CPSC 329 Course Information

Catalogue description:

This course continues the study of programming by focusing on software design, development, and verification - the skills beyond fluency in a particular language which are necessary for developing large, reliable programs. Topics include object-oriented design, the use of APIs, and testing and verification. Techniques common in modern software development will also be studied. Specific techniques may include GUIs and event-driven programming, multi-threading, client-server networking, fault-tolerant computing, stream programming, and security.

This course completes the programming sequence begun by CPSC 124 and 225 - CPSC 124 introduces the basic ideas of programming along with the syntax and semantics of the Java programming language, CPSC 225 focuses on common data structures as the organizational building blocks of programs, and CPSC 329 addresses creating good software as well some of the specific technologies found in software applications.

Four key points are at the core of good software:

• fully understanding what the software is to do,
• planning and design before coding,
• proper use of modularity and abstraction in the design,
• and building in reliability through good coding practices and the integration of testing in the implementation process.

This course will address how to achieve those points. In addition, students will gain:

• an organized approach to software development;
• an understanding of the core principles of object-oriented design, and the ability to apply those principles to create flexible and maintainable software;
• a habit of good software, which includes coding standards, documentation, appreciation of the value of good design (and the willpower to refactor as needed to improve the design), and testing;
• experience with a substantial project, working in teams, and working with someone else's code;
• skills for life-long learning, specifically learning from examples, tutorials, and APIs;
• technical skills relevant to software development, including the use of integrated development environments, version control, and unit testing; and
• a basic technical understanding of some aspects of modern software such as GUIs, event-driven programming, user interface design, client-server networking, and threads.

This course will utilize a flipped format. What that means is that new material will be introduced through readings and/or videos plus a short self-assessment "quiz", to be reviewed/completed before class. Class meetings will emphasize application of the material, as a class or in small groups, with short lectures to go over questions or resolve tricky points as needed.

Additional outside-of-class work includes finishing labs (if not completed during the lab period) and multiple programming projects. Most of these projects will be team projects, requiring awareness of deadlines, careful time management, steady effort, and working with others' schedules. Dates for the projects are on the schedule page. Students should expect to devote a significant amount of time to the course, as software development is necessarily practiced by doing and implementing software takes time.

There will also be several skills checks, which function as exams covering the main technical content of each of the group projects. Dates are on the schedule page.

CPSC 225 is required.
Programming in this course will be done in Java, and students are expected to be comfortable with Java syntax, the concepts of object-oriented programming (including classes, objects, interfaces, inheritance, and abstract classes), and writing programs to solve problems. Also expected is some familiarity with basic data structures (arrays, linked lists), abstract data types (lists, stacks, queues, maps/dictionaries), the realization of those abstract data types in the Java Collections Framework (List, Stack, Queue, Map and their concrete implementations), and efficiency; the notion of abstract data types and the separation of interface and implementation; how to use the Java API documentation; and coding standards.

There is no textbook to purchase - material will be posted on the course webpage or Canvas.

All of the software needed for this course will be available on the Linux machines in Lansing 310 and in Rosenberg 009 for in-person and remote access. It is freely available (nothing to purchase) and can also be installed on your own computer if desired. (Instructions will be provided.)

If you have a laptop that you can bring to class, you are encouraged to do so (with the necessary software installed).

last updated: --Wed Aug 17 21:48:51 EDT 2022--
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