Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 1 SOFT – Module Introduction & Overview

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 2 About Me Contact Details Mark Dixon Portland Square Room B316 Availability Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – School of Computing Communications and Electronics (main campus) Thursday, Friday – Peninsula Medical School (Derriford Hospital)

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 3 Module Admin Lectures and tutorials: –start at 5 minutes past the hour, and –aim to end at 5 minutes to the hour –if no lecturer - wait until 15 minutes past the hour then you may leave –Turn mobile phones off. –Ask questions or comment at any time –Feel free to talk quietly amongst yourselves –Material (slides, handouts, etc.) available 1 hour before session, on: Soft131 web-site ( ) Lectures: –Don’t come in after 15 minutes past the hour.

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 4 Module Format The module is delivered as follows: Lecture: 1 hr per week, all groups, Mondays 14:05 – 14:55 Tutorials / Practical Session: 2 hr per week Mondays 15:05 – 16:55 Tuesdays 09:05 – 10:55 Tuesdays 11:05 – 12:55 Private study (as much as it takes – typically 3 hours/week)

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 5 Module Aims This module aims to teach you: –How to learn (self-directed) surface learning (memorisation of isolated facts) deep learning (interrelated concepts) –How to develop software: fundamental programming concepts (e.g. events, procedures) how to combine these to solve problems –How to use Visual BASIC

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 6 Schedule (Term 1) WeekStartTitleTopics and ConceptsAssignment No.Date 129-SepModule introduction & overview Specifications, Objects, Controls, Properties, Methods, Events, Event handlers, Procedures, Instructions, Assignment, deep vs. surface learning 206-OctUser Interface Design, & Debugging Usefulness, usability, learnability, user interface design principles, incremental development, functional decomposition, verification, validation 313-OctGraphicsGrid system, graphics controls and methods (pset, line, circle). 420-OctData, Data-types, and VariablesTypes of data, data types, variable declaration & assignment 527-OctConditional execution (selection)Conditional statements (if and case statements), decision trees 603-NovIteration (repetition) Manual and automatic iteration using loops (for and while statements) 710-NovConstants, Arrays, & StructuresConstants, arrays, structures/records/user defined data types 817-NovProceduresAbstraction, procedures. 924-NovArguments/ParametersArguments/parameters, calling by value and by referenceOut 1001-DecFunctions 1108-DecModular DesignModules/units 1215-DecAlgorithm efficiencyBalancing execution speed, code size, and development time.In Fri 19 Dec

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 7 Reading List 1 The following book is recommended reading: –McKeown, P; and Piercy, C (2001) Learning to program with Visual BASIC. 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 8 Reading List 2 Additional reading (the following are referred to occasionally, borrow from library): Pressman, R (2000) Software Engineering: a practitioner's approach. 5th edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN: Sommerville, I (2001) Software Engineering. 6th edition. Addison-Wesley. ISBN: X. –Overview of Software Engineering: Chapter 1, especially page 4. Preece, J; Rogers, Y; Sharp, H; Benyon, D; Holland, S; and Carey, T (1994) Human-Computer Interaction. Addison Wesley. ISBN: –Direct Manipulation: Section 13.6, pages –Interface Design: Chapter 24, pages Shneiderman, Ben (1998) Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction. 3rd edition. Addison-Wesley. ISBN SHN

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 9 Student Background Typically wide range of prior experience A.10 years programming (professional?) B.5 years programming (professional?) C.3 years programming (professional?) D.1 year programming (learning) E.no programming Can be difficult to cater for all A B C D E number of students

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 10 Attendance Attendance is mandatory This is not a distance learning course portal is supplement (not replacement) for attending lectures and tutorials

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 11 What is Programming? Essentially: teaching computers User Requirements (Natural Language: English) User Software Developer Computer Instructions (computer programming language: Visual BASIC) (You)

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 12 Example 1: Hello

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 13 Event-driven programming Sub Command1_Click End Sub Form1 Label1 Command1 Click Double Click Key Press Label1.Caption = “Hello” FormControlEvent Handler Procedure Instruction WindowsProgramming Objects Identifier Property Literal

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 14 VB Environment Toolbox Properties Window Form Window Project Explorer

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 15 Software Engineering Response to failure of software: –late –over budget –does not work Specifications –describe what software should do acts as ‘to do’ list for developer acts as contract between developer and user Functional decomposition –break down problem into smaller chunks Incremental Development –do a bit at a time

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 16 Example 2: Music Player User Requirement: –to play different music for long time without interruption (while working or at party) Software Requirements Specification software should: –allow user to: select track (MP3 file) from folder on disk play selected track –automatically move to next track in folder go back to first after last has played

Mark Dixon, SoCCE SOFT 131Page 17 Music Player (v1) ' *************************** Option Explicit ' *************************** Private Sub drvMain_Change() dirMain.Path = drvMain.Drive End Sub ' *************************** Private Sub dirMain_Change() filMain.Path = dirMain.Path End Sub ' *************************** Private Sub filMain_Click() mmcMain.Command = "Close" mmcMain.FileName = filMain.Path & "\" & filMain.FileName mmcMain.Command = "Open" End Sub