CSC1401: Introductory Programming

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CSC1401Introductory Programming

• Steve Cooper
• scooper_at_sju.edu
• http//www.sju.edu/scooper

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Overview

• Course description (slides 3- 6)
• syllabus (see Handout)
• expectations
• tools
• Introductory Lecture (slides 7 - 23)
• What is a program?
• What is a programming language?
• Introduction to Alice

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CSC1401

• Introduction to writing computer programs
• traditional
• object-oriented
• 3D animation programming
• Pixar and Disney style (film, movie)
• Interactive games (reasonably small)

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CSC1401 - FS

• An introductory course
• No previous programming experience is required

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Expectations

• Come to class
• Work with the text, handouts, and online content
• Complete the exercises, assignments, and labs
• Workouts designed to prepare you for the exams
• Do your own work on individual assignments you
  may work with a partner on an assignment with
  prior permission

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Tools

• Textbook
• Learning to Program with Alice
• Other reading
• handouts, online references
• Software (available online, freeware)
• Alice
• Java

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What is a program?

• A program is a sequence of instructions that
• tell the computer what to do
• tell another human being what you want the
  computer to do
• More formally, a program implements an algorithm.
• Algorithm a finite set of well-defined
  instructions for accomplishing some task
• 
  Wikipedia

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Program Tasks

• Programs are written for various kinds of tasks
  (not mutually exclusive)
• solve a problem
• simulation
• game
• animation

9
What is a language?

• A system for communicating.
• Written languages use symbols (that is,
  characters) to build words.
• Parts of Language
• Vocabulary The entire set of words in the
  language.
• Syntax and grammar The ways in which the words
  can be meaningfully combined
• Semantics The actual meaning of words and
  combinations of words
• 
  Webopedia

10
Computer Languages

• Human languages are natural languages.
• Computers are not sophisticated enough to
  understand natural languages.
• In mathematics, logic and computer science, a
  formal language is a set of finite-length words
  (i.e. character strings) drawn from some finite
  alphabet, with carefully defined vocabulary,
  syntax, and semantics
• Wikipedia
• There are many different kinds of computer
  languages, including machine languages,
  programming languages, and fourth-generation
  languages.
• Webopedia

11
Learning to write a program

• A program is written using a programming language
• We will learn to write programs using two
  languages
• Alice
• Java

12
Object Oriented Programming

• Different programming languages support different
  styles of programming
• In object-oriented programming, programmers can
  think of a program as instructions that tell
  interacting objects what to do
• An object is a model of some artifact (product of
  civilization) that can interact with other objects

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In this course

• We will learn how to
• Initiate and control the interactions between
  objects to
• solve problems
• perform tasks
• tell stories in animations
• play games
• Modify and build objects

14
Supporting Skills to Develop

• Algorithmic Thinking and Expression
• Being able to read and write in two formal
  languages
• Alice (fourth-generation)
• Java (high-level or third generation)
• Abstraction
• Communicating complex ideas simply
• Decompose problems logically
• Appreciation of Elegance
• Many ways to solve a problem, but some are more
  elegant than others

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Introduction to Alice

• Use the software from the CD or can download
  latest version from the web
• www.alice.org

Alice is named in honor of Lewis
Carrolls Alice in Wonderland
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Alice

• A modern programming tool
• 3-D graphics
• 3-D models of objects
• Animation
• Objects can be made to move around the virtual
  world (a video game or simulation implemented in
  3-D)

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Demo Getting started

• Starting Alice
• Load and run a world
• What Alice Can Do (Examples)
• Amusement Park (Examples)
• Flight Simulator (Examples)
• LightDemo (Examples)
• Octopus (download)
• Lake Skater (Examples)

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Kinds of Animations

• Two kinds of animations
• Movie
• Passive user watches the animation
• What Alice Can Do
• LightDemo
• Octopus
• Interactive
• Active user clicks on mouse, types a key on
  keyboard
• Actions of user are called events
• Flight Simulator
• Skater

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Objects

• An "object" is a model of an artifact
• and can be identified as unique from other
  things
• there can be multiple objects that are similar,
  but still unique
• How is an object unique?
• has a name
• has properties
• width, height, color, location
• can perform actions (methods)
• associated actions it can perform
• tasks it can carry out

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Object Parts

• Objects may be composed of parts (which are also
  objects)

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Class

• A class defines a particular kind of object
• Objects are categorized into classes
• Each object is
• an instance of the class.
• All objects in a class have similar properties
  and generally can perform the same tasks.

peter
Person
paul
mary
spike
Dog
scottie
fluffy
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Galleries

• Classes (3D models) are found in the galleries
• Local gallery (installed with the software)
• Minimum or complete options
• CD Gallery (only if CD is in the machine)
• Web gallery

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For next class

• Activity
• Launch Alice on your computer and run some of the
  example worlds.
• Homework
• Read Chapter 1.1 and pages 73 - 74 of the text