Spring 2000 PIC 10 Section 3 Home Page/Syllabus

There are no formal prerequisites for this class.

Available on Reserve at Powell Library

C++ is one of the most common software development languages in industry today. In this course we will learn the basics of how to design algorithms and implement them in C++. We will also try to develop a feel for what constitutes elegant and understandable code, methods to test code for errors, as well as an understanding of algorithm space and time usage. The specific aspects of the C++ language we will cover this quarter are: input/output, data types, flow control, functions, arrays, pointers, structures and classes.

Below is a tentative time table for when we'll do things this quarter:

Homeworks       50% 
Midterm         20%    
Final           30%

When I assign grades the high score has an opportunity to receive an A+. I do curve grades and my curving will be in line with previous times this class has been taught.

To submit an assignment, simply copy the required files to your \SUBMIT directory. Leave them there for the rest of the quarter, even after they have been collected and graded. You may be able to submit files remotely with ftp, but it is best to make sure your submission works in the Lab before you submit. If you wish, you may overwrite a previous submission with a new version at any time before the due time on the due date.

Please do not store any files in your submit directory other than those that are to be or have been collected.

To confirm that you have submitted correctly, run the checksubmit program. This check generally requires a trip to the PIC Lab.

Your graded assignment will be placed in your \RETURN directory. Please create the directory if it doesn't exist. Also, check your \return subdirectory each week to verify your grades. This is very important; it is the only way to know for sure that you actually received credit for your assignment.

If you believe an error was made in the grading of your program or exam, you may request a regrade from me, Professor Pollett during my office hours. I do not accept e-mail requests for regrades. Such e-mails will not be responded to. A request for a regrade must be made no more than a week after the homework is returned. No requests for regrades will be considered unless they meet this deadlines. Be forewarned that the whole piece of work will be regraded, so the grade may go down rather than up.

Since some of the grading process will be automated, it is important that your program follow the specifications in the assignment exactly. In particular, make sure submitted filenames are correct and data items in your program are inputted and outputted in the proper sequence and format. If you put files in your submit folder with an incorrect name so that it ends up not being collected, you will received a 0 for your homework and not be entitled to a regrade. To receive any points on your homework you must include the following items in the header of every file you submit:

• Your Full Name (and nickname, if different)
• Your Student ID
• Your PIC 10A Login ID
• Your Preferred E-mail Address
• Your Discussion Section Identifier and Meeting Time
• The Assignment Number and Description,
• Your Honesty Pledge
• A List of Known Bugs in your Solution.

You are both allowed and encouraged to discuss general algorithms and approaches to programming problems with your classmates. But these discussions must remain at a high level and not involve actual code being exchanged. In particular, THE CODE YOU SUBMIT AS SOLUTIONS TO PROGRAMMING ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT WORK. DO NOT SHARE CODE.

You are required to include the following Academic Honesty Pledge at the top of each program you submit:

I, (insert your name here), pledge that this is my own independent work, which conforms to the guidelines of academic honesty as described in the course syllabus.

The pledge must be worded precisely as above, with your own name inserted. Be aware that any detected activity even bordering on an infringement of these academic honesty guidelines will be forwarded to the Dean of Students for full investigation. The penalties may be severe, in several recent cases, students have been suspended and have had the incident permanently recorded. If you witness any cheating by classmates, please report it to Professor Pollett as soon as possible.

As shown above in the grade breakdown there will be both a midterm and final in this course. Both of these are closed book, closed notes. You will be allowed only the test and your pen or pencil on your desk during these exams. Beeper or cell-phone interruptions will result in immediate excusal from the test. The midterm will be in class on April 28. The final will be on Sunday, June 11 from 3-6pm in Moore 100. A photo ID will be required to take these tests. The final will cover material from the whole quarter although there will be an emphasis on material after the midterm. No make up exams will be given. The final exam may be scaled to replace the midterm if the midterm was missed under provably legitimate circumstances. These exams will test whether or not the student has mastered the material both presented in class or assigned as homework during the quarter. I will try to avoid both tricky and ambiguous questions. The week before each exam I will give out a list of problems representative of the level of difficulty of problems the student will be expected to answer on the exam. Any disputes concerning grades on exams should be directed to me, Professor Pollett.