next up previous
Next: MC104 Algorithms and Data Up: Year 1 Previous: Year 1

MC103 Program Design


MC103 Program Design

Credits: 20 Convenor: Dr. N. Measor Semester: 1


Prerequisites:
Assessment: Continuous assessment: 40% Three hour exam in January: 60%

Lectures: 36 Classes: 24
Tutorials: 12 Private Study: 78
Labs: none Seminars: none
Project: none Other: none
Total: 150

Course Description

The module introduces students to the basic ideas involved in developing a piece of software to solve a problem. It illustrates these ideas by presenting fundamental elements of the programming language Java. The module assumes knowledge of mathematics up to GCSE level.

Aims

The module uses the Java language to present the fundamentals of object-oriented programming and programming in the small. It also provides students with the necessary tools to develop effective software by introducing fundamental techniques for the design, testing, and debugging of programs.

Objectives

Transferable Skills

Syllabus

1.
Basic Java concepts: Java virtual machine, bytecode; applications and applets; source, editors, compilers, development environments.
2.
Fundamentals of Java programming: types; classes; objects; packages; assignment.
3.
Structured programming: methods and parameters; for-loops, while-loops, do-loops.
4.
Interactive input, file input and output.
5.
Selection with if-else; the switch statement.
6.
Introduction to exception handling.
7.
Structured datatypes: arrays, sorting and searching, vectors, hash tables.
8.
Strings and string handling, formatting.
9.
Software problems : errors, faults, and failures.
10.
Overview of design and development concepts; requirements analysis; basic notions of specification.
11.
Fundamentals of algorithm and object-oriented design.
12.
Testing -- structural and functional testing.
13.
Debugging techniques.

Reading list

Essential:

Judy Bishop, Java Gently, 2d edition, Addison-Wesley.

Recommended:

R. Pressman, Software Engineering -- a Practitioner's Approach, European 3rd edition, McGraw Hill.

Background:

I. Sommerville, Software Engineering, 5th edition, Addison-Wesley.

Details of Assessment

The coursework for the continuous assessment consists of six worksheets containing both programming and pencil and paper problems.

The written January examination contains six questions, and the best four questions will be taken into account in determining the mark. The examination will test candidates' knowledge of design, testing, and debugging as well as their programming ability.


next up previous
Next: MC104 Algorithms and Data Up: Year 1 Previous: Year 1
S. J. Ambler
11/20/1999