 If you've used certain prototyping perf boards, you may have wondered what these oblong pads at either end or for. They actually come in handy for a variety of uses. They can be used to attach alligator clips for easy testing. You can solder on header pin rows to create a horizontal edge connector. Or, two boards can be connected together by soldering on pieces of solid core wire or a single strip of header pins across the seam. They can also be handy for attaching large wires or component leads that don't fit the standard holes. Surprisingly useful for a few shiny spots.