• Create and test Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP);

• Integrate Domino and WebSphere.

What I personally enjoyed and benefited the most from in the class were the clear and succinct explanations of the Model-View-Controller design, Servlets, and JSPs. Not only were they explained well, they were illustrated very effectively through colorful screen shots and were shown in action through abundant examples.

The format of the class materials
Lessons in this class are delivered via the Notes client, as shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A


The course database is where you'll find all of the lessons and activity instructions. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Sample WebSphere applications used for the course demonstrations and activities are included, as shown in Figure B.

FIGURE B


You'll become very familiar with WSAD by following the demos and doing the activities. Roll over picture for a larger image.

You are walked through how to import all of the course samples.

I really liked how they had helpful hints scattered throughout the course called "4dd" (which means "For Domino Developers), in which they explained similarities or differences between Domino and WebSphere. These were really beneficial and showcase one of the things I mentioned earlier, namely how targeting the audience in this course makes a world of difference. You can see an example of one of these "4dd" tips in Figure C.

FIGURE C


The 4dd tips that are sprinkled throughout the lessons offer valuable insight. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Advantages and disadvantages of this class
There are both advantages and disadvantages to taking the TLCC course.

Key advantages
You can work at your own pace, when you want. You don't have to wait until you have time to go away to a multi-day in-person course. You can get the course now and fit it into your schedule a piece at a time.

You're walked through exercises step-by-step on your own computer. You don't do something on a classroom computer and then say to yourself, "Oh, I wish I was doing this on my own computer or in my own application right now" You can immediately apply what you learn, not only to the provided examples, but also to your own applications, as well.

The pacing is very measured, not too fast and not too slow. It almost seems to adapt itself to whatever speed you want. I often found myself getting caught up in the material, and an hour or more later I'd stop and be amazed at how much I'd covered.

The layout of the lessons is brilliant. If you want to learn how to effectively create compelling content in a Notes client, study how these lessons are laid out. The use of tabbed tables to help organize the information and the screenshots is very helpful. I also appreciated how they carefully labeled different screenshots in order to give detailed information about each part of the screen, as you can see in Figure D.

FIGURE D


The highlighting of different parts of screenshots for explanation was very helpful. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Also take a look at the diagram of how JSPs work in Figure E for a sample of the quality of the material.