Syllabus for Math/CS 589 (Spring 2005)
Basic Information
Description
This course will introduce a family of programming languages
generally classified as "scripting languages". The languages covered
may include:
- UNIX shells (mostly bash, the default Linux shell)
- Perl (including Perl/Tk)
- Tcl/Tk
- Python
- Emacs Lisp
The typical applications of these programming languages will be discussed
and illustrated with real-life examples:
- Parsing and processing text (regular expressions)
- Rapid construction of text and graphical user interfaces
- Building servers and client applications
- Parsing and processing XML
During the course the student will gain practical experience with
several popular communication protocols like telnet, ftp, http and
others, important in building distributed Web software.
Prerequisites
General computing background. The working knowledge of an
operating system, including the ability to install software.
Proficiency in at least one programming language like C, C++, or java Java.
Textbooks
A number of easily available, optional texts will be recommended during the semester. However, the information is also available on the internet in the form of various tutorials, programming language reference sites and other. Therefore, obtaining the recommended texts will be left to the students.
Homework
Small homework assignments will be assigned weekly to illustrate
the current discusssion. There will be approximately 6 homework
assignments.
Exams
The exams will have the form of 2 Midterm Projects and 1 Final Project,
and will consist in writing a moderate size scripting applications in one
of the programming languages discussed.
The applications will involve practical use of network protocols,
graphical user interfaces and basic algorithms.
How will the final grade be determined
- The midterms will be worth 20% of the final grade and the final will be worth 30%.
- The homework assignments will be worth 30% of the grade altoghether, split between
the total number of homework assignments.
| Exam/Assignment | % Final Grade |
|---|
| Midterm Project 1 | 20% |
| Midterm Project 2 | 20% |
| Final Project | 30% |
| Homework (approx 6 assignments) | 30% |
Attendance
Students are expected to attend classes regularly, and to be
familiar with the University Class Attendance policy as it appears in
the General Catalog. Missing 4 lectures will be considered an
excessive absence will result in a
failing grade. Missing a deadline on a class project will automatically
result in a zero score for it. The students have the responsible
for keeping informed of any announcements, syllabus adjustments or
policy changes made during scheduled classes.
The grade of I
The grade of I will be awarded if all the
following conditions are met:
-
The student has completed all but a small
portion of the required work.
-
The student has scored at least 50% on the
work completed.
-
The student has a valid reason for not
completing the course on time.
-
The student agrees to make up the material in
a short period of time.
-
The student asks for the incomplete before
the final exam.