After 12 weeks of brain busting bootcamp training, me and the other students had five days to complete our individual practical examination project, which was ultimately an encapsulation of all the concepts from our core training modules over this period. This included utilising Agile & Project Management, Databases & Cloud Fundamentals, Programming Fundamentals, API Development, and lastly Automated Testing.
I expected the challenge to be quite difficult, but nethertheless I also believed I could complete & pass the challenge successfully, and get API working correctly. The theme for my project was based on making a music database application, similar to an iTunes or Spotify application. I had to create a Spring Boot API backend application using Java and other tools. I had 9 deliverables that had to be achieve to pass. The project had to be fully CRUD functional and capable of handling HTTP requests, in which I used Postman to do this. I also had to show that the data had been persisted to a database, which I did using MySQL Workbench. I also had to use Git & GitHub and have at least 3 feature-branches. I used the project tracking software Jira to track my project and had to use Agile Scrum methods, creating user stories and using MoSCoW prioritisation.
The outcome of the project was successful as I passed. I got 19 out of 25, with the pass barrier being 18. The class were given 5 days to complete the project (Monday 9am - Friday 5:30pm). Unfortunately I only had three days (Wednesday - Friday), as I had a surgical operation on Monday, and had to stay in hospital overnight.
On one hand I was satisfied and very pleased that I had passed, but on the other hand I wasn't totally satisfied because my final project was rushed and I believed I could have produced a better and more polished product if I was available for the first two days of the the project exam week. Nethertheless I am very happy with what I have learned this year, considering I knew little to nothing this time last year. The bootcamp I did, as well as my self-taught learning has given me a base understanding of how to use some of these digital tools and technologies, both individually and together to make and produce wonderful and useful products.
Some time in the future I would like to come back to this project and polish it up a little bit more to make it more dynamic.
