CSC 120 Introduction to Programming

1. CSC 120Introduction to Programming Dr Andreas Loizides a.loizides@faculty.pacollege.ac.cy www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/A.Loizides/CSC120

2. Course Books Program Development and Design Using C++ by Gary Bronson ISBN 0534 37130 2 Problem Solving using C++ by Walter Savitch. ISBN 0-201-70390

3. Supplementary Text SAMS Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days Complete Compiler Edition £30ish ISBN: 0672315645 Includes student edition of Visual C++ 6.0 Also Simple Program Design, Third EditionRobertson ISBN: 0-619-01590-X 

4. What is computer programming? • Getting a computer to do what would be extremely time consuming and inaccurate if a person was to do it. OR • Processing input data to produce an output.

5. The Problem is that computing • Is very different from what many of you have done before. • Is the least “doable” subject from books. • Needs creative problem solving (thinking) • Needs courage and confidence • Need good organisation

6. What sort of problems? • Typically entails handling vast amounts of information in a small time. • For example • Information systems • Customer orders, Bank accounts • Games • Quake, Tomb Raider • Scientific/Engineering Applications • Weather forecast, fracture analysis • Control Systems – • Washing machines to Nuclear power stations. • Systems Programming • Operating systems • Applications Programming • Word • Excel

7. Why, What, How, Where and When • Why are you learning to program? • What will you learn? • How will you learn? How will you be assessed? • Where will you learn? • When will you learn?

8. Why are you learning to Program?Or what’s in it for me? • For pure academic interest (!!!) • To get a job • Because it is a core subject and you wont get a degree in computing unless you pass it

9. Why are you learning to Program?Or What’s in it for me? • Because it impacts on every subject you take, the programming principles you learn are applicable to other areas. • Multi-media, information systems, computing, AI, Computer Systems. • It leads on to level 2 and level 3 modules whether you go the object oriented route or the procedural route.

10. Why C++ • Supports procedural programming and object oriented programming. • C/C++ de-facto industry standard programming language. • It works on our network (I hope!) • It is extremely powerful!!!

11. Why C++ • Friendly development environment and good debugging tools. • Cheap for student edition • C++ rather than C because I/O friendlier, stronger typed, easier introduction of functions. Supports Object oriented programming

12. What you will learn? • Learn to program a computer using a high level programming language. • Learn to program procedurally and Learn basics of object oriented programming • Learn good practice

13. What you will learn? • Develop a basic set of problem solving techniques • Learn how to interpret basic compiler error messages • Learn how to test your programs • Learn to use basic debugging tools • Learn how large amounts of information impact on programs; the need for data structures and algorithms.

14. Overall Syllabus Goal (Semester 1) You can analyse, model, and produce a solution to a problem. You can implement this solution in C++. You can verify the quality of the solution.

15. How will you learn? • YOU will have to take responsibility for learning to program by doing it. IT CAN NOT BE CRAMMED! • You have 100+ contact hours allocated to programming, you are expected to at least match contact hours with non contact.

16. How will you learn? • Lectures with demonstrations, pre-tutorial exercises, tutorials. • You have course books that most exercises and tutorials will be sourced from.

17. How will you learn? • Lectures/Tutors, are there to get you out of holes, and give one to one advice on techniques. Suggest approaches to problems NOT solve problems for you. • Lecturers/Tutors are there to answer any questions on written pre-lab and lab-exercises. • Tutors should not have to lecture.

18. How will you be assessed? • Your tutors will give you an impression mark for what you have done in a tutorial. This mark is affected by your pre-tutorial work. This will be worth 50% (for the CSC150 module) • You will have to show your pre-lab exercises and specified lab exercises. • The tutors mark sheet is the ONLY evidence of your work that will be accepted.

19. How will you be assessed? • Working at home/in other times. You MUST do this if you want any success. Do not simply rely on exercises I set, work from your book. Unfortunately though because of the burden of proof needed only the work done in tutorials will be marked. • You will be given one assignment with a total worth of 15% for the CSC120 module. • You will also be assessed on your everyday effort, participation and homework (10% of the CSC120 module).

20. How will you be assessed? • You will have to do one midterm exam (25% of your CSC120 module) and two final exams. One on paper for the CSC120 module and a practical exam (in the lab) for the CSC150. Both worth 50% of the individual module.

21. Resources and To Do List! • Check out my web site www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/A.Loizides/CSC120 . I will post pre-tutorial questions, tutorial questions and Links to other resources. • You may want to purchase your own copy of the student edition of Microsoft visual C++ Version 6.0 or higher (Current version in the lab is Visual Express 2005 free to download from the Internet). It is available on some books. E.g. SAM Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days Complete Compiler Edition

22. Resources and To Do List! Summary • Get your computer account organised. • Visit my web site. Read the main page and go to the exercises page and the lectures page. • Buy a Course book and do initial pre-tutorial work. • Buy memory sticks to take your work home etc.