Lesson 9 (Exceptions and Build Tools)

Lesson 9: Exceptions and Build Tools

In the prep work for this lesson, the students learned

1. How to handle an exception in Java.
2. What Gradle is.
3. How Gradle manages dependencies and external repositories
4. How to use debugging tools in IntelliJ

Announcements

1. Check with your course manager for any other important announcements.

For Part-Time Students:

1. Remind students that Assignment #3 is open for them to start working on it!

For Full-Time Students:

• Welcome to day 15!

Large Group Time (Instructor)

Lesson 9 Topics That Require Careful Attention

1. Much of the reading focuses on debugging and handling errors. Don't be afraid to share your own experiences with debugging and exceptions. Share your own process when it comes to using debugging tools and exception handling.
2. Share an exception example and go over the following:
   1. How do you decide which exception to use
   2. How you decided what code to put in a try statement and what code to put into a catch statement.
3. Review Gradle. Go over the build.gradle file and why each one matters (as needed)
4. Show how to use debugging tools in IntelliJ. Include topics such as adding breakpoints, watch expressions, and how to address common problems.

Small Group Time: Lesson 9 Studio (TA Notes)

1. Studio has 2 parts. 1. Students will be sharing their errors within a group. 2. Students will use the debugging tools on lsn7interfaces project.
2. Don't be afraid to share your own debugging and errors stories! Emphasize that every programmer has to deal with bugs. It gets a lot easier once you have a strategy in place and the right tools.
3. Helping students figure out a process by which they can debug their code is the point of the studio. If they add a breakpoint, ask them to tell you why they put it there. Or what they learned from it.
4. After students finish playing around with lsn7interfaces, encourage them to use their new debugging skills on another project or piece of code that is giving them trouble. This could be an old set of exercises that they never got quite right, a studio, or an outstanding assignment.

Gradle Resources and Troubleshooting

• Spring Boot Gradle Plugin Reference Guide
• Troubleshooting Gradle Builds
• Solving common gradle problems
• Gradle not compiling dependency jars in lib folder