Syllabus
CSCI 3510
Data Structures
Summer 2003

Prerequisites

The official prerequisite for this course is CSCI 2610. You should have written programs in C or C++, and be a proficient programmer. If you are familiar with another programming language, you must expect to spend quite a bit of effort to learn C++.

If you received a grade of less than C in CSCI 2610, do not take this course without consulting me. You are better off retaking CSCI 2610.

Outline

In this course, we will study advanced techniques in computer programming, using the C++ programming language. Topics to be studied include the following.

1. Dynamic memory allocation. Language features for allocating and deallocating memory on-the-fly will be studied.

2. Concrete data structures. This is concerned with how to represent and work with data in the computer, especially using dynamic memory allocation. We will study a variety of data structures.

3. Algorithms and problem solving. Generally, concrete data structures have associated algorithms. We will study a few algorithms and techniques for manipulating data.

4. Abstract data types. This is concerned with how programs should be organized to make working with concrete data structures manageable.

5. Elementary Concepts of Object-oriented Programming. Object-oriented programming can be used to implement and extend the concept of abstract data types.

6. Correctness. You need to have some way to convince yourself that your program is correct. We will discuss informal methods.

7. C++. We will cover the features of the C++ language that are needed.

Grading

This is a programming course, and students are expected to complete programming exercises. You may discuss your ideas with other students, but your programs must be your own work. Copying of programs will be considered plagiarism.

Grading will tentatively be as follows. Programming assignments will count 35% of your grade. There will be two midterm exams counting 18% each and a final exam counting 29%. Tentative cutoffs are 90% for an A, 80% for a B, 70% for a C and 60% for a D. Those cutoffs might be adjusted to account for overall class performance and the difficulty of the assignments and questions, but they will not be raised.

Important proviso. It is not possible to learn the material of this course effectively without actually "getting your hands dirty" and doing the programming. Accordingly,

This outweighs the score computed by adding grades together.

Attendance policy

I will not take attendance. It is up to you to attend class. You are responsible for announcements and assignments given in class. If you miss a class, it is up to you to obtain notes and any other information that was provided in the class. Excuses that you did not know about something because you did not come to class and did not obtain the information will not count for anything at all.

Those who choose not to attend class can count on doing poorly in this course. If you choose not to attend class, then you must live with the consequences of that decision, however bad they are.

No incompletes will be issued in this course except for extraordinary circumstances, and even then only if you are nearly done already, and have done work of acceptable quality so that it is realistic that you can pass the course. In particular, no incompletes will be given due to a failure to complete the assigned programs because of conflicts with other activities of any kind.

Grading of programs.

I will compile and run programs using the g++ compiler. I will use the following warning flags when compiling programs:

-Wall -Wshadow -Wpointer-arith -O

Programs will be graded according to the following broad criteria.

First, the program must compile without fatal errors.

A program that does not compile automatically receives a score of 0, regardless of how close to correct it might be.

The program must be acceptably well indented. I need to be able to read your programs, and I will not read a program that is extremely poorly indented.

A program that is extremely poorly indented will receive a failing grade, regardless of how well it performs the task that it is required to do.

The following are broad guidelines for grading. Many programs will not fit exactly into any of these classifications, but I will try to choose the best fit.

To receive an A (90-100), a program should work on all of the test cases that I use. (You will not be given my test cases; you will need to use your own.) It should be well indented and well commented. Comments should be clear, correct and complete. Every function should have a clear and correct contract. The program should be broken into fairly short, well-thought-out functions. Variable and function names should be sensible. It should follow all guidelines and requirements that have been set for the program. It should compile without warnings.

To receive a B (80-89), a program should work on typical test cases, though it might fail on more esoteric cases. It should be well commented and well indented, though minor problems might be present. It should be broken into fairly short, well-thought-out functions, with a contract for each function. It should mostly follow the guidelines and requirements that have been set for the program. The compiler should not report serious warnings that reflect mistakes in the program.

To receive a C (70-79), a program should work on at least some test cases. It must be reasonably commented and indented, though some comments might be misleading or incorrect. It should be broken into reasonable functions. It should make some attempt to follow the guidelines and requirements that have been set out for the program.

To receive a D (60-70), a program might not work correctly on any test cases, but the basics of the design must be present. The program should be acceptably well indented. I will not read a program that is very poorly indented. It should make some attempt to follow the guidelines and requirements that have been set out for the program.

If you turn in a partial program, I will grade based on roughly what portion has been completed. For example, if you do half of the work, and that half looks good, you might receive a grade of 50%.

Versions of programs

You will be given two opportunities to do each program. After the first attempt, you will receive feedback, and can modify your program. If you miss the deadline for the first attempt, you will have only the second attempt.

Late submissions for the first deadline will not be accepted. Late submissions for the second deadline will be accepted with a 4 point penalty (out of 100) for each 24 hours that the program is late. Programs will not be accepted after the last day of classes.

I will provide some feedback on anything that is turned in as a first attempt. However, I do not guarantee to find all errors. You should certainly fix all errors that I point out, but that is not necessarily adequate. You are expected to fix those and any additional errors that might exist before turning in the second attempt.

If you turn in a high quality first attempt, then you can expect that the errors that I point out will be fairly complete, and your second attempt will consist mainly of fine-tuning. If you turn in a low quality first attempt, then you can expect that the feedback that I give will be quite incomplete, and you will have major work to do for the second attempt. If you do not turn in the first attempt, then you will have no feedback at all before turning in your second attempt.

Turning in programming assignments

Include you name in a comment at the top of every source file. Always turn in all of your source files for each program.

I will give additional instructions on how to turn in assignments with the assignments.

Summer session

The summer session goes by very quickly. In five weeks, we will cover what is covered in fifteen weeks during the fall or spring sessions. There are no breaks, and you will have to work hard. You should count on working more than three times as hard as during the regular term, because it takes more work to learn material faster. Here are some tips on how to do well in the summer session.

1. Attend class. Arrive on time.

2. Do not allow yourself to fall behind. Work on the homework early. Do not wait until just before the deadline.

3. Schedule time to work outside class. Plan on at least five hours per day. Some students will need substantially more than that.

4. Read the notes and the book twice. Take a break in between. You will learn much more this way.

5. If you are having trouble, seek help soon. Do not wait until it is too late.

This course covers a lot of material, and also covers a wide range of material, from low level pointer manipulation to high level abstraction. As a result, there is a high failure/drop rate. I do not advise taking another course along with this course. Instead, plan to focus your efforts, and to work hard. Those who put in the work generally do well.

You must expect to do a significant amount of work outside of class. If you do not have time to devote to this class, drop the class now. Students who do not put in the work can expect to fail the class.

Asking questions by email

You are encouraged to ask questions about your programs when you are stumped, especially if you come up against a difficulty with the language. Send questions early, to leave yourself time to make progress after receiving an answer.

A good way to ask questions is by email. Please use a subject indicating that you are asking a question for CSCI 3510, and always include your name in your email. I will respond as quickly as I can.

Weather emergencies

In the event of a weather emergency, information about ECU can be accessed through the following sources:

ECU emergency notices	http://www.ecu.edu/alert
ECU emergency information hotline	252-328-0062

Students with disabilities

East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students requesting accommodations based on a covered disability must go to the Department for Disability Support Services, located in Brewster A-114, to verify the disability before any accommodations can occur. The telephone number is 252-328-6799.