Offered: Spring 1996 Instructor: David J. Eck Room: Lansing 300 Time: Tuesday, 7:00 to 8:30 PM (or later)
Java is a new programming languages developed at Sun Microsystems. It has generated a lot of excitement, primarily because programs written in Java can be tightly integrated into pages on the World Wide Web. But that is only one of its attractions. We will discuss some of the others on the first day of class.
In this course, you will have the opportunity to learn Java and to use it to write "applets," small programs that run on Web pages. I'll also expect you to create one or more Web pages to display your applets. I hope to be able to add your work to the HWS Web site, as an example of the sort of things students can do in our courses.
The text for the course is Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days, by Laura Lemay and Charles L. Perkins. This is a fairly readable text that will be suitable for people starting out at a variety of levels. Not everyone in the course will start out at the same level, and I don't expect everyone to end up at the same point. The course really will be an independent study to that extent.
This course is offered on a credit/no-credit basis. To get credit for the course, you should come to all ten class meetings (unless you have a reasonable excuse and discuss it with me), and you should produce several original Java applets. You should also come to a departmental colloquium to be given by alumnus Kirk Jordan on Thurday during the first week of classes, unless you have a scheduling conflict.
Note that a grade of "credit" does not affect your GPA, but it does count as a course towards graduation. It can also be counted towards a major or minor in computer science.
My office is room 301 in Lansing Hall. I will announce regularly scheduled office hours as soon as my schedule is firm. But you will find that I am often in my office, and I encourage you to come by whenever you want to talk about the course or say hello.