CSE1PE: Programming Environment

Subject Outline 2009

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Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering
La Trobe University
Semester 1, 2009

1. Introduction

Aims

• To introduce students to analysing, designing, constructing and documenting solutions to programming problems
• To familiarize students with commonly used operating systems and tools used in program development

Objectives

Students should be able to:

• Analyse a problem and construct a logical solution suitable for implementation as a computer program
• Represent a solution to a problem in pseudo code
• Use appropriate programming tools to develop solutions to programming problems
• Produce a correctly coded solution to a problem specification
• Apply the 3 basic programming constructs of sequence, selection and iteration
• Internally document a program with appropriate comments
• Develop external documentation for a programming problem
• Specify and execute test plans for programming problems
• Use standard Unix commands for: file management; printing, account management; compilation, ...
• Be aware of the nature and usage of Unix from a programmer's viewpoint

Content

This subject provides an introduction to:

• Problem solving and algorithm design
• Programming and design documentation: definition diagrams, pseudo code, data dictionaries, desk checks, test plans
• Programming using Visual Basic
• Programming tools: e.g. editors, compilers, debuggers, ftp, Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)
• The UNIX Operating System

There are no prerequisites for the subject.

2. Teaching Staff and Contacts

Subject Coordinator, Lecturer and Tutor

Name: Chris Cope
Office: B1.14
Phone: 5444 7340
Email: c.cope@latrobe.edu.au
WWW: http://ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/staff/cope/Chris.Cope.html

If you require any assistance please contact me in person or by phone or email. Please use your university email accounts when emailing as Spam filters may block email from other addresses such as hotmail.

We will be available during tutorials or consultation times. 

Queries/Problems

• Queries related to the specific subject matter of Programming Environment are best discussed initially with the relevant tutor or lecturer e.g. questions regarding lectures, tutorial problems/assistance, assignments etc.
• For problems of a more general nature, such as wishing to change subject enrolments contact one of the Course Administrators.
• Personal problems may be taken up with the Counsellors at the Student Services office.
• When in doubt, the best course is probably to approach your tutor, who may direct you to a more appropriate person.
• Staff are very approachable, and students are strongly advised to contact the appropriate staff member to discuss course and enrolment problems at an early stage.

Course Administration

See the course administrators if you have any queries or problems with your course. The course administrators deal with things such as changes to enrolment, change of address, special consideration, subject/course withdrawal, supplementary exams etc. If your enquiry does not fall within the responsibility of the course administrators, wherever possible they will refer you to the appropriate person/area.

• Kerry Qualtrough: Applied Science 2, room 3.01 (Faculty of Science, Technology & Engineering office); phone 5444 7805; email k.qualtrough@latrobe.edu.au

Course Coordinator

• Mary Martin: Bus1.16; phone 5444 7273; email m.martin@latrobe.edu.au .

3. Lectures, Tutorials and Computer Laboratory Sessions

Lectures

There are 2 lectures per week, all students are expected to attend these lectures.

Tutorials and Computer Laboratory Sessions

You are required to attend one tutorial and one computer laboratory session each week. The tutorials following the first lecture of the week are generally held in a class room. The computer laboratory sessions following the second lecture of the week.

Tutorials commence in week 2. Computer laboratory sessions will commence after the second lecture (Thursday) in week 1. Labour day is not a University holiday.

4. Assessment

Distribution of Marks and Important Dates

Exam

A 2.5 hour closed book exam will be held during the exam period.

Pass Requirements

To pass the subject students must achieve the following:

• A minimum of 50% overall and
• A minimum of 40% on the exam

Assessment Regulations

Assignments

• All written material should be easily understood, grammatically correct and without spelling errors.
• Printed material must be clear and of a good quality. Marks will be deducted for poor presentation
• All assignments must be bound firmly into an A4 cover
• DO NOT submit loose material or sheets in separate plastic pockets. It should be possible to read every page without undoing any fastenings or removing them from pockets

Assignments are due at 4pm on the date specified. Please place them in the appropriate assignment cupboard outside of B2.28.

Plagiarism

• All assessable tutorial and assignment work should be substantially your own.
• Working closely with someone else on a non-group assignment is cheating
• Cheating or plagiarism will result in zero marks for the assignment, and may result in failing the subject or worse.
• Each assignment must have a signed statement declaring any assistance you received with the assignment. Assistance from your lecturer or tutor need not be acknowledged.
• See La Trobe's Policy on Plagiarism for full information.

Extensions and Late Assignments

Assignments must be handed in by 4pm on the due date or incur the following late penalties.

When calculating the final mark for a late assignment, the late penalty is calculated based on the maximum possible mark for the assignment. For example if a student hands the assignment in at 1pm Tuesday (4 days late) and they achieve a raw mark of 75% on the assignment, then a late penalty of 20% is applied and they get a final mark of 55% (75% - 20%) for the assignment.

Extensions will only be given under exceptional circumstances.

5. Books and Subject Web Pages

Text Book

There is no set text for Programming Environment, so you aren't required to buy a book for this subject. However some books that you may find useful in this subject and later in the course are listed under Suggested References below.

Suggested References

Some useful references are:

Introductory book on Problem Solving and Program Design

The following is an excellent book on problem solving and program design. I believe that you will find it useful in the introductory programming subjects. However it doesn't cover programming in a particular language.

• Robertson, L. A. (2006) Simple Program Design: A Step-by-Step Approach. 5th ed. Melbourne: Thomson. (ISBN: 0-17-012851-2; Cost: approximately $65; Format: Paperback; Pages: 368, the 4th edition is also excellent).

Introductory book on UNIX

You will be using UNIX in a number of IT subjects, so a good introductory book should be useful throughout the course. I believe that the following book would be useful for an introduction to UNIX.

• Taylor, D. (2005) Sams Teach Yourself UNIX in 24 Hours. 4th ed. Indianapolis, Indiana: Sams. (ISBN: 0-672-32814-3; Cost: approximately $45; Format: Paperback; Pages: 528; the 3rd edition is also excellent).

Subject Web Pages

Class lecture notes, assignments, tutorial exercises (and more) will be made available on the web. The notes on the web should not be viewed as the complete content of the subject. During lectures, topics outlined in the notes will be expanded on with explanations, examples, diagrams, discussion etc.

The Web pages for the subject are located at:

http://ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/subjects/PE/