Homework 8
Please place your answers to this homework assignment in a file named
hw8.txt or hw8.pdf and submit it using the
appropriate submit script.
- Must collaborative interfaces require that users be cooperative, at
least as discussed in class? Do not just answer yes or no. Give a
supporting explanation.
- Access in a distributed system:
- What is the advantage of using hierarchical objects (e.g., dividing
a word processing document into sections and then into subsections or
dividing a spreadsheet into column groups) to control access
in a distributed application?
- What is the disadvantage of using
hierarchical objects?
- Floor control:
- What does the term "floor control" mean in the context of distributed
interfaces?
- Why might you want to use floor control in
a distributed application?
- In class we discussed the following five types of ways to distribute
the MVC model:
- Pixel/Event Distribution
- Graphics Package Layers
- Programmable API
- Model/Data Distribution
For each of the following applications, describe which of the above
distribution techniques is being used:
- ________________ Java applets
- ________________ Virtual software, such as software to display
a Microsoft Windows desktop on Linux and Macintosh machines.
- ________________ HTML forms
- ________________ X Windows
- ________________ A spreadsheet application where each user has
a local copy of the spreadsheet and a server maintains a master
copy of the spreadsheet and coordinates updates to the spreadsheet.
- Which disadvantage(s) of the Graphics Package Layers and Pixel/Event
Distribution models are remedied by the Programmable API technique?
- Pixel/Event Distribution versus Graphics Package Layer.
- Which disadvantage(s) of the Pixel/Event Distribution technique is
remedied by the Graphics Package Layer technique.
- What kind of
flexibility do you give up when you use the Graphics Package Layer
technique, rather than the Pixel/Event Distribution technique?
- Programmable API versus Model/Data Distribution.
- Which disadvantage(s) of the Programmable API technique are remedied
by the model/data distribution technique?
- What implementation
issue is introduced by the model/data distribution technique?
- What are two ways to solve this implementation issue?