model?
a. stack
b. queue
c. linked List

Understand algorithms and data structures 29

Answers
1. The data structure Cassie should use is:
b. array. Arrays are well-suited for programs that need to access the data in any order, as when the user
performs a search.
2. Cassie will easily be able to put the collection into a specified order with:
c. a bubble sort
3. The data structure that uses a “LIFO” pattern for adding and retrieving records is:
a. stack

Essential details
• Common data structures:
• array: A list of data values or objects, all of the same type, any element of which can
be referenced by an expression consisting of the array name followed by an indexing expression.
• linked list: A list of nodes or elements of a data structure connected by pointers. Linked lists are great
for collections that require many insertions in the middle of the list because such insertions simply
require updating a couple of pointers.
• queue: A structure from which elements can be removed only in the same order in which
they were inserted; that is, it follows a “first-in, first-out” (FIFO) logic.
• stack: A structure from which elements can be removed only in the reverse order
in which they were inserted; this is referred to as “last-in, first-out” (LIFO).
• A sort algorithm puts a collection of data elements into a sequenced order,
sometimes based on one or more key values in each element. Common
sort algorithms include bubble sort, selection sort, and insertion sort. _______ /3
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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa288453.aspx


4 Understanding
Web Applications

IN THI S C HAP TE R

■ 4.1 Understand Web page development

■ 4.2 Understand Microsoft ASP.NET Web application development

■ 4.3 Understand Web hosting

■ 4.4 Understand Web services

32 CHAPTER 3: Understanding Web Applications

OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G W E B A P P L I C AT I O N S 4 . 1

Understand Web page development

SCENARIO: Tanja owns a small dance studio and is looking for ways to bring in new customers and
improve communications with her existing customers. She is not particularly knowledgeable about web
design, but several years ago one of her dance students offered to create a website for the studio. That
student has moved on to the university, so Tanja has relied on a few different volunteers to maintain the
site. As a result, the site is disorganized and lacks consistency—the volunteers all used different colors
and fonts that resulted in a very non-professional website.
Knowing that she can’t ﬁx the site herself, she has asked her nephew, Maxim, to help. Before Maxim creates
a page, he wants Tanja to have at least a basic understanding of the technology involved.
1. Which technology uses “tags” to indicate how information should be displayed in a web browser?
a. HTML
b. XML
c. JavaScript
2. Which of the following is a key advantage of using CSS?
a. It allows a web page to be interactive.
b. It allows a site to incorporate multimedia clips, such as videos and music.
c. It simplifies the formatting of multiple pages within a site. CSS stands for
Cascading Style
3. What is JavaScript? Sheet.
a. a markup tag that manages various font settings
b. a server-side technology for running Java applications
c. a client-side technology for making web pages interactive

Understand Web page development 33

Answers
1. What uses tags to specify how data should be displayed on a web page?
a. HTML
2. An advantage of CSS is:
c. It simplifies the formatting of multiple pages within a site.
3. JavaScript is:
c. a client-side technology for making web pages interactive

Essential details
• HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language and uses markup tags to specify how information should be
displayed on a web page.
• HTML tags are surrounded by angle brackets. The <p> tag indicates a paragraph.
• Most HTML tags work in pairs—an opening tag and a closing tag.
• CSS works in conjunction with HTML to indicate how data should be presented, including colors and fonts.
• Although styles can be defined for an individual page, they can also be defined in a separate document
and shared by each web page in a site. That means a developer can make a change to the
CSS document and the look of the entire site will change! This makes it easy to ensure
that each page in a site looks consistent.
• JavaScript is a scripting language that allows developers to write code that goes
beyond the markup limitations of HTML.
• JavaScript is frequently used to make web pages more interactive.
• Although JavaScript itself is a client-side technology, it is often used _______ /3
in conjunction with server-side technologies such as ASP.NET.

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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb330916.aspx



Understand Microsoft ASP.NET Web application development

SCENARIO: Maxim has spent quite a bit of time talking with his aunt, Tanja, about a new website for her
dance studio and he is beginning to get ideas on how to update and improve the site. Tanja’s old site is
pretty basic, and Maxim believes he can add a lot of exciting features that will appeal to younger, web-
savvy customers.
One of his ﬁrst priorities is to make the site a little more interactive with buttons that respond to mouse
rollovers and a slideshow to display images of the studio. He also wants to implement online shopping
for dance apparel. That update would include a “wish list” feature for users to “save” items they’re
interested in purchasing at a later time.
1. Maxim’s mouse rollover effect can be accomplished with a client-side script. Which of the following
is a client-side technology?
a. PHP
b. ASP.NET
c. JavaScript
2. In a standard HTML site, page information is lost each time the user refreshes
a page or moves to a different page. Which of the following allows
page information to be retained? Client-side scripts
a. state management are run by the user’s
b. page life cycle web browser.
c. CSS
3. Maxim wants to use cookies to keep track of users’ wish lists. What is a cookie?
a. text data stored by the users’ web browser
b. a back-end database for storing user information
c. a server-side scripting tool for saving session data

Understand Microsof t ASP.NET Web application development 35

Answers
1. A client-side technology is:
c. JavaScript
2. The process that allows page information to be retained is:
a. state management
3. A cookie is:
a. text data stored by the users’ web browser

Essential details
• In a web application, a program or script can be either client-side or server-side.
• A client-side script is downloaded by the user’s web browser and executed on that user’s computer
(the “client”) when the page is loaded.
• A server-side script is executed by the web server before the web page is sent to the user’s computer.
• The event model in a web application is similar to that of a client application. One significant difference is
that an event is raised on the client side (for example, when the user clicks a button), but the event is handled
on the server side.
• When an ASP.NET page runs, the page performs a series of processing steps in what is called the
page life cycle. These steps include initialization, instantiating controls, restoring and
maintaining state, running event handler code, and rendering.
• State management refers to the process by which a developer maintains page
information over multiple requests for the same or different pages.
_______ /3
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Understand Web hosting

SCENARIO: With plans for Tanja’s dance studio website beginning to take shape, it’s time for Maxim to
think about how he will put the site on the Internet. Maxim doesn’t have a lot of experience creating web
applications—most of his experience is with traditional Windows applications. He knows that a website
is hosted on a server, but he’s never worked with a server before. Plus, his aunt doesn’t have a lot of
money for this project, so he has to keep costs to a minimum until the site brings in some business.
1. Why is an ISP probably a good choice for Maxim?
a. ISPs are always free.
b. An ISP subscription includes a copy of Windows Server.
c. The ISP will provide technical support and maintenance.
2. An employee at a reputable ISP tells Maxim that they use Windows Server and that he needs
to understand the basics of Internet Information Services (IIS). Which of the following is NOT
a role of IIS?
a. to deliver HTML documents to web browsers
b. to enable server-side scripting, such as ASP.NET
c. to enable client-side scripting, such as JavaScript
3. The ISP tells Maxim they support Virtual Directories. What is a Virtual Web hosting
Directory? allows a developer to
publish a website so
a. a folder on Maxim’s computer that maps to the ISP, so he can easily
that it is accessible via
publish the site
the World Wide Web.
b. a directory name that maps to the physical location on the server
c. a listing service that ensures that users can find the site with a search engine

Understand Web hosting 37

Answers
1. Maxim should use an ISP because:
c. The ISP provides technical support and maintenance. With an ISP, a developer can focus
on developing the site without worrying about setting up or maintaining a server.
2. The following is NOT a role of IIS:
b. to enable server-side scripting, such as ASP.NET
3. A Virtual Directory is:
b. a directory name that maps to the physical location on the server

Essential details
• An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a business that supplies Internet connectivity services, often including
web hosting.
• An ISP will generally provide:
• space on a server
• maintenance and support
• email service
• security and stability
• IIS (Internet Information Services) is a part of Windows Server that delivers content
such as web pages by using HTTP over the World Wide Web.
• IIS provides functionality essential for deploying ASP.NET web applications.
• IIS also supports other server-side scripting, such as PHP.
_______ /3
• Virtual Directories can be configured in IIS and allow access to folders and
files outside of the site’s home folder.

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• www.iis.net



Understand Web services

SCENARIO: Maxim has worked hard to publish an exciting, professional site for Tanja’s dance studio. It’s
been available for more than a month now and customers have given Tanja great feedback. They love
all of the interactive media and the simple consistency of the overall design.
Best of all, the new site has increased Tanja’s income by attracting new students and by allowing
customers to purchase items from home. With the extra money, she wants to pay Maxim to put a little
more into the site—no major changes, just some catchy additions. She’d like her home page to display
the current weather and trafﬁc conditions, and she thinks a Bing search box would help users ﬁnd
information quickly.
Although Maxim has never programmed this type of functionality before, he knows he can use web
services to help.
1. In this context, what is a web service?
a. a process for running a script and serving the resulting HTML to a client
b. a program that enables secure web-based interactions
c. a system that allows multiple programs to interact via the Internet
2. When using the Bing API to add search capabilities to a site, what is the
web service role of Bing? An API (Application
a. requester Programming
Interface) provides a
b. provider
framework for accessing
c. processer a program. The Bing API
3. Which of the following is a framework commonly used to access a web allows developers to
service? add Bing to their sites.
a. Java
b. SOAP
c. ASP.NET

Understand Web ser vices 39

Answers
1. A web service is:
c. a system that allows multiple programs to interact via the Internet
2. The role of Bing in this implementation is as the:
b. provider. The dance studio website is the requester.
3. The framework used to access a web service is:
b. SOAP

Essential details
• Web services are frameworks that allow programs (or sites) to communicate with each other via the web.
• SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is an XML-based protocol for exchanging structured and typed
information via the web.
• Numerous SOAP services are available, including searches (such as Bing), current weather, stock quotes,
traffic conditions, and more.
• WSDL (Web Services Description Language) is an XML format that allows for better interoperability among
web services and development tools.
• WSDL uses SOAP to pass messages to the provider and interpret the results.

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5 Understanding
Desktop Applications

IN THI S C HAP TE R

■ 5.1/5.2 Understand Windows Forms applications; Understand
console-based applications

■ 5.3 Understand Windows services

42 CHAPTER 3: Understanding Desktop Applications

OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G D E S K T O P A P P L I C AT I O N S 5 . 1 / 5 . 2

Understand Windows Forms applications; Understand console-based
applications

SCENARIO: Julia doesn’t have a lot of free time while she’s studying computer science at her university,
but in the evenings she enjoys playing online role-playing games (RPGs). She plays several games on a
regular basis, and she enjoys “leveling-up” her characters and completing quests for special items.
However, because her playing time is both limited and fragmented, she has difﬁculty keeping track of the
status of each of her characters. So she decides to create an application to keep track of the progress of her
different characters, including levels and quests. She envisions a simple application that will allow her to
select a character and then view and edit relevant information (a picture of the character, its current level,
XP needed to advance, current quest item, and so on).
1. What type of application would best fit Julia’s needs?
a. console application
b. Windows Forms application implementing SDI
c. Windows Forms application implementing MDI
2. For which one of the following situations would visual inheritance be useful?
a. several different forms displaying the same data in different ways
b. several different forms displaying data from tables in the same database SDI is Single
c. several different forms using the same basic layout and UI features Document Interface.
MDI is Multiple
3. Which of the following describes how the event model might function in Document Interface.
Julia’s program?
a. A Button click event is handled by code that creates a new character.
b. A new character event is handled by code that asks for user input.
c. A loop event cycles through the various characters, displaying each on the form.

Understand Windows Forms applications; Understand console-based applications 43

Answers
1. Julia should make a:
b. Windows Forms application with SDI. Although any application could work, SDI is ideal because
the user only needs one window at a time. Note that a console application could not display images of
Julia’s characters.
2. Visual inheritance would be useful when:
c. Several different forms use same the same basic layout and UI features.
3. The event model could function in Julia’s program when:
a. A Button click event is handled by code that creates a new character.

Essential details
• Windows Forms is a rich Windows client library for building Windows client applications.
• A console application uses a text-only interface and usually requires only a keyboard for input.
• The user interface is the portion of a program with which a user interacts. Different types of UIs include
graphical user interfaces (GUIs), such as the Windows user interface, as well as command-line interfaces used
by console applications.
• The two basic styles of Windows interfaces are SDI and MDI.
• Single Document Interface (SDI) is an interface in which each document frame
window is separate from others and contains its own menu and toolbar.
ment
• Multiple Document Interface (MDI) is an interface in which multiple document
frame windows may be open in the same instance of an application; the
eside.
application features a parent window in which multiple child windows can reside.
• More recent applications tend to favor the SDI approach. _______ /3
gram
• An event is an action or occurrence, often generated by the user, to which a program
might respond. Examples include key presses, button clicks, and mouse movements.nts.
• Code that is executed in response to an event is called an event handler.

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OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G D E S K T O P A P P L I C AT I O N S 5 . 3

Understand Windows Services

SCENARIO: Employees at Contoso, Ltd., engage in extensive word processing sessions while preparing
manuscripts for publication. Managers are worried that employees who type for extended periods of
time may have problems with repetitive motion injuries and eye strain, as well as general fatigue. They
have asked the IT department to come up with a way to help reduce the chance of such injuries.
Anna is developing an application that will monitor keystrokes. When a user has typed 2,000 words in
fewer than 30 minutes, the application will display a notiﬁcation reminding the user to take a brief break
and stand up for a stretch. Anna has decided to write the application as a Windows Service.
1. What type of user interface (UI) do most Windows Services—including Anna’s reminder
application—employ?
a. little or no UI
b. a console UI
c. a standard Windows GUI
2. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of many Windows Services?
a. intended to run continuously while the computer is on
b. can be configured to start when the operating system is booted
c. generally designed to require user intervention at timed intervals You’ve probably
used many Windows
3. A Windows Service generally has three different states after being started: Services applications—a
running, stopped, and: common example
a. interrupted is antivirus software!
b. completed
c. paused

Understand Windows Ser vices 45

Answers
1. Typically Windows Services use:
a. little or no UI
2. All are true of Windows Services except that they are not:
c. generally designed to require user intervention at timed intervals
3. The three possible states of a Windows Service after being started include running, stopped, and:
d. paused

Essential details
• A Windows Service application is a long-running program that generally does not
show a user interface.
• Many users think of Windows Services as running “in the background” and taking
care of tasks necessary to keep the system running smoothly.
• Common examples include antivirus applications, applications to help use printers
and other hardware, and applications that aid in network communications.
• Services are managed by the Windows Services Control Manager. To run, they must be
installed via this manager and then started.

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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d56de412.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/zt39148a.aspx _______ /3


6 Understanding
Databases

IN THI S C HAP TE R

■ 6.1 Understand relational database management systems

■ 6.2 Understand database query methods

■ 6.3 Understand database connection methods

48 CHAPTER 1: Understanding Databases

OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G DATA B A S E S 6 . 1

Understand relational database management systems

SCENARIO: Jesper pays for school by working part-time in a vintage record shop that sells music albums
on vinyl. The store has thousands of albums by thousands of different artists, but the owner does not
have an inventory system—he simply organizes the albums by artist on the store shelves. That means
when a customer asks if a particular album is in stock, Jesper must go out to the shelves and look for
the album.
Jesper wants to put together a simple inventory system so that he can look up which albums are in
stock from a computer behind the counter. He’ll set up a relational database to store the information.
He’ll start by giving each artist a random and unique Artist ID number. Likewise, each album will get an
Album ID number.
1. What function do Artist ID and Album ID fulfill in Jesper’s relational database, as described above?
a. relationships
b. constraints
c. primary keys
2. Jesper will link albums to artists by adding an Artist ID field to his
Albums table. In this Albums table, what is the Artist ID?
a. primary key There will be
b. foreign key two tables in the
c. link key database: Artists will
store artist information;
3. Which of the following will result from the use of a relational database for Albums will hold data
this project? related to individual
a. minimize or eliminate redundant (repetitive) data albums.
b. increase processing time resulting from inefficient storage of data
c. require the use of a web server

Understand relational database management systems 49

Answers
1. Artist ID and Album ID are:
c. primary keys
2. The Artist ID field in the Albums table is a:
b. foreign key. A foreign key from one table (Albums) refers to a primary key in another table (Artists).
This establishes a relationship between the two tables.
3. The use of a relational database in this project will:
a. minimize or eliminate redundant (repetitive) data

Essential details
• A relational database is a system for storing potentially large amounts of data. Relational databases consist
of one or more tables that can be visualized as columns and rows.
• One of the primary advantages of a relational database is the reduction of data redundancy—data
in multiple tables can be linked instead of stored twice.
• In a table, a primary key defines a column that uniquely identifies each row.
• A relationship can be established by setting up a foreign key constraint. Each album in the store includes
the corresponding Artist ID. That foreign key establishes a link between the album and the
artist who recorded it.

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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/beginner/bb308825.aspx _______ /3
• http://www.asp.net/sql-server/videos/designing-relational-database-tables
s



Understand database query methods

SCENARIO: Now that Jesper has designed and implemented a relational database to keep track of the
inventory at the record shop, he needs to be able to read and modify the data itself. He’ll use SQL que-
ries for his database operations.
The application must enable Jesper to add to the database when the store gets a new album, and to
modify data such as the quantity in stock and the price. Additionally, he will need to pull data from the
database: ﬁnd artists or albums, list the current inventory, and list albums that are currently out
of stock. Reviewing SQL concepts will help Jesper quickly complete the project.
1. Which SQL command should Jesper use to add a new album to his database?
a. ADD
b. INSERT
c. UPDATE
2. Jesper can save frequently used queries as:
a. UPDATE files
b. database methods
c. stored procedures
SQL stands for
3. Which query could retrieve the artist “U2” from the table of artists? Structured Query
a. SELECT “U2” FROM Artists Language and is used to
b. SELECT * FROM Artists WHERE ArtistName = “U2” execute most common
c. SELECT * FROM Artists WHERE “U2” IN ArtistName actions on a relational
database.

Understand database quer y methods 51

Answers
1. A new row can be added to the database with:
b. INSERT
2. Queries can be saved to the database as:
c. stored procedures
3. “U2” can be retrieved from the table of artists with:
b. SELECT * FROM Artists WHERE ArtistName = “U2”

Essential details
• Structured Query Language (SQL) is used to manage data in a relational database.
• SQL queries can be used interactively with the database itself or implemented in an application that accesses
the database. Basic statements in SQL queries include:
• SELECT to retrieve data
• INSERT to add rows to the database
• UPDATE to modify existing rows
• DELETE to remove an existing row
• Other clauses can be added to indicate the desired table (FROM), to filter data based
on comparisons (WHERE), and to sort (ORDER BY), among others.

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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/beginner/bb308825.aspx _______ /3
• http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp



Understand database connection methods

SCENARIO: With a solid database design in place and a few stored procedures to help manage his SQL
queries, Jesper turned his attention to a user interface for his application. Using Windows Forms, he
now has the essential elements in place to connect his application to the database.
Jesper decides to use a “disconnected” approach, meaning that he will copy what he needs from the
database to memory, then disconnect from the database. When the user changes data, the application
can connect again and update the database.
1. What is the advantage of Jesper’s use of a disconnected data access model?
a. It minimizes the impact on the database server.
b. It does not require an Internet connection.
c. It prevents unauthorized access to the database.
2. What is the term used to describe an in-memory cache of the database?
a. dataset
b. XML
c. OLE DB
3. What object contains the information ADO needs to connect to a database?
ActiveX Data
a. SQL Query Objects (ADO) is an
b. file path interface that allows
c. connection string developers to access
databases without
worrying about details
of database connections.

Understand database connection methods 53

Answers
1. An advantaged of using a disconnected data access is:
a. It minimizes the impact on the database server.
2. The name of the in-memory database object is:
a. dataset
3. The information needed to connect to a database is stored in the:
c. connection string

Essential details
• To bring data into your application (and send changes back to the data source), a two-way communication
path needs to be established. This connection is usually configured with a connection string that stores
information necessary to find and access the data source.
• Data sources don’t have to be relational databases.
• Extensible Markup Language (XML) files are common on the Internet. They share the same syntax as
HTML, so many users are comfortable working with them.
• Language Integrated Query (LINQ) allows developers to connect to a wide range of data sources,
including arrays and other data structures.
• Flat files are conventional computer files that store database information.
• Many developers use a disconnected data access model. By connecting to a data
source only as long as it takes to retrieve or update data, the developer gains
several advantages:
• Reduced load on the database server. _______ /3
• Scalability, or the ability to continue to function as the work load increases.
• Multiple users can access the same database without “locking” file access.

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