CSC 212 – DATA STRUCTURES Prof. Matthew Hertz WTC 207D /

Objectives Met in CSC212  Design computational solutions  Decompose a problem into logically grouped subprograms  Develop and analyze algorithms  Program well  Code in a high-level language  Debug a program  Write and use a test plan  Document a program  Work independently  Organize data for effective use  Use fundamental data structures  Implement data structures  Understand the role of computing and the computer professional  Present or explain ideas  Weigh different solutions and explain or argue why one was preferable

High-level Objectives  Become programmers, not just “code monkeys”  Develop solutions from scratch on your own  Be able to explain what your solutions is  Select the fastest algorithm for your solution  Use common real-world development techniques  Develop algorithmic “toolbox” of solutions  Have fun

Expectations of Me  Lectures prepared and organized  Assign real problems that are interesting & fun  Be (reasonably) available to answer questions  Be honest and forthright

Teaching Style  Reasoning more important than answer  Rarely asked same question again  Lucky guesses are not meaningful  Explaining how & why demonstrates mastery  Class participation is vital  Need to understand problem to adjust approach

Adult Learning  Students read material before class  Answer any initial questions at start of class  (Short) lecture explains key ideas  Provides 2 nd opportunity to see material  Limits long, boring droning  Students work in teams to solve problems  Make sure you actually understand material  Make mistakes when easy to correct

Expectations of You  Work hard  Come to class prepared  Be a good teammate  Ask for help early and often  Let me know what you are thinking

Attendance  Attendance is mandatory  Talk to me when you know you must miss a meeting  You are responsible for every class  Missing class is never acceptable excuse  Best way to earn a poor grade: skip class

Deadlines  Have 2 virtual “extensions”  Each used to get 1 day extension on assignment  Can use multiple extensions on 1 assignment  Late work not accepted without extension  If you know you cannot make a deadline, talk to me  Earlier we talk, the better we can find a solution

Attack of the Real-World

Attack of Real Life  When life happens…  May need to ask you to get a note from the Dean  Be prepared to show documentation  Talk to me when you can  Will work to find fair & equitable solution

Course Grading Midterms32% Final25% Projects24% Weekly Assignments7% Daily Activity6% Program Portfolio10% Grades available via Angel Midterms given on Oct. 3 rd & Nov. 10 th 4 programming projects during semester

Course Grading Goals  Build skills used by “real” programmers  Lots of opportunities to learn & improve  Present material in variety of ways  Develop understanding needed for later classes  Catch and correct problems early  I am mean & like watching students suffer

Weekly Assignments  Posted on web/Angel each week  Due by 5PM following Tuesday of following week  Virtual extensions can be used on these  Before submitting, can ask questions throughout day  Several goals for these assignments  Provides additional programming opportunities  Reinforce the material from the past week  Practice programming & debugging skills from lab  Questions may seem suggestive at times  Used to prepare for labs & programming assignments

Programmer’s Notebook  Take notes on readings’ important details  Course webpage contains helpful templates to use  Notes written by you so easy to understand  (Don’t care where you get information from) ‏  Use notebooks during labs & tests  Can also use book during test (but it won’t help much) ‏

Slide Changes  My slides had been decent set of notes  Key points & most details included, often in color  Provided a good overview of what was said  Students stopped taking notes on their own  Writing increases odds of remembering ideas  Really, really bad idea to not take any notes  Trapped me into specific way of lecturing  Limited opportunities to use clever memory tools  Lectures often resembled

Students During Lecture

Slide Changes  Slides contain more pictures, less text  Makes lectures more interesting & fund  New ways to reinforce lessons discussed  Proper presentation techniques used  Will be poor substitute for actual notes  Print slide handout & take notes on the side  These notes (& my slides) usable in quizzes & final  Everybody wins, except these guys…

Traditional Lectures

Grading Rubric  “A”  Know material  Few small mistakes  “B”  Good understanding of topic  Miss a few “boundary cases”  “C”  Know idea, fuzzy on details  Miss large number of boundary cases -or-  Solution is close, but not quite correct  “D”  Vague on idea, details are a blur  Only solves general case -or-  Solution usually incorrect -or-  Solution rarely crashes  “F”  Started day before its due  Solution rarely correct -or-  Crashes regularly -or-  Code cannot compile

Learning Styles  Different ways in which people learn best  Important to discover what works for you  Present visually, verbally, written, & kinetically  Let me know what works & DOESN’T work for you

Collaboration  Fellow students are a great resource  Provides multiple viewpoints & understandings  Get together, discuss material, and study  Can have them answer lingering questions  Clarify a problem and what it is asking  Will overlap in classes, so may as well start interacting

Collaboration  Work you submit must be done by you  When discussing homework or projects  Leave conversation with memories only  Wait >15 minutes before starting on your own  Solutions always unique after waiting  Once started, each student should work alone  When in doubt, ask me

Coding Help  Will work on testing & debugging  To get debugging help in CSC212  Method(s) must be commented (javadoc) ‏  Must use a trace or similar to look for bug Normally, students find their own solution this way Also gives us starting point to work from Helps you learn to fix your own errors

Textbook  Goodrich & Tamassia, Data Structures and Algorithms in Java, 4 th Edition, Wiley,  Available at bookstore & online  Will cover about 50% of the textbook  CSC213 looks at other half of the book

Course Website  Webpage for this course found on Angel  Contains handouts, lecture slides, homeworks, announcements, etc.  Good place to check for information  May not include everything said in class

For Next Lecture  There is lab tomorrow  Be ready to start working  Bring CSC111 & CSC212 textbooks, if possible  Mourn summer’s end & start of homework  Read first section of the book  Start reviewing Java language basics