IST163: Programming Practicum w/C++
Course Syllabus - Fall 2003, MW
Instructor |
: Brian M. Morgan |
Office |
: Prichard
Hall 212 |
Phone Number |
: (304) 696-6469 |
Fax Number |
: (304) 696-6533 |
Office Hours |
: MWF: MW: 2:15 – 3:00 TR: Other times by appointment ONLY |
E-Mail |
Textbooks:
The following textbook is required for the course:
C++ Programming Primer (bundled with C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design), by D.S. Malik; Course Technology; ISBN: 0-619-22697-8, 2003. YOU MUST USE THIS ISBN as it is a package in the MU Bookstore.
Computer
Requirements:
Supplemental materials can be found contained within the WebCT environment (http://webct.marshall.edu/). I will be sending class announcements,
updates, etc. using your WebCT account (will discuss during the first
lecture). Access to a WWW browser is
required (Netscape 4.7 or higher or Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher) and Adobe
Acrobat Reader (available for download through the course WebCT site). It is also recommended that you visit the COS
ITC center on the first floor of the Science building and sign an agreement to
obtain a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, the programming environment we
will be using this semester. This
package is available for free to students in this course. A way to play audio CDs is also helpful as
the C++ Primer text is packaged with audio CDs that have lectures and examples
from the book.
Course
Description:
Concepts of software development and maintenance using C++, including
syntax of the language, loops, functions, pointers, decision structures, and file
processing. Proper program design using object-oriented programming techniques
are emphasized.
Credit:
The course is three (3) credit hours. It includes classroom
lectures, exams, and programming projects. Students will participate in
programming projects that illustrate the implementation of concepts in general science
applications to learn C++.
Pre/co-requisites:
none
Desired Objectives/Outcomes:
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
-
Discuss Object-Oriented programming concepts
-
Demonstrate basic console programming skills using
C++
-
Develop software applications using Microsoft Visual
Studio .NET
- Demonstrate planning techniques for developing software applications
Instruction method:
There will be approximately 3 contact hours of classroom lecture per week, with
most of that time being spent working through examples in the textbook and
student questions. Lectures will be kept
to a minimum. Content from each of the
chapters will be enforced through programming projects and examinations, including
a comprehensive take-home final exam. Students
may work on their programming projects in Prichard Hall 200 or 207, from home,
or in the Drinko Library.
Evaluation method:
Evaluation of student's performance will be based on the quality of your performance
on programming assignments, and exams.
Grading Policy:
Final grades are based on your performance on assignments and exams, as
indicated below.
2 In-class Exams |
30% |
Final Exam |
20% |
10 Laboratory Assignments (equally weighted) |
50% |
Attendance & Participation – None
Required |
0% |
Assessment
of Projects:
The
grading of all laboratory programming projects will take into account the
following:
1.
Although the most important attribute of a program is
correctness, grading will take into consideration such items as time and coding
efficiency, documentation, etc.
2.
Programs must have proper inline documentation and
must be properly indented. 20% will be deducted for poorly documented and/or
poorly indented code.
3.
All submitted code must compile correctly to receive
at least partial credit. Code that does not compile will receive 0 credit, NO
EXCEPTIONS. This means you must debug
your code before submitting.
4.
When a problem does not specify a required
complexity, the grading will differentiate between efficient and nonefficient
code. For example, if you write a program that contains a number of
checks that are redundant and/or has one or more loops that iterate zero or one
time, up to 10% of the grade will be deducted.
5.
When a method name and/or parameters are specified in
an assignment’s description, you must use that name and/or parameters.
6.
When you write a function, remember that the function
should work for all possible inputs. Not on just your test inputs.
7.
Although interactions with other students are
encouraged, you must compose your own answers, unless otherwise noted.
Individuals
who utilize other people’s code, thoughts, or ideas must provide appropriate
references to said resources. Failure to
provide such documentation will result in a failing grade for the assignment,
and may result in a failing grade for the course.
In
determining the overall grade for a project, you can expect the following
grades based on performance:
A –
Excellent work that meets and/or exceeds all of the requirements for a given
project, code compiles and works for multiple test samples, all code and
associated files are well-documented, and the code is written efficiently.
B – Good
work that meets all of the requirements of the assignment, but may have errors
in documentation or coding, or contains code that may not work with all
possible data samples.
C –
Average work that meets all of the requirements of the assignment, but is
missing one or more of the items in its entirety that is mentioned in terms of
an A grade.
D – Below
average work which fails to meet one or more of the requirements of the
assignment.
F –
Unacceptable work which fails to meet two or more requirements for an
assignment, or has code that will not compile and execute.
Final letter grades
are determined based on the following grading scale:
90-100% |
A |
80-89% |
B |
70-79% |
C |
60-69% |
D |
Below 60 |
F |
The instructor reserves the right to change these values depending on the overall class performance and/or extenuating circumstances.
Policy Statement:
Programming Assignments: The
course includes a number of homework programming assignments. All assignments
are due BY THE BEGINNING OF CLASS on
their due date and must be submitted through the WebCT Dropbox.
NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Exams: There
are three exams: The first will come after chapter 7 the second after
chapter 13 and a comprehensive Final exam (as scheduled). Exact dates of the exams
will be announced in class.
Make-up Exams and Late Penalty: Make‑up exams will not be given except under unusual
circumstances and satisfactory written justification. Any student who misses an exam due to an
unexcused absence will receive a grade of zero for that exam with no
opportunity for make-up or substitution.
University excused absences or those occurring with a good reason will
be excused. Make up exams must be taken
within one week of the original scheduled date.
The decision whether to give a make up exam rests with
the instructor.
Passing grade: Programming
assignments and exams are required parts of the course and must be
satisfactorily completed to pass this course.
A student must have a passing grading in each area. A failing grade on a component may
result in a failing grade in the course.
Attendance Statement:
As with last semester, I am NOT making class attendance mandatory. However, I will keep a record of who is
attending and who is not. If you miss
class, it is your responsibility to catch up on material missed, and it will
not be the responsibility of the instructor to catch you up on material missed
during office hours.
Withdrawal Policy:
The University withdrawal policy is followed in this course.
The last day to drop an individual course for the Fall of 2003 is
University Holidays:
The class is officially dismissed on the following dates:
Labor Day:
Thanksgiving Break:
Topics and Methodology:
The following outline delineates the tentative class schedule with topics to be
addressed during the course. Please
note this is a tentative schedule and it may change upon class progress:
August 25 |
Review of Syllabus Introduction to WebCT |
August 27 |
Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Tutorial |
September 3 |
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 |
September 8 |
Chapter 2 |
September 10 |
Chapter 2 |
September 15 |
Chapter 3 Programming Project #1 Due (Page 88, Exercises
3 and 4) |
September 17 |
Chapter 3 |
September 22 |
Chapter 4 Programming Project #2 Due (Page 140, Exercise
3 and Page 141, Exercise 6) |
September 24 |
Chapter 5 |
September 29 |
Chapter 6 Programming Project #3 Due (Page 197, Exercise
6 and Page 254, Exercise 3) |
October 1 |
Chapter 7 |
October 6 |
Chapter 7 |
October 8 |
Review for Exam 1 Programming Project #4 Due (Page 288, Exercise
6 and Page 351, Exercise 6) |
October 13 |
Exam 1 |
October 15 |
Chapter 8 |
October 20 |
Chapter 9 Programming Project #5 Due (Page 403, Exercise
6) |
October 22 |
Chapter 10 |
October 27 |
Chapter 11 Programming Project #6 Due (Page 449, Exercise
1 and Exercise 5) |
October 29 |
Chapter 12 |
November 3 |
Chapter 12 Programming Project #7 Due (Pages 507-8,
Exercise 6, Parts A-H ONLY) |
November 5 |
Chapter 13 |
November 10 |
Review for Exam 2 Programming Project #8 Due (Pages 573-4,
Exercises 2-4) |
November 12 |
Exam 2 |
November 17 |
Chapter 13 |
November 19 |
Chapter 14 Programming Project #9 Due (Page 632, Exercise
1) |
November 24 |
Chapter 15 |
December 1 |
Catch Up Day Programming Project #10 Due (Pages 633-4,
Exercise 5) |
December 3 |
Review, Receive Take Home Final |
December 9 |
Final Exam Due by |
For each topic discussed
in the textbook, specific experience of other students and the instructor will
be discussed to enhance the characteristics involved. Programming projects for the course will be
based on the chapters we discuss in the textbook. Additional material may also be covered in
the class.
Every student is
responsible for all materials presented in class, including lectures, notes,
and handouts. Students are also highly
encouraged to work through the end of chapter exercises in the textbook to help
with difficult concepts. In case you are
not present for a class, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor
and receive information about the material presented in that class. Class attendance is very important.
Effort Required:
As a 100-level course, this course is provided as an introductory course, but
there will still be a considerable amount of development and research effort
required of the student. For every one
hour in class, the student is expected to put in an effort of at least 3 hours outside
the class for studying and programming.
Because of background and preparedness, some students may have to put in
additional effort.
Communication:
The Bulletin Board facility of WebCT and private E-mail will be used to make
any general announcements, last minute changes, etc. It is mandatory that you monitor your WebCT
course messages at least once a day.