BenQ-Siemens E71

The specifications around the Java for Wireless Technologyinitiative have been proposed and backed by most of the leadingmobile phone manufacturers (Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Siemens,T-Mobile, to name a few) and hence, one can expect devicesupport and continued innovation.

The Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) offers a highlyoptimized virtual machine which can be used to run Javaapplications on devices ranging from resource constraineddevices like smart cards, pagers, and mobile phones to high enddevices like handheld computers and set-top boxes.

Keeping the limitations of the mobile devices - both in size andin memory - in mind, the Java Community Process has developed aseries of standards constructed in a modular fashion to ensurethat various features are standardized while keeping thearchitecture at an abstract level.

While the J2ME itself includes a lot of other features and isalso not limited to mobile phones, the certificationconcentrates on the developer's ability to create and installprograms for mobile devices, such as cell phones and PersonalDigital Assistants (PDAs).

You might want to consider taking this exam

·If you are already into writing J2ME applications for mobiledevices and want to be recognized for your skills. ·If you are adeveloper who has already written a few programs for wirelessdevices, the preparation will give you in-depth knowledge ofvarious concepts. ·If you are a seasoned J2SE/J2EE developer andwant to start writing highly optimized Java applications formobile devices, this certification is a jump-start for achievingthe same. ·If you do not have too much of an idea abouttechnologies like Wireless Programming or Game Programming,preparing for this certification will be a great incentive toget a foothold in this technology. ·If you want to learn andmaster the cutting-edge technologies that are round the corner.

This article will provide a basic understanding of the scope ofthe certification and will also give details about thecertification along with the useful resources to get started.

What you need to know?

The Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer (SCMAD) tests thedeveloper's knowledge in the following five specifications.

Java Technology for the Wireless Industry (JTWI 1.0)JSR-185Connected, Limited, Device Configuration (CLDC1.0/1.1)JSR-030/JSR-139 Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP2.0)JSR-118 Wireless Messaging API (WMA 1.1)JSR-120 Mobile MediaAPI (MMAPI 1.1)JSR-135

Exam Information

Prerequisites

You should have passed the Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP)- any version - to appear for this exam.

Objectives

Details of the certification objectives can be found at the Sunwebsite. The major objectives are

1.JTWI (JSR 185) and Overview / JTWI-compliant WirelessApplications 2.CLDC 1.0/1.1 3.Security (both CLDC and MIDP)4.Networking 5.Application Model/Delivery/Lifecycle/Provisioning 6.MIDP Persistent Storage 7.PushRegistry 8.MIDP UI API 9.MIDP Game API 10.Media using MIDP 2.0and the Mobile Media API 1.1 (MMAPI) 11.Wireless Messaging API1.1 (WMA)

Passing Score & Time

The exam consists of 68 questions, and the pass percentage is55%. The time allotted for the exam is 150 minutes. The fee forthe exam is $150 for U.S. candidates and might vary for othercountries. Please visit the Sun certification website for moredetails.

What you need to do? This exam might be slightly tougher thanthe other exams since the technology is fairly new and thecommunity support is limited.

Since the API set is relatively small, you can cover the topicsquickly. On an average, it should take you around a week tocover each topic if you are familiar with Java and have writtenor attempted to write a few programs using J2ME. If you are newto wireless programming, you might want to allocate around 2-3months (2 hours a day at least) for preparation.

To prepare for the exam, it we recommend that you do thefollowing:

1.Download the Java Wireless Toolkit (2.0 or above). 2.If youhave a J2ME enabled cell phone, download the toolkit from thatvendor. For example, Nokia and Sony provide free toolkits andemulators that will help you program in those devices.3.Download the PDF versions of the specifications mentionedabove.

The best way to get an idea about wireless programming is toactually write some programs and deploy them to a cell phone.This will go a long way in your preparation, since the creationand delivery of wireless applications is quite different fromthat of the standard or enterprise applications. You shoulddevelop at least one program for each specification to get afeel of the API. Some of the programs you might want
to developare

1.A program that takes a name and prints out "Hello "(tests the UI API) 2.A simple game or a drawing, like thetraditional Paddleball game or various geometric shapes movingin the screen (tests the Game API) 3.A program to read an imageoff a website and display it on the phone (tests networking) 4.A‘signed' Hello World! Application (tests security) 5.Aprogram that plays a simple tune (tests MMAPI) 6.A program thatdisplays a text message (tests WMA) 7.A program that calculatestip for various pre-defined scenarios (tests RMS)

To understand the concepts of J2ME programming, you can read theofficial J2ME tutorial, which is very comprehensive. Some usefulbooks are also listed in the resources section.

Most of the questions will be code-based and hence, it is veryimportant that you understand how the code is structured forvarious specifications.

You might want to consider purchasing the SCMAD exam simulatorby Whizlabs, which contains numerous questions of varyingdifficulty levels spread across five mock exams and a quiz andalso lots of useful tips for the exam.

Assuming that you have Whizlabs SCMAD Exam Simulator, {availableat http://www.whizlabs.com/articles/scmad-article.html}you canuse the table below as a starting point for developing yourpreparation timeline.

WeekObjectiveNotes 0Diagnostic ExamGives you a feel of what toexpect 1CLDC 1.0/1.1Basics of the VM and its requirements2Application Lifecycle/ProvisioningBasics of MIPD and itsrequirements 3-4MIDP UI APIDevelop and deploy Program 1 afterthis 5NetworkingDevelop and deploy Program 3 after this 6MIDPPersistent StorageDevelop and deploy Program 7 after this7-8MIDP Game APIDevelop and deploy Program 2 after this9MMAPIDevelop and deploy Program 5 after this 10WMADevelop anddeploy Program 6 after this 11Push RegistrySmall, butcomplicated, and is related to WMA 11SecurityHelps in packagingapplications securely 12JTWIGives an understanding of how thetechnologies are tied together 12Mock ExamsTest yourpreparation. Revise weaker sections.

Finally, you can take some mock exams to prepare yourself from acertification standpoint.

Tips and pitfalls

·Understand the conceptual difference between a J2MEconfiguration (like CLDC) and a J2ME profile (like MIDP).·Memorize the software and hardware requirements of the variousspecifications. ·Memorize the class hierarchies of importantAPIs like Generic Connection Framework, High level and low levelUI API, Media classes of MIDP 2.0 and MMAPI 1.1. ·The exam teststhe understanding of the features and differences between lowlevel and high-level API for UI programming. So, learn themwell. ·Understand that differences between the media support ofMIDP 2.0 and the MMAPI 1.1. ·Apart from the knowledge of writingproper J2ME code, the exam also tests the ability to write validJava Application Descriptor (JAD) and manifest files that areused to markup the deployment details of an application. So,practice writing the descriptors well and deploy the applicationin the toolkit to understand the behavior of various deploymenttags. ·Remember that the exam is a vendor neutral exam. So, youcan safely ignore learning the vendor APIs (like the APIsprovided by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and so on). ·The best readingmaterial for this exam is the specification document. So, allotenough time to go through these documents and learn the conceptsand API well. ·Make sure what you read is relevant to the examobjectives. A common pitfall is reading and spending time onthings that you may not require for the exam. ·As mentionedearlier, try to develop a practical example for each concept asthis will help in a better understanding of the concepts.

Conclusion

With a huge customer base and vast popularity, wireless devicesare here to stay. As the wireless technology improves and as thenext generation devices come into the market with increasedbandwidth, the demand for interactive and feature-rich wirelessapplications will greatly increase. Having a know-how ofwireless programming will give you a competitive edge and willprepare you for the future.

Resources

·J2ME tutorial by Sun Microsystems, Inc. ·SCMAD.com provides acomprehensive list of preparatory resources for thecertification exam. ·Exam notes by Sathya Srinivasan, to get youstarted on the certification

Forums

·Whizlabs SCMAD Certification Forum ·SCMAD trail at JavaRanch(You might also want to visit the J2MEtrail)

Books

·Wireless Java: Developing with J2ME by Jonathan Knudsen·Wireless J2ME Platform Programming by Vartan Piroumian ·J2ME:The Complete Reference by James Keogh ·Enterprise J2ME:Developing Mobile Java Applications by Michael Juntao Yuan

Exam Simulators There are many ways to prepare for certificationexams, one of them being through the use of exam simulators.With these you cannot just identify your weak areas, but alsoget a feel of the test environment.

Whizlabs has launched worlds' first-ever SCMAD (J2MECertification) exam simulator {available athttp://www.whizlabs.com/articles/scmad-article.html}that ensuresyour success in the exam with its high-quality mock tests andquick revision tips for the exam.

*First Published at Whizlabs' site.

About the author:Whizlabs (www.whizlabs.com), an ISO Certified company, is aleading provider of IT skill assessment and certification exampreparation tools. Whizlabs' suite of offerings include "ITCertification Exam simulators and Instructor-led, OnlineTrainings" for various exams by Sun, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and"IT skill Assessment Management Solution" for Corporations,Training Institutes.