Comp150CPA Homework Exercise 1: Intro to Google AppEngine

• Objective: to create a simple working Google AppEngine application running on the Google infrastructure.
• Deliverables: the application URL of your working instance in the Google sandbox.
• Work mode: exercise/lecture reinforcement, group work and submissions encouraged.

Overview

In groups of 2-5 people, please create a google AppEngine application that will keep a list of typed strings until they are deleted. The user interface should include a list of strings typed so far, a text field for a new one, a button that inserts the new string into the list, and a button that clears all persistent data. It should not insert empty strings into the list.

Suggested steps

Steps in creating this include the following:

• If working from your own computer,
  • download the J2EE version of eclipse from eclipse.org.
  • Install the Google AppEngine Plugin for eclipse by following the instructions here.
• If working from a lab here, these should be already installed for Windows. Activate your ECE/CS windows account and use it.
• Create a new "web application project" in eclipse. Choose to use both "Google AppEngine" and "Google Web Toolkit" (note change; details in class).
• Obtain a (free) google account.
• Write and debug your application locally on that computer. For a great tutorial on how to do this, see the Google Code Tutorials on GWT.
• Obtain a google AppEngine application id by following the instructions at the above link.
• When your application works locally, enter its application key into the eclipse project and follow instructions to push the application into the Google infrastructure.
• Test it there. When it works, you will provide the URL of your application to us for testing.

Hints

You have to accomplish several things to do this:

• Define a JDO server method to store a string.
• Define a JDO server query to find all stored strings in order (e.g., date order).
• Write a client front-end with an appropriate user interface, that invokes each server method in turn. Hint: use a table widget.

Submitting completed assignments

Alas, the new submission system is not working yet and we will submit this one on paper (how quaint!). Click here to fill out a form that -- when submitted -- generates a printable form that can be either printed and slipped under Prof. Couch's door, or emailed to ta150cpa@cs.tufts.edu to be graded. Completed assignments will be graded by hand and scanned into the same system as classroom exercises. The assignment is due on Wed night Feb 10 at 11 pm, but technically, you can mail or drop off a paper copy of the assignment under my door before I arrive at work on Thu morning Feb 11, 2010. Lateness penalty is one point per week.