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Introduction to Computer Programming for Non-Majors

Learn fundamentals of computer programming, problem-solving, and logic. Develop programs for reuse and modification. Taught using Scheme language in DrScheme environment.

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Introduction to Computer Programming for Non-Majors

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  1. CSC 160Computer Programmingfor Non-MajorsIntroduction Prof. Adam M. Wittenstein adamwittenstein@adelphi.edu http://www.adelphi.edu/~wittensa/csc160/

  2. What's this course about? • Fundamentals of computer programming • Going from a word problem to a working program • Designing programs to be modified and reused • How computer scientists think

  3. What's this course not about? • A particular programming language • (e.g. Scheme, Java, C++, perl, ...) • A particular programming environment • (e.g. DrScheme, Visual Studio, ...) • Designing and writing Web pages • Arithmetic

  4. However, we have to use... • A programming language • (we'll use Scheme) • A programming environment • (we'll use DrScheme) • The Web • (for textbook, assignments, announcements, ...) • Arithmetic (as an example we all know)

  5. Who should take this course? • Non-CS majors for Math/CS distribution credit • Math and CIS majors for programming credit • Undecided majors to “test the waters” of programming • CS majors as a “warm-up” to CSC 171

  6. Who should not take this course? • CS majors for major credit • End-users and Web page authors • Students needing to fulfill the Second Competency requirement • Students looking for a “cake” course • This course does require an average of 9 hours a week: 3 in class, and 6 in reading and homework

  7. This course as a Liberal Arts Requirement • This course trains you to think logically by focusing on Design Recipes: beginning from a problem statement and ending with a well-organized solution, a skill that is useful throughout college and life, regardless of your choice of profession. • Many professions require some form of computer programming. Some examples include: accounting, photography, music, and of course, computer science.

  8. Getting Started: A Course Overview Computers do many of the same things people do. The differences are that computers are: • faster and more accurate • they do not get bored To program a computer: • Figure out how you would solve a problem. • Present that explanation to the computer.

  9. Course Overview (continued) Unfortunately, computers are literal-minded and have no intuition. So your explanation has to be more precise than if you were explaining something to a human being. Therefore, this course is about: • Figuring out precisely how you would solve a problem. • Presenting that explanation to the computer.

  10. Imagine this assignment... • 20-page paper • Due at end of semester • On Napoleon's invasion of Russia

  11. What kinds of knowledge are needed? 1. How to write a 20-page paper 2. How to finish a long-term project on time 3. Napoleon & Russia

  12. Imagine this assignment... • 20-page paper • Due at end of semester • On Napoleon's invasion of Russia • In Swedish • With a quill pen

  13. What kinds of knowledge are needed? 1. How to write a 20-page paper 2. How to finish a long-term project on time 3. Napoleon & Russia 4. Swedish language (spelling, vocabulary, grammar, idioms…) 5. How to use a quill pen

  14. In a programming course... 1. How to structure a program (understand the problem and design a solution) 2. How to plan your time (going through the steps of the Design Recipes) 3. Content-area knowledge (math, graphics, economics, physics, spelling, etc.) 4. Scheme (or C++ or Java or whatever) language 5. How to use the software & hardware

  15. Our Focus Although we need to do all five of these things, our goal is learning how to do the first two. However, all problems require: • Knowledge (in some content area) • Language (like English) • Thinking Tools (like your brain)

  16. Content-area Knowledge • This is not a course on math or science or English, but we will solve problems from these disciplines. • No need to worry, I will either give you the required information, or you will be allowed to look it up.

  17. Writing and Thinking • Outside this class, we write in a language called English. Inside this class, we will write in a language called Scheme. • Outside this class, we use our brain to think about what is being said in English. Inside this class, we use Dr. Scheme to think about what is being said in Scheme.

  18. Scheme is to English • Scheme - The programming language that we will use. • Dr. Scheme - the program that we will use to run programs written in Scheme. As Dr. Scheme is to the brain

  19. Choosing a Language to Speak • We can speak in any language. Why do we choose English?

  20. Choosing a Language to Speak • We can speak in any language. Why do we choose English? • Because we already know enough of it to understand the basics of how it works.

  21. Choosing a Language to Program In • We can program in any programming language. Why do we choose Scheme?

  22. Choosing a Language to Program In • We can program in any programming language. Why do we choose Scheme? • Because we can quickly learn enough of it to understand the basics of how it works.

  23. Design Recipe (in Life) To solve any problem, in any area (not just programming), requires three steps: • Figure out what you need to do. • Do it. • Check that you did it right.

  24. Design Recipe (in Programming) To make this recipe useful, we need to adapt it more specifically to computer programming: • Figure out precisely what you need to do. • Tell the computer how to do it. • Check that the computer does it right.

  25. CSC 160Computer Programmingfor Non-MajorsChapter 1: Students, Teachers, Computers Prof. Adam M. Wittenstein adamwittenstein@adelphi.edu http://www.adelphi.edu/~wittensa/csc160/

  26. A few preliminary definitions • Program - A set of instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task • Programming - Writing a program • Programming language - a language of instruction for a computer program • Data - Information that is used by a program • Operations - The individual instructions performed by the computer • Primitive operations - The basic operations performed on data of a specific data type. • e.g., +, -, *, / are primitive operations performed on integers.

  27. Some typical problems in English • The temperature is 350C; convert this temperature into Fahrenheit. • Are there 7 days in a week? • How do we cover someone’s face in a picture?

  28. What the computer would think? • The computer would have no idea what we are asking it.

  29. What the computer would think? • The computer would have no idea what we are asking it. • We must communicate with the computer in a language that it understands.

  30. What the computer would think? • The computer would have no idea what we are asking it. • We must communicate with the computer in a language that it understands. • We will communicate in the Scheme language.

  31. Types of Data There are many types of data. They are split into two general categories: 1) atomic (simple) data – numbers, booleans, symbols, images, etc. 2) compound data – structures and lists composed of other pieces of data. For example, a series (list) of numbers. The next several chapters deal only with atomic data. Sometime after the midterm, we will extend our programming to compound data.

  32. Course web page:http://www.adelphi.edu/~wittensa/csc160 I recommend you visit the web page frequently as I will post important information including: • the lecture slides (so you can find out what you missed, if you are absent) • reading and programming assignments • assignment corrections (and perhaps, extensions) • class cancellations (in the event of weather, or some other emergency)

  33. Reading assignments for next time... • Read the Syllabus. • Read the Joys (and Woes) of the Craft of Programming. • Read the preface of the textbook (pages xvii to xxiv). • ReadChapter 1 of the textbook (pages 1 to 5).

  34. Homework #1 (due SUNDAY) • Write a short essay (at least 1-2 pages) that summarizes and gives your opinion on each of the above reading assignments, and turn them in by email to Wittenstein@adelphi.edu. • Be sure to include your first and last name! • The essay will be graded primarily on whether I'm convinced you've read the material and thought about it carefully, although really bad spelling, grammar, or style may cost you points too.

  35. Homework #2 (due NEXT SUNDAY) Go to HW2 on the course website: • Download DrScheme • Start reading the draft chapter. Before the next class, read the introduction and Flying a UFO sections. For now, it is up to you whether to try or skip the exercises. • Make a list of anything you do not fully understand in the reading and bring it up at the beginning of the next class.

  36. Next time…An Overview: The UFO Example • We will learn how to do the first step – flying a UFO. • More specifically, we will learn how to write a our first program – one that changes the UFO’s location on the computer screen.

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