CSC111 Class Page 2014

--D. Thiebaut (talk) 09:58, 7 January 2014 (EST)

---

Main Page | Syllabus | Weekly Schedule | Links & Resources | Piazza | TA Hours | WHITE

---

Prof and TAs

Dominique Thiébaut email Dept. Computer Science Ford Hall, 356. Telephone: 3854 Office hours Monday, 2-4 p.m., Wednesday 1-3 p.m., and by appointments

To see when and where TAs are available this week, click here.

Weekly Schedule

First Half

Week	Topics	Reading
Week 1 1/27	Monday A look at the syllabus The Python integrated environment, named Idle Python is free and can be downloaded from the Python download page Example of a Python program What is a programming language? The idea of a Syntax Python keywords A simple "Hello World!" program in Python Errors Wednesday Computer architecture: Processor and memory. Their different roles. The concept of an imperative language. Python is a language. Difference between interpreted languages and compiled languages. Getting into the logic of programming. This week we'll "program as an exercise in logic intuition," rather than learning the basics. Playing with Python. variables x = 3 name = "hello" keywords: and del from not while as elif global or with assert else if pass yield break except import print class exec in raise continue finally is return def for lambda try Printing strings. What's a string? Printing numbers. What's a number? What is the difference between "3" and 3? Understanding the difference between an editor and the shell (console) windows Looping through a list and outputting formated information Friday Comments on Lab 1 Variables Rules for labeling a variable CamelCase for regular variables, uppercase for constants Thinking of a variable as a box, or drawer. Variables can switch contents Types of values: int, float, string, char The concept of an algorithm (Section 1.7 in textbook) Must be unambiguous, executable, and terminating. Example: calculating the return on a bank account with a yearly interest rate. Review of the week: some of the concepts covered: variables, literals, integers, reals, strings, functions, statements, comments Preparation for Lab #1 <== Please do this if you plan on using your own laptop during the labs Lab #1 & Lab1 Solution Programs Homework #1, solution programs, and video comments	Reading This week, you should read Chapter 1 in Python for Everyone, up to Section 1.6, included. Read the article on pair programming. We will discuss it in class during the second week of class.
Week 2 2/3	Saturday/Sunday: Moodle Quiz on Chapter 1. Go to Moodle, select CSC111, and locate the Quiz in the "Week 1-Chapter 1" section. (If I have let you in the class, but you are not officially registered yet, please send me an email (dthiebaut@smith.edu) so that I can add you to the moodle roster. ) Monday Message from student liaisons The two-letter Id needed to submit your program is available here! Meet Guido van Rossum Variables: They are labels for boxes containing information. Boxes in memory. Different types. Can be combined together. Values can be assigned to them with = Operators: + - * / //  % Teller Machine example: given some amount of $ to withdraw from the machine, figure out the number of $20-, $10-, $5- and $1-bills. Here's the program we finished with in class. Wednesday: THERE WILL BE CLASS AND LAB TODAY! I AM ALREADY IN FORD HALL --DT Discussion of the pair-programming article in class. Continue with ATM/Teller machine example: The importance of pseudo-code, and going one step at a time. Changing a float into an int, and vice versa Functions: print(), abs(), trunc() (predefined) Friday Review of Lab 2 Q&A Strings and string methods (documentation) A review of what we have learned so far Learn how to use http://python.org and http://doc.python.org Lab #2 and Lab #2 Solution Programs Homework #2 and solutions programs.	Reading Read the article on pair programming. We will discuss it in class on Wednesday. Finish reading Chapter 2 by the end of this week. Read Chapter 3 up to Section 3.6 3.8 (not included) before Monday 2/10. Add
Week 3 2/10	Saturday/Sunday: Moodle Quiz #2 on Chapter 3. Go to Moodle, select CSC111, and locate the Quiz in the "Week 2-Chapter 3" section. The quiz closes Monday at 10:59 a.m. Monday A quick glimpse of what's ahead: Code Blocks If-statements Flowcharts The idea of boolean values, George Boole (1815-1864), 2-way directionals Relational operators < <= > >= ==, != Exercise 1: Revisiting the ATM program Exercise 2: Printing a tight box around 3 strings of unknown length: FindMax.py Wednesday Poll for Lab Section 1 students Continue exercises from Monday Exercise 3 (tricky!): Same as Exercise 2 but using this approach: print( "|%30s|" % name ), where 30 is the max More exercises! Negating a boolean expression (point inside a rectangle) Boolean variables Rock, Paper, Scissors Thursday Enjoy the day off! Enjoy the snow! Please do Lab 3 on your own and pick a time when TAs are available to help you out." Friday Revisit the Rock-Paper-Scissors program Boolean variables: how can we use them? How does one operate with them? Some exercises Lab #3 and solution programs Homework #3 and solution programs	Reading Finish reading Chapter 3 this week!
Week 4 2/17	Saturday/Sunday: Moodle Quiz on Chapter 4: While Loops. The quiz will cover only While loops, from Section 4.1 to 4.5 included. The quiz will close right before Monday's class. Monday: Watch the exchange between the robot played by Robin Williams and his owner, played by Sam Neil in the 1999 movie Bicentenial Man". Here one of the two "people" having a conversation is an ultra-logical being: a robot, who is not fully aware of the subtleties of the art of (human) conversation: (advance the movie to 7 minutes and 10 seconds) Debugging with print() statements: it works! Applying this technique to an exercise The different parts of a while loop. The flow of control. Semantic variations of the while loop Warning: infinite loops! The role of a sentinel. What is a sentinel? Exercises with While Loops Wednesday: RALLY DAY Lab 1 will be split in 2 sections, one Wed. 7-9 p.m., and one Thursday 7-9 p.m.. Both will be in Ford Hall 342. Friday Comments about Lab #4, Challenge 4: Modify the program above so that it stops 1) if the user enters -1 2) or when the sum of the numbers is greater than 20. Working with sentinels Example 1 Example 2 , reading Emily Dickinson's poetry Two illustrative videos for running Python on the command line. Lab #4 and Solution Programs Homework 4	Reading Chapter 4, first half on While loops for Monday 2/17, second half on For loops during the week.
Week 5 2/24	Saturday/Sunday: Moodle Quiz on the second half of Chapter 4: for Loops. The quiz will cover only for loops, from Section 4.6 to the end of Chapter 4. The quiz will close right before Monday's class. Monday For-Loops: review what they do, how they work Playing with sound files A bit of physics Physics of sound: A metal plate is connected to an oscillator and frequency is increased... The source of waves] (1933). You may skip after the first 6 minutes. Media Files hello.wav goodbye.wav dratcomp.wav force.wav takeover.wav guitar.wav Basic JES program to play sound file file = pickAFile() sound = makeSound( file ) blockingPlay( sound ) Basic functions can be found here Exercise 1: reduce the sound intensity by half Exercise 2: play the sound file backwards The print() function is getting more powerful by the minute! sep and end parameters! Nested-For Loops How to break out of a nested for loop? Exercises on Nested For-Loops Wednesday The print() function is getting more powerful by the minute! sep and end parameters! Simple sound modification exercises. Friday Lab #5 and solution programs Homework #5	Reading Chapter 4 on For-Loops. The quiz for Monday will ask questions about material seen in class the week of 2/24.
Week 6 3/3	Monday Wednesday Friday	Reading
Week 7 3/10	Monday Wednesday in-class MIDTERM EXAM and an example of the format that will be used Friday	Reading

Second Half

Week	Topics	Reading
Week 9 3/24	Monday Wednesday Friday	Reading
Week 10 3/31	Monday Wednesday Friday	Reading
Week 11 4/7	Monday Wednesday Friday (Visit by admitted students)	Reading
Week 12 4/14	Monday Wednesday Friday	Reading
Week 13 4/21	Monday Wednesday Friday	Reading
Week 14 4/28	Monday Wednesday Friday: Final Take-Home EXAM	Reading

Links and Resources

On Line Python books

• disocovermagazine.com blog. Check out the answers posted by many readers. They contain some interesting links that you may find useful!

Python keywords

The list of all the reserved words of the Python language

and del for is raise assert elif from lambda return break else global not try class except if or while continue exec import pass yield def finally in print

Linux

• Getting Started with Linux (from U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
• Intermediate Linux (from U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
• A good Emacs tutorial
• Emacs Quick Reference

Misc

• If you decide to work in pairs for the homework assignments, you need to follow the protocol for 'pair programming' as discussed in this article.

• Video talks on Python:
  • Guido van Rossum, and Python 3000

• All the programs of Zelle's Python textbook

• a video of digital horses: what we can do with lists of objects!

Software

• Installing and using the Secure Shell Client on a Windows PC.

• Using SSH on Windows, Linux, or on a Mac with OS X

Useful Math

• Powers of 2

---

Back To Main Page