Computer Science Reaching Wider Summer School 2012

Welcome Your Hosts- – Me (Andy Ryan) PhD Student visual computing – Tom Owen PhD Student Future Interactions Technology (FIT) lab

Aim Turn you into expert programmers in two weeks – Lol, jk. We’re going to be just getting started. Inspire you, motivate you and draw you into the world of computer science. Produce a simple game in Java incorporating core Computer Science concepts

Plan Today – Introduction What is computer science. Your first program. Data structures – integral to efficient programming. Wednesday – Inheritance and polymorphism. Thursday – Algorithms, the blueprints of computer programming Friday – File Input/Output, Storyboarding

Coursework That’s right. COURSEWORK! Fun coursework – Go play some games. iOS, Android, Sony, anything. Get ideas, get inspiration. Next Monday – A brain storming session. Get your game designs ready, present it to the group bounce ideas around. Next week – making your own game in Java

What is computing? What does the word computing mean to you. What impact does computing have on your lives.

How? Computers are very STUPID! We have to tell them how to do everything But how can we do that when they’re so stupid. PROGRAMMING!

Programming Pipeline Compile Test Debug Design Write

Programming Pipeline Compile Test Debug Design Write Algorithms are our blueprints. Good design = Good Programs Test things before we’ve even implemented them

Programming Pipeline Compile Test Debug Design Write Precise accurate instructions In a language the computer can understand Errors are common, don’t be put off.

Programming Pipeline Compile Test Debug Design Write The computer translates your code into machine code, BINARY Checks for SYNTAX errors. Won’t compile unless all syntax is correct

Programming Pipeline Compile Test Debug Design Write Try out your program Does it do what you really want it to do? Does it crash in certain conditions Is any maths correct

Programming Pipeline Compile Test Debug Design Write Revisit your code. Look for errors (beware the curse of copy- paste) Is you’re logic correct Does your program follow the design.

Java Object Orientated programming language Highly portable. Runs on pretty much anything. – What can you think of?

Classes and objects Object Orientated programming language Class Car String make String model Int topSpeed Int numPassengers Object Car1 make: ford model: Escort topSpeed: 120 numPassengers: 4 Object Car2 make: Mazda model: RX8 topSpeed numPassengers:1

An example Class MyFirstJavaProg { public static void main(String [] args) { System.out.println("Hello World!"); } What does it do? What patterns can you see.

Tools Programming is hard – Can simply use notepad. Not very fun. Tools make it easier Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) remove some of the hard work for us. – Tracks variable names – Colour codes text – Shows error locations We will be using an IDE called Greenfoot

Greenfoot Notice the compile button Class structure Interface

The Greenfoot Library Details on all the methods and classes included in Greenfoot. If your stuck. This is the first place for you to look.