Indiana University - Bloomington
Computer Science Department


CSCI A112 and INFO I110
Programming Concepts

Fall 2000 -- Second eight weeks

This information is subject to change.
Major changes will be announced in class.

Syllabus
Team and Schedule Assignments
Syllabus Grading
Policies Course Evaluation

General information

Class web
www.cs.indiana.edu/classes/a112
Class newsgroup
ac.csci.a112
Catalog descriptions
A112 Programming Concepts (1.5 cr.) P: A110, A111, or equivalent computing experience. Introduction to programming for users of computer systems. Emphasis on problem solving techniques. Lecture and laboratory. 8-week course.
I110 Basic Tools of Informatics I - Programming Concepts (1.5 cr.) P: CSCI A110, CSCI A111, or equivalent computing experience. Introduction to programming for users of computer systems. Emphasis on problem solving techniques. An eight-week lecture and laboratory course. Cross listed with CSCI A112. Credit given for only one of the following: INFO I110, CSCI A112, or INFO I112.
Relation to other courses
This course is a simple introduction to programming. Students are assumed to have some experience with computers, equivalent to that of A110, A111, any comparable computer literacy course, or equivalent extra-curricular experience.   The course A201 (a.k.a. INFO I210) offers a somewhat more challenging introduction programming, and is part of the minor in information technology, but is still not as challenging as C211. The latter course serves as an introduction to a computer science major or minor, and as an Informatics core course. Though A201 / I210 does not assume prior programming experience, A112 / I110 provides a gentler introduction to programming than A201 / I210. Ask the instructor if you are in doubt about whether you belong in this course.  
Text
Java for Students, Second Edition, by Douglas Bell and Mike Parr, Prentice-Hall, 1999.
Errata follow:
A112 Vincent Submission System URL:
https://www.cs.indiana.edu/cgi-pub/a112/vincent3/student.cgi
Java development on personal computers
The javac compiler and appletviewer used in the STC labs are part of Sunsoft's Java System Development Kit (SDK), which may be downloaded via this link for installation on personal computers. However, help with personal computer environments cannot be provided by the course team.

Team and Schedule

Name Email Office Phone Office hours
Chris Haynes chaynes LH230F 855-3376 WR 11-12P
Francisco Lara-Dammer flaradam LH230 855-4645 F 9-11A
Yogesh Simmhan ysimmhan LH230 855-9926 M 4-5P, F 12:15-1:15
Howard McIntyre emcintyr LH230 855-9926 M 10-12P, T 12-2P
Emailing us: Our email addresses are supplied so you can contact us on administrative matters. Please do not ask us to solve technical problems via email, which is often impossible due to limited information. Labs and office hours are provided for technical help, and appointments can be made (often via email) if office hours are not at suitable times for you.
Sections Lec/Lab Start End Day Room Instructor
1303, 6947 1.5 2:30 PM 3:20 PM TR JH A100 Chris
1304, 6948 LB 4:00PM 5:15 AM TR BH308 Francisco & Howard
1305, 6949 LB 9:30 AM 10:45 AM WF SE045 Yogesh
1306, 6950 LB 11:15 AM 12:30 PM WF PV151 * W: Yogesh, F: Francisco
9888, 9889 LB 2:30 PM 3:45 PM WF SE045 Howard

* : Section 1306 meets in LH030 instead of SPEA PV151 on November 3rd.

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Assignments

There will be an assignment each week (except Thanksgiving), linked in the list below before the first lab each week and due by Midnight the following Monday (or Friday, in the week before finals).

A portion of each assignment is to be submitted before the end of either the first or the second lab each week, as announced in lab. These in-lab submissions must reflect reasonable effort in lab, but will not be graded by explicit completion criteria. Failure to submit reasonable work in lab will result in loss of a letter grade in that week's assignment.

  1. Assignment 1, due midnight, Oct. 30th.
  2. Assignment 2, due midnight, Nov. 6th.
  3. Assignment 3, due 2:15 PM, Tuesday, November 14th.
  4. Assignment 4, due 2:15 PM, Tuesday, November 28th.
  5. Assignment 5, due 2:15 PM, Tuesday, December 5th.
  6. Assignment 6, due at the end of the second lab.

Syllabus

The following is approximate. Readings are from your text.

Week of Topic Reading
10/23 Introduction to Java programming Chapter 1 through p. 6, 2, and 3
10/30 Variables and primitive data types, quiz Chapter 4
11/6 Methods Chapter 5
11/13 Conditional statements Chapter 7
11/20 Review and Thanksgiving break Remainder of chapter 1
11/27 Looping Chapter 8
12/4 Arrays Chapter13
12/11 Final exam Tues., Dec. 12th, 12:30-2:30 in FA015  

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Grading

The following are approximate percentage contributions to the final grade.

Grades will be posted using the Post'em system, not Vincent. It will be announced here and in class when grades are posted.

Assignment grades will be penalized if the laboratory component is missed. You are encouraged to help each other in lab on the in-lab part of your assignment, but you are not allowed to share your work electronically (you must type everything you turn in, except for code provided in the assignment). It is better to help your neighbor see how they could have solved a problem than to just show them the answer. Credit in comments any substantial help of this kind, and you will not be penalized for it. Collaboration on the homework part of each assignment is not allowed.

The most important factor in grading programs in assignments and exams will be correctness (whether the program works as specified), but style is also a factor.  Good programming style makes programs easy to understand.  This includes logical organization, appropriate use of comments (especially when the code is not very self-explanatory), and good indentation.  Some credit will be taken off on quizzes and exams for improper syntax: bring your notes to class to remind you of correct syntax.  Little credit will be given for assignments with syntax errors, since you have the assistance of the system in generating correct syntax and locating incorrect syntax.

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Policies

Incompletes: An incomplete (I) final grade will be given only in exceptional circumstances conforming to departmental policy in which the bulk of course work has been completed in passing fashion. Generally an incomplete is applicable only in the event of unforeseen hardship occurring after the deadline for withdrawal with a Dean's permission.

Drop deadlines: Until 4pm T November 21st you can withdraw from the course without grade penalty or authorization. After this date you will be stuck with whatever grade you earn (see grading section below), unless you can convince a Dean of exceptional hardship, and even that must be done by December 4th. Since the knowledge and skills learned in this course are highly cumulative, if you are not doing well at midterm you may well do worse in the remainder of the course even if you try harder. So if you are not very confident that you will catch up, seriously consider dropping while you can. If in any doubt about whether to drop, please speak to your instructor.

Help from the course instructors: The course teaching team is eager to help you learn the course material. No appointment is needed to see us during our office hours. If these hours are not compatible with your schedule, contact one of us to make an appointment at a time that does work for you. We can only help you effectively when you have made an attempt to study the material or do the assignment on your own and come with questions. Our goal is to help you discover how you might have solved your problem on your own. That will help you master the material in this course and improve your problem solving skills, which will serve you for a lifetime.

Makeups: Allowed on the final only for approved absences, and approval requires adequate documentation, in advance if possible. Makeups may be oral exams. No makeups for the quiz will be given, though students with adequate documentation may be excused from the quiz.

Late assignment submission: Assignments will not be accepted past the due date and time. You can make multiple submissions using the same file name, in which case only the most recent submission counts. So if you are working close to the deadline, be sure to submit something for partial credit well before the deadline.

Attendance: Attendance is expected in lecture and laboratory. Assignment grades will be penalized if the laboratory component is missed. The only exception is that if you have completed and submitted the entire assignment before the second lab, you are excused from the lab.

Auditing: Auditors should be registered as such. As long as everyone who has registered for the course has a seat, there is no objection to anyone else being seated in the classroom. However, if you are not registered for the course you are not allowed to participate actively in any way. This includes attending labs, participating in group assignment work, turning in assignments, taking quizzes or exams, going to office hours with course-related questions, or asking questions in class.

Academic integrity: Providing or receiving help during exams or quizzes, or submitting the unacknowledged work of another as your own, both constitute academic dishonesty. There are no "small" offenses. If you do an assignment in a group, hand in one assignment with all of your names on it. Group work is allowed only if specified as part of the assignment. The Computer Science Department Statement on Academic Integrity provides further information. If you are not sure about the rules, ask first.

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Extra Help

The Student Academic Center (SAC) offers mini-courses and concealing to help students set priorities, manage their time, take effective notes, and master other skills that can make the difference between struggling and thriving. The SAC can make your life easier in many ways, and they can tailor services to help address your specific needs. Please feel free to call them at 855-7313, or visit their web site at http://www.indiana.edu/~sac/.

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Course Evaluation

Use the links below to submit evaluation of your course instructor and your lab AI(s).

If you submit your evaluation via a web link, you can ignore the form you receive via email.

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