PUBLIC PILOT / WEEK 01 / JAVA FOUNDATIONS

Take a Java behavior from story to CI

Monday, August 31–Sunday, September 6, 202624 required hoursReleased

SPRINT GOAL

By Friday, take a small Java CLI behavior from Issue and failing test through pull-request evidence, including a CI workflow you authored and diagnosed.

EXIT CAN-DO

“I can use Java types, branching, loops, and arrays to deliver a tested CLI increment, explain the feedback loop, and show how my Issue, commits, pull request, and CI run connect.”

YOUR WORK

You write the code, tests, workflow YAML, commits, Issues, and pull requests. Your first 30 minutes of authentic work and every sealed transfer or summative are assistant closed.

HOW TO USE EACH BLOCK

Follow the route; make the decisions.

Keep the can-do, acceptance criteria, safety rules, timebox, and evidence fixed. Choose your operating system, editor, names, implementation details, and evidence format unless a block states a technical constraint.

01 / ORIENT
Read the can-do, timebox, required evidence, and stop condition before you open a tool.
02 / RETRIEVE
Write what you remember and one prediction before you consult notes or examples.
03 / LEARN
Use the linked official source for the smallest concept you need; record the section you used.
04 / TRY
Trace or modify a tiny example, then hide it and reproduce the essential behavior yourself.
05 / BUILD
Take the next numbered action in your own repository. You make every learner-owned change.
06 / VERIFY
Run the relevant local check and CI check. Read a failure before changing anything.
07 / EXPLAIN
State what works, why, one tradeoff, and one likely failure case without reading your notes.
08 / RECORD
Save only the listed evidence, update the Issue, and choose one next action before you stop.

MONDAY

Project behavior and your first meaningful test

4 hours

CAN-DO

I can connect an Issue to a branch, write a failing JUnit 5 test for observable CLI behavior, make it pass, and explain the compilation/test feedback loop.

USE THESE SOURCES

dev.java: Getting Started ↗JUnit 5.14.4 User Guide ↗

WHAT YOU DO

Retrieve one prior concept before opening notes, then read and predict the official examples.
Open the story: As an instructor, I can run gradebook and see its version banner.
Replace the setup placeholder with a meaningful failing test before writing the behavior.
Make the CLI print one exact version line and exit successfully; delegate formatting instead of placing every decision in main.
Write an explain-back covering compilation, execution, JUnit, and why your first test failed.

WHAT YOU KEEP

Linked Issue, branch, red commit, green commit, and pull request
Maven Wrapper test output
Your prediction, corrected misconception, and explain-back

YOUR CHOICE

You choose the command name, exact version text, class names, and editor. Keep the user-visible line deterministic and place behavior where you can test it without depending on terminal styling.

CHECK BEFORE YOU MOVE ON

The first meaningful test fails for the intended missing behavior before the implementation commit exists.
The Wrapper test passes locally and the Issue, branch, commits, and pull request link to one another.

TUESDAY

Types, expressions, and your first pull-request CI

4 hours

CAN-DO

I can predict primitive and reference behavior, recognize compile errors, and author a GitHub Actions workflow that tests the project on a pull request.

USE THESE SOURCES

dev.java: Language Basics ↗Build and test Java with Maven ↗

WHAT YOU DO

Write a failing boundary test and implement percentage calculation from earned and possible points, rejecting an invalid denominator.
Author a CI workflow for pull requests and main-branch pushes using Java 17 and your Maven Wrapper.
Give the job an explicit timeout and least-required permissions.
Deliberately break a test, diagnose the run log in writing, fix it, and retain links to the failed and successful runs.
Explain one behavior Python permits that Java rejects earlier and trace event → job → runner → steps.

WHAT YOU KEEP

Your boundary tests and implementation commits
Your workflow file and two CI run links
A written diagnosis based on the failed log

YOUR CHOICE

You choose variable names, numeric representation, workflow and job names, and runner operating system. Keep Java 17, the Maven Wrapper, pull-request and main triggers, a timeout, and least-required permissions.

CHECK BEFORE YOU MOVE ON

Your denominator boundary fails before the implementation and passes after the smallest relevant change.
The failed and green CI runs use the same workflow on commits you can identify, and your diagnosis quotes the failing step rather than guessing.

WEDNESDAY

Branching and boundary rules

4 hours · Simple-method condition

CAN-DO

I can trace nested boolean logic, implement a complete grading boundary table, and justify if/else versus switch.

USE THESE SOURCES

dev.java: Language Basics ↗

WHAT YOU DO

Use the simple learning sequence: read the official source, make a prediction, then complete the authentic Issue.
Open the story: Convert a percentage into a letter-grade band.
Name the rounding policy in the acceptance criteria before coding.
Write boundary tests first for 0, 59.5, every chosen boundary, 100, and out-of-domain values.
Trace one reviewer-selected boundary without executing it first.

WHAT YOU KEEP

The prediction and completed boundary table
Acceptance criteria, tests, implementation, and passing run
Your if/else-versus-switch explanation

YOUR CHOICE

You choose the grade bands, rounding policy, and if/else or switch implementation. Publish those choices as acceptance criteria before writing tests so the tests measure a decision rather than hide one.

CHECK BEFORE YOU MOVE ON

Your boundary table has no gap or overlap across the accepted input domain.
Your unaided trace predicts the selected result before you run the test.

THURSDAY

Loops, arrays, and invariants

4 hours · Full-method condition

CAN-DO

I can choose among for, while, and enhanced for, state a loop invariant, and avoid array off-by-one errors.

USE THESE SOURCES

dev.java: Language Basics ↗

WHAT YOU DO

Complete the sealed 20-minute Wednesday transfer task first, without AI.
Use the full sequence: can-do, retrieval, worked example, faded example, unaided rebuild, authentic use, feedback, and explain-back.
Open the story: Calculate count, minimum, maximum, and mean for synthetic quiz scores.
Specify and test empty, single-value, and multiple-value behavior. Use loops rather than a summary helper.
State one loop invariant and identify an off-by-one failure in a modified array.

WHAT YOU KEEP

Your sealed transfer score and time
Loop and array tests plus the passing implementation
The invariant and explain-back

YOUR CHOICE

You choose for, while, or enhanced for and decide how the result is represented. Keep the explicit-loop constraint and justify the loop against the invariant and required edge cases.

CHECK BEFORE YOU MOVE ON

The empty-input policy is explicit and every array access remains within the valid index range.
You can pause after any iteration and state what is already true about count, minimum, maximum, and total.

FRIDAY

Integrated increment and Sprint Review

4 hours

CAN-DO

I can combine this week's constructs into one coherent CLI increment, demonstrate it against acceptance criteria, and respond to pull-request review without surrendering authorship.

USE THESE SOURCES

Exercism Java track ↗

WHAT YOU DO

Complete the sealed 20-minute Thursday transfer task first, without AI.
Build one gradebook stats command that composes the week's behaviors rather than duplicating them.
Distinguish error output from success output and test one happy path plus two edge cases.
Add the CI status badge yourself, obtain a green run on the pull-request head, and respond to review feedback.
Give a five-minute Sprint Review demo and answer one review question.

WHAT YOU KEEP

Your sealed transfer score and time
A green pull request, CI badge, and acceptance evidence
A demo link or notes and your response to review

YOUR CHOICE

You choose the stats command syntax, output layout, and how the week's small behaviors compose. Keep success and error output distinguishable and preserve every accepted behavior.

CHECK BEFORE YOU MOVE ON

One command exercises the composed behavior without copying calculation logic into the CLI entry point.
The pull-request head is green and your demo follows the acceptance criteria rather than a memorized code tour.

SUNDAY

Assessment, acceptance, and retrospective

4 hours

WHAT YOU DO

Use only the first 40 minutes to finish already-required work; do not add scope.
Release the unseen summative, close the assistant, and complete the full 60-minute assessment. The fixed pass line is 75 out of 100.
Accept or reject each Issue against its criteria and link the exact commit, CI, and explain-back evidence.
Run your Sprint Retrospective and refine the next backlog.
Complete an independent evidence review only after your work and assessment are sealed.

WHAT YOU KEEP

A sealed summative score and time
Accepted or rejected Issues with traceable evidence
One retrospective action and one next step

YOUR CHOICE

You choose the retrospective format and the next backlog order. Keep the assessment clock, pass line, acceptance evidence, and assistant-closed boundary unchanged.

CHECK BEFORE YOU MOVE ON

Every accepted Issue links to observable behavior, a specific commit, tests, and its CI result.
Your retrospective names one evidence-backed adjustment small enough to try in Week 2.

EXIT CHECK

Finish only when each line is true

You have five weekday evidence lines with Issue, result, can-do, and explain-back links.
Your pull request shows the deliberate failed CI run and the corrected green run.
You recorded both transfer scores without changing the rubric after seeing a task.
Your summative is at least 75, or you marked the week for remediation.
You completed the Sprint Review and recorded one retrospective action within 24 required hours.

Finish only when each line is true

You have five weekday evidence lines with Issue, result, can-do, and explain-back links.

Your pull request shows the deliberate failed CI run and the corrected green run.

You recorded both transfer scores without changing the rubric after seeing a task.

Your summative is at least 75, or you marked the week for remediation.

You completed the Sprint Review and recorded one retrospective action within 24 required hours.