TCU CoSc 10403 Introduction to Programming (with Java)

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TCU CoSc 10403 Introduction to Programming (with
Java)

• Course Introduction

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Agenda

• Roll
• Course Overview
• Finding information (www.cs.tcu.edu/classinfo)
• Getting help (instructor TAs)
• Succeeding in the course
• (study hard_work programming) success
• Computer Accounts - everyone MUST have a TCU
  computer account (not Gmail, not HotMail,
  etc.)!!!
• Turn cellphones OFF no texting, emails, or
  phonecalls!
• Programming and Java Background - no assumption
  is made about previous programming experience!

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Course Overview

• Programming
• For the Web (Java Applets)
• GUIs (using Swing classes)
• Object-oriented paradigm
• Problem solving
• Learn by doing
• Demonstrate through
• labs, experiments and exams
• Time intensive and unforgiving!!!

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Sources of Information Help

• Programming Help
• Textbook
• Instructor (initial help sessions in TTC 335 -
  next Tuesday)
• Lab assistants
• Account help
• Information Services
• Course information
• http//www.cs.tcu.edu/10403/
• Your classmates
• discuss syntax, design, debugging
• deliverables are your own work!
• Sun Microsystems web (www.java.com/en/)
• Eclipse IDE
• www.eclipse.org/
• and
• http//www.eclipse.org/downloads/ (select your
  platform)

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For Next Tuesdays Class Period without fail!!!!

• (1) Go to the class website
• http//www.cs.tcu.edu/10403
• (2) Explore the website links.
• (3) Bring the copy of the Eclipse tutorial with
  you to class next period we will meet in TTC
  353 DONT Forget!!

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Accounts and Software

• TCU Computer Accounts
• Information Commons area of the library (1st
  floor)
• Software
• Eclipse IDE - Java component
• Internet Explorer
• TURNIN
• Locations
• TTC Labs (353 357)
• Library PC Lab (first floor)

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Succeeding in the course

• Make backups of your files
• Keep up with assignments and reading
• You cant learn by just reading
• Riding a bike
• Playing the piano
• Programming
• The machine is the master

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About Java

• Designed and implemented by Sun Microsystems,
  Inc.
• A very young language - 1st brought to the
  attention of the public in 1995.
• Designed as a device independent language
  (originally named Oak) for use in consumer
  electronic devices (microwaves ovens, smart TVs,
  thermostats, etc.)
• In 1992/93 the WWW arrived - since the language
  was device independent, Sun soon realized that
  Java would be suitable for writing programs to
  run on different computers connected to the
  Internet.
• It was the 1st language to provide features to
  allow programs to be downloadable as part of a
  web page (and run on a users computer).

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Java Just Another Vague Acronym?

• Originally called Oak by James Gosling
• For internet appliances (interactive TV,)
• Inspiration was a large oak tree outside his
  office
• But Oak was the name of an existing programming
  language
• Inspiration struck one day during a trip to the
  local coffee shop
• DNA and Silk were suggested for the trademark
  search. Someone said We might as well suggest
  something as silly as ... Java.

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History of Programming Languages

• 1940s Machine Language
• Assembly Language
• 1954 FORTRAN COBOL
• 1960 ALGOL, explosion of languages
• 1967 Simula
• 1970 BASIC Pascal
• 1972 C
• 1980 Smalltalk
• 1986 C
• 1995 Java

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Why learn Java?

• Simple (relatively!)
• programmers can grasp the concepts in a short
  span of time and start producing good
  applications quickly
• Object-oriented
• programmers have access to ready-made and tested
  object libraries
• Automatic storage management
• no pointers garbage collection built in
• Secure
• security model prohibits certain types of access
• Architecture neutral
• Java Virtual Machine (JVM) can be installed on
  any platform
• Ease of migration
• looks and feels like C

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More about Java

• The language is small in size and simple to
  learn.
• The power of the language comes from the
  extensive library of software components that
  have already been developed and are available for
  use.
• Java programs consist of pieces called
  classes.
• There are two things to master in order to learn
  to program in Java
• Learning the Java language itself so that you can
  program your own classes, and
• Learning what is already available in the
  extensive Java class libraries and how to use
  them.
• The language can be used to develop both stand
  alone applications and applets.

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Java application vs. applet

• Application
• Stand alone (e.g. MS Word, Firefox, )
• Applet
• Embedded in a web page

This course teaches how to create applets, but
not too difficult to change between
application/applet