Course Description

This is a beginning course in the Java programming language. Students will learn object-oriented programming, and will create applets which can be incorporated into HTML documents for the World Wide Web.

Prerequisites

There is no prerequisite for this course but it is assumed that you are "computer literate". In the context of this course, that means you know how to:

• Install and run programs on your computer
• Create and save plain text files
• Copy, move, and delete files
• Browse the World Wide Web and use email.

If you don't feel comfortable doing these things, you should take a basic "computer literacy" course.

You do not have to have any programming experience. You do not need any mathematics beyond the arithmetic that you learned in elementary school. You do not have to be a computer science major; this course is open to all students.

You should have experience using the Microsoft Windows user interface and browsing the World Wide Web. Experience in HTML page construction is helpful, though not required. You'll also find this course easier if you've successfully completed a course in an algorithmic programming language (e.g., FORTRAN, COBOL, Pascal, C, etc.). Familiarity with object-oriented programming concepts and with the programming of graphical user interfaces will be helpful, but is not required.

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Objectives

This course is designed to teach you how to write computer programs, using the Java programming language. The course is an introductory course where you will learn how to design and implement applets and applications. The class is divided into two parts.

• Part 1: The first part of the course covers the core Java language features--classes and objects, encapsulation, primitive types, flow-of-control, inheritance, polymorphism, and interfaces. The range of material is similar to a first course in Visual Basic or a Pascal programming course.
• Part 2: The second part of the course is devoted to exploring several of the Java APIs [Application Programming Interfaces], including the Abstract Window Toolkit [AWT], the file system interface, the network interface, and threads

On successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Explain the Java programming model, particularly its support for object-oriented software development, and cite its strengths and weaknesses.
• Design and code Java programs, both applets and applications, using the java.awt, java.io, java.network, java.lang, and java.util packages.
• Read and understand the official Java documentation sufficiently well that it serves as a primary vehicle for further learning.

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Recommended Textbook

	Gilbert, Stephen D., and William B. McCarty. Object-Oriented Programming in Java. Corte Madera, California: The Waite Group Press, 1997. ISBN 1571690867 Please refer to textbook-errata page as well.
Make sure you do not purchase Object-Oriented Design in Java. The cover is almost identical, but it is an entirely different book. Make sure the title of the book you purchase contains the word Programming.

Required Software

Please view the Software page to download the free required software for this course.

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Homework and Suggested Grading

Grades are assigned based on the following weights:

Letter grades will be assigned using the following scale:

At my discretion, grades will be "curved." However, no student will receive a grade less than that prescribed by the above schedule.

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