Prerequisites
- While this is a 200 level course, we do assume that you have taken a course equivalent to CS 125 and CS 225. This course will be programming intensive and you should expect to spend about 3-6 hours each week on programming. At a minimum, you should be able to program in C/C++ and/or Java. Some assignments may require you to learn the basics of a new language such as PHP or Python.
Lectures
- Lectures are held on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. in Siebel Center 1404.
Assignments
- There will be an assignment roughly every week. New assignments sometimes depend on previous assignments so you should make sure all your previous assignments are working.
- New assignments are posted to the class website and will be announced in the newsgroup. Please read the new assignment and pay attention to the grading rubric. Sometimes we require that you use a particular tool for accomplishing the assignment. Please refrain from using complex libraries or frameworks that most students are not familiar with unless you get prior permission.
- Some assignments will require working in groups. Usually the TAs will assign you to groups. You will need to schedule meeting times outside of class and present your work together in discussion section.
- Asks questions on the newsgroup whenever you are unsure about something.
- In this class, you are allowed to use code snippets from various resources (web, books, etc). If you use any code snippet, you need to include the source as part of your code comments.
- Also, once we have discussed issues such as unit testing and version control, it is your responsibility to incorporate them into the future assignments.
Discussion sections
- Discussion sections meet every Monday and Tuesday. You may miss one discussion section for whatever reason without being penalized. Missing class because you have a job interview is not a good reason.
- Each student in discussion section will be responsible for reading another student’s code before coming to discussion section. You should come prepared with specific questions to ask about the other student’s code. You will be graded on the questions that you ask.
Software
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We will be using two rooms for our discussion sections: SC 224 and SC 1129. SC 224 is the room in the basement with the plasma displays. SC 1129 is where we will be testing out a new class software written for the Tablet PCs. The list of software available on the machines can be found here. Additional software titles may be requested by e-mailing the TA but it is up to TSG to install them. If you used the CSIL linux machines to complete your assignment, you can always use SSH to show us your program. In the worst case scenario, you can always use Remote Desktop to connect to your own PC and run the program. Also, if you have a notebook computer you may bring it to class and connect it to the overhead projectors.
- Always make sure that you can easily retrieve a plain text version of your source code (netfiles, dcshome, usb pen drive, etc); at least, even if we have to use Notepad.exe, we can still read your source code.
Final presentation
- There will be a final project for this class. You may work individually or in pairs. You will be given roughly 4 weeks for the final project. During these 4 weeks, you will present your progress in discussion section.
- More information on the final project will be posted later. In the past, students have worked on applications such as address book applications, web content management frameworks, cheat detection programs and various open source projects.
- One of the assignments for this class is a portfolio generator. During the final presentation, you must show that your portfolio generator is working and that it contains all the projects that you have worked on in this class.
Quiz
- A 5-minute quiz may be given during the beginning of lecture or discussion section. You will be asked to give 3 – 4 sentences on a topic that we have covered in class. The topics asked will be general enough that you are able to answer them if you have attended lecture and/or done the reading. Each quiz will be worth 5 points.
Textbook
- Our textbook is Code Complete 2. We will not be able to cover the entire textbook in lecture but we will assign readings from various chapters throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to do the readings so that you can contribute meaningfully in discussion section.
Newsgroup
- Please check the newsgroup frequently as important announcements will be posted there. Also, whenever possible, please help your classmates by answering their questions.
- Most questions on the newsgroup will be answered within 24 hours.
Grading
- Grades and other feedback for discussion sections can be found by logging in to your account at cs242.vazexqi.com. Appeals for re-grades should be made within a week of the graded assignment. Appeals must be sent by e-mail to your respective section TA.
- Because the points for each assignment varies, it is hard to give an estimate of your final grade. If you really need an estimate (to help you decide if you want to drop the course), please consult your TA.
Office hours
- Check the staff page. You can also e-mail us to set up an appointment
Feedback
- You may give suggestions on future assignments by talking to the lecturer or the TAs. We also plan to have an informal early feedback session sometime during the middle of the semester.
Last modified on August 23, 2006