SCS Curriculum Reinvention Committee

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COMP 1405/1406 Redesign

Topic Brainstorming

Add topics here at the end of the section. Please don't remove anything!

• WHAT IS COMPUTER SCIENCE
  • problem solving
  • algorithms
  • abstraction and problem decomposition
  • efficiency ??
• PSEUDO-CODE ??
• SEQUENCING INSTRUCTIONS
  • top down coding in sequence (e.g., draw a house)
• VARIABLES
  • declaring vs. assigning
  • memory usage ??
  • constants
  • examples:
    • compute simple math formulas
    • interactive input (e.g., use mouse position)
    • motion (if doing graphics)
• Numbers
  • integers
  • floats
• CONDITIONALS
  • simple IF/ELSE
  • nested IF
  • booleans(AND/OR)
  • examples:
    • make choices based on runtime input
    • basic state machine
    • edge cases / error checking
• ITERATION
  • repeating X times (REPEAT)
  • counting (FOR)
  • repeating until condition (WHILE)
  • nested loops
  • examples
    • sum/avg/max/min
    • counting matches
    • MonteCarlo approximation
    • loop until user input
    • searching (find first match)
• ARRAYS (1D and 2D)
  • initializing and memory usage
  • simple 1D (sum.avg/max/min)
  • insert/remove
  • copy/growing array
• Optimization
  • e.g., knapsack
  • greedy
• Simulation
  • virus clearing
  • Roomba
• Abstract data types
• Sorting
• Search
  • linear
  • binary
  • exhaustive
• Divide and conquer
• Dynamic programming
• FORMATTING
  • string manipulation
  • display in columns (i.e., tabbing)
  • display dates/times
• Data structures
  • lists
  • structures
  • tuples
  • binary trees
  • dictionaries
  • sets
  • stacks, queues
• Complexity analysis
  • informal
• OBJECTS
  • instance variables
  • initialization (constructors)
  • shared references
  • static vs. instance
• FUNCTIONS and PROCEDURES
  • simple computations and return values
  • passing parameters
  • passing arrays as parameters
  • helper methods
• RECURSION (likely 1406 material?)
  • inductive definitions of data and associated recursion patterns.
  • direct vs. indirect
  • tail recursion
  • examples:
    • math problems (factorial/sum/avg)
    • searching mazes
    • iterate a non recursive data structure (array)
    • iterate a recursive data structure (e.g., tree)
• PERSISTENCE (likely 1406 material?)
  • writing files
  • reading files
  • parsing files
• WINDOWING
  • display text output
  • get textfield input
  • buttons
  • design and layout
  • handling events
  • menus
  • dialog boxes
• GRAPHICS
  • drawing with lines/shapes
  • grabbing/selecting/moving graphical objects
• User interaction
• PROPER CODING STYLE
  • encapsulation
  • polymorphism
  • private/public/protected data
• INHERITANCE
  • class hierarchies
  • abstract vs. concrete classes ?
  • overriding/inheriting methods
  • type-casting (needed if JAVA used) ?
• NETWORKING ?? (1406 ... as interesting examples)
  • read internet page
  • two applications talk over network
• Event-driven programming
• Model-View-Controller (more for 1406)
• Database APIs
  • Allow use of key/value stores as used by standard websites
• Testing and debugging
  • design vs. implementation errors
  • basic test cases, regression testing?
  • basic debugger usage
  • strategies for identifying and fixing programming problems
• Software licenses
  • open source and commercial
  • restrictions on reuse
• How to read code
• editing and building software
  • basic IDE usage
• commenting, code formatting guidelines
• revision control
  • have students grab class code from this, pull updates
  • make commits/push to submit?
• Understanding APIs
  • basic idea of contract, side effects
• Concurrency/parallel code
  • maybe not standard locking but some clean parallel constructs?
• Relative costs of operations
  • memory vs. I/O vs. computation
  • very basic benchmarking
  • main idea: know that you can't predict what is going to be fast in practice w/o tests

• my first wiki entry ever! - djh

Should we copy the MIT 6.00 outline here?

Sub categories?

Yes, we can add sub categories here.

Weekly Outline

Here is a list of the topics that I (Mark) think should be in 1405:

• WHAT IS COMPUTER SCIENCE
  • problem solving
  • algorithms
  • abstraction and problem decomposition
  • divide and conquer
  • efficiency (just an intro to the ideas behind it)
• PSEUDO-CODE
• SEQUENCING INSTRUCTIONS
  • top down coding in sequence (e.g., draw a house)
• VARIABLES
  • declaring vs. assigning
  • memory usage (how memory is affected)
  • constants
  • examples:
    • compute simple math formulas
    • interactive input (e.g., use mouse position)
    • motion (if doing graphics)
• Numbers
  • integers
  • floats
• CONDITIONALS
  • simple IF/ELSE
  • nested IF
  • booleans(AND/OR)
  • examples:
    • make choices based on runtime input
    • basic state machine
    • edge cases / error checking
• ITERATION
  • repeating X times (REPEAT)
  • counting (FOR)
  • repeating until condition (WHILE)
  • nested loops
  • examples
    • sum/avg/max/min
    • counting matches
    • MonteCarlo approximation
    • loop until user input
    • searching (find first match)
• COMMENTING / CODE FORMATTING GUIDELINES
• ARRAYS (1D and 2D)
  • initializing and memory usage
  • simple 1D (sum.avg/max/min)
  • insert/remove
  • copy/growing array
• OBJECTS
  • instance variables
  • initialization (constructors)
  • shared references
  • static vs. instance
• FUNCTIONS and PROCEDURES
  • simple computations and return values
  • passing parameters
  • passing arrays as parameters
  • helper methods
• EVENT-DRIVEN PROGRAMMING (if using Processing)
• GRAPHICS (if using Processing)
  • drawing with lines/shapes
  • grabbing/selecting/moving graphical objects
• USER INTERACTION
• RELATIVE COSTS OF OPERATIONS
  • memory vs. I/O vs. computation
  • very basic benchmarking
  • main idea: know that you can't predict what is going to be fast in practice w/o tests
• SORTING
• SEARCH
  • linear
  • binary
  • exhaustive
• SIMULATION
  • virus clearing
  • Roomba
• HOW TO READ CODE ???

Weekly Outline

Here is a list of the topics that I (Mark) think should be in 1406:

• EDITING AND BUILDING SOFTWARE
  • basic IDE usage
• RECURSION
  • inductive definitions of data and associated recursion patterns.
  • direct vs. indirect
  • tail recursion
  • examples:
    • math problems (factorial/sum/avg)
    • searching mazes
    • iterate a non recursive data structure (array)
    • iterate a recursive data structure (e.g., tree)
• PERSISTENCE
  • writing files
  • reading files
  • parsing files
• WINDOWING
  • display text output
  • get textfield input
  • buttons
  • design and layout
  • handling events
  • menus
  • dialog boxes
• EVENT-DRIVEN PROGRAMMING (if not using Processing in 1405)
• MODEL/VIEW/CONTROLLER
• GRAPHICS (if not using Processing in 1405)
  • drawing with lines/shapes
  • grabbing/selecting/moving graphical objects
• PROPER CODING STYLE
  • encapsulation
  • polymorphism
  • private/public/protected data
• INHERITANCE
  • class hierarchies
  • abstract vs. concrete classes ?
  • overriding/inheriting methods
  • type-casting (needed if JAVA used) ?
• NETWORKING
  • read internet page
  • two applications talk over network
• FORMATTING output nicely
  • string manipulation
  • display in columns (i.e., tabbing)
  • display dates/times
• ABSTRACT DATA TYPES / DATA STRUCTURES
  • lists
  • structures
  • tuples
  • binary trees
  • dictionaries
  • sets
  • stacks, queues
• TESTING AND DEBUGGING
  • design vs. implementation errors
  • basic test cases, regression testing?
  • basic debugger usage
  • strategies for identifying and fixing programming problems
• OPTIMIZATION
  • e.g., knapsack
  • greedy
• DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING

Weekly Outline

Here is a list of the topics that I (Mark) don't think are necessary but can be added if time permits:

• UNDERSTANDING APIs
  • basic idea of contract, side effects
• DATABASE APIs ???
  • Allow use of key/value stores as used by standard websites
• SOFTWARE LICENSES
  • open source and commercial
  • restrictions on reuse
• REVISION CONTROL
  • have students grab class code from this, pull updates
  • make commits/push to submit?
• CONCURRENCY/PARALLEL CODE
  • maybe not standard locking but some clean parallel constructs?

Sample weekly outline (Fall 2006)

1. Introduction Sept 7-8

    - intro to CS
    - class stuff

2. Algorithms Sept 11-15

    - what are they
    - intro to problem solving
    - statements
    - pseudocode

3. Variables Sept 18-22

    - concept
    - identifiers
    - assignment
    - expressions, arithmetic

4. Conditionals Sept 25-29

    - Decision statements
    - boolean operators
    - if / then / else
    - case / switch
    - going from problem description to conditional statement

5. Iteration Oct 2-6

    - idea of looping
    - starting / stopping / stepping
    - loop bodies
    - top and bottom loops
    - for loops
    - while loops
    - going from problem to loop statements

6. Subprograms Oct 9-13

    - idea of modularization
    - functions and procedures
    - parameter passing
    - variable scope
    - when to modularize (problem solving)

7. Computer architecture Oct 16-20

    - basic von Neumann architecture
    - linear memory organization
    - possibly midterm post-mortem in this week

8. Data structures 1: Arrays Oct 23-27

    - idea of data structures & collections
    - arrays & linear memory
    - array operations, initialization
    - relation to loops
    - 2D arrays
    - going from problem to array specification

9. Data structures 2: Structs Oct 30-Nov 3

    - idea of user-defined structures
    - why and when to use
    - examples

10. Searching Nov 6-10

    - a larger problem domain
    - linear and binary search
    - 'putting it all together' (arrays, loops, variables, etc)
    - introduction to algorithm analysis (just the idea that different

algorithms can take different time)

11. Sorting Nov 13-17

    - same basic structure as searching week
    - bubble sort and selection sort

12. Recursion Nov 20-24

    - introduction to the idea
    - base cases & recursive cases
    - composition steps (returning a value)

13. Review Nov 27-Dec 4

    - lab exam postmortem
    - review for the final

Textbooks

• Sedgewick and Wayne, Introduction to Programming in Java