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Introduction to Java Programming — Brief Version (11th edition) / Liang (Pearson). You can find more information about the text here

Topic List

• Review
• (Unix, Vi, Java Development Environment)
• Classes and Objects
• Recursion
• Object-Oriented Programming
• An Introduction to the Java API and Java Collections Framework

Class Calendar

Lectures

Assignments: Exercises and Labs

While you should develop much of your code (your apps) in your choice of IDE, you will be submitting your working results to CodeLab — an online, interactive programming exercise system — that will also test your code, and provide (hopefully) informative feedback as to any problems or issues. There may also be non-app exercises, i.e., code fragments that you may be asked to write (you can see examples of this in the 1115 topic review section). I will often provide driver code, so you can develop it in your IDE as well (or in that case, you can usually simply submit it to CodeLab directly).

In general, there will be two types of coding assignments:

• exercises: fragments of code, rather than full apps. These are meant to be short and to-the-point sequences of code focusing on a specific construct or idea. They will, in general, not require class or method boilerplate, or opening up of scanners, and such, instead focusing on an algorithm or usage of a specific language element.
  • Think of these as 'homework' problems, or the questions at the back of a section in a textbook.
• labs: there will usually be full apps (or classes) that will be more along the lines of applying material learned in class (and practiced in the exercises).
  • Think of these as 'projects' or programs/apps, i.e., along the lines pf programming assignments at the end of a chapter in a textbook.

CodeLab Information

• Go to turingscraft.com
• Click "Register" and follow the instructions
  • When you fill out the forms, use your Best Email Address and Actual Name
  • When asked for a Section Access Code, use the one you will receive from me in an email a few days before classes begin.
• To Login: Same URL, click "Login" and use your username (email) and password

Submitting Assignments

When you submit an assignment to CodeLab, it checks that your code is correct, by running it against various test cases. If your code fails, CodeLab will often provide feedback or hints to help you correct your mistake.

For several of the assignments, I may mark the exercise as 'For Approval', which means that I will be performing a final review and check of your code after CodeLab has determined that it passes the test cases. This 'instructor check' looks for style, format, and documentation of your code — i.e., things that the checking engine does not verify. I will then approve or deny your submission; in the latter case that means you must fix your code based on my comments, and resubmit. Once approved, you are done with the assignment.

The labs are assigned suggested deadlines which are posted within CodeLab as well as on the Class Calendar. We will talk more about deadlines in class.

You can find out more about CodeLab's feedback, and Approval Exercises on the Labs Home page here.

Doing Your Own Work — 'Cheating' on Assignments

The Exams

The format of the exam will be questions that involve writing and/or analyzing code, and answering conceptual questions about the material covered. There may also be exercises in which you display your knowledge of an algorithm by applying it to presented data (a simple example of this would be to carry out a linear or binary search on a provided array and value).

I will be providing some sample questions before the exam.

The Exams and Assignments

• you should make sure you do the assignments (and by 'you', I mean you)
• reviewing the assignments is a great way to study for the exams
• when calculating the time it will take you to complete the exam, those questions coming from the assignments will be assumed to require less time to answer since they should be familiar to you.

Your work on the assignments is probably the best assessment of how well you have mastered the topics of this course. While the exams assess your knowledge — in particular conceptual information — writing working Java code is crucial to your being able to show that you have become proficient in the material. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to acquire these assignments in a manner other than doing the work yourself. My grading policy is therefore designed to attempt to incorporate your work on the assignments into your grade, while at the same time maximizing the probability that that work is indeed your work.

As stated above, a substantial portion of each exam will contain material straight out of the assignments (not inspired by, not somewhat like, but exact specs from the assignments).

Missing an Exam (Other than the Final)

• If you are absent from the first exam, the grade on the second exam will be used in its place.
• If you are absent from the second exam, the grade on the final will be used in its place.
• If you are absent from the final, see the section below titled Incompletes
• If you are absent from two or more exams, you cannot pass the course.