CS2a: Introduction to Computers

40%     Final Project
30%     Final Exam
20%     Homework
10%     Quizzes

Monday 6/2/2008

Today we provide an introduction/overview of the class and we start learning how to create static webpages using HTML and CSS. There will be a homework assigned Tuesday due Thursday, and one on Thursday due the following Monday.

Readings on HTML/CSS

• HTML
• CSS
• More CSS

Tuesday 6/3/2008

Topics to discuss:

• Validation of HTML/CSS
• Use of div/span
• Class and ID attributes
• CSS for positioning: static, absolute, fixed
• HW1 - Create a webpage using HTML/CSS we've learned

Readings on HTML/CSS

• Positioning Elements using CSS

Thursday 6/3/2008

Guest lecturer: Ross Schaull, PhD candidate in Computer Science at Brandeis

Topics to discuss:

• Look over Homework 1 solutions and problem areas
• Architecture of the Internet
• HTML forms as the first step in writing interactive webpages

Readings

• HTTP, DNS, and the Architecture of the Internet

Monday 6/9/2008

Today Alex Plotnick gave an introduction to the Scheme programming language.

Tuesday 6/10/2008

• Overview of past two days
• Scheme Servlets and Interactive Webpages and HTML forms
• Library Resources at Brandeis

Thursday 6/11/2008

• Creating ol and ul lists and tables using Scheme
  
  • table.servlet or table.servletV
• Creating and using page templates
  
  • init.servlet or init.servletV
  • using main.css
• Using map to generate custom HTML from Scheme lists (and examples of page template use)
  • map.servlet or map.servletV
  • map2.servlet or map2.servletV

Monday 6/16/2008 - SQL and Database programming

Useful Links:

• MySQL Manual
• SQL Console
• Basics of SQL
• Examples of SQL queries
• Today's notes

Tuesday 6/17/2008 - More SQL and Database programming

Useful Links:

• Using Auto_increment columns
• Building a website with Login/Register features
• Review for quiz on HTML/CSS. Discuss hyperlinks into the middle of pages and using rowspan/colspan to create multi-row/multi-column cells in tables.
• Go over q1,q2,q3,q4 from the CS2a/Spr06 quizzes.
• Discuss HW4

Thursday 6/19/2008 - More SQL and Database programming

Useful Links:

• Completing the Login/Register servlets
• Discuss HW5 and the Final Project
• Quiz on HTML/CSS.

Monday 6/23/2008 - Intro to Web Applications

• Setting up a database (go to http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/)
• Setting up a web server (go to http://www.mortbay.org/jetty-6/ )
• Running a jscheme web application from your room (download the Jscheme webapp first
• Examples of Final Projects
  • virtual pet http://popper.cs-i.brandeis.edu:8088/cs2as08/home/virtualpet/index.servlet
  • movie reviews http://popper.cs-i.brandeis.edu:8088/cs2as08/home/moviepalau/movie/main.html
  • book selling http://popper.cs-i.brandeis.edu:8088/cs2as08/home/BB4BB1/main.html

Tuesday 6/24/2008 - More on Web Applications

• Complete installation of jscheme web server with mysql on a Mac
• Installation of jscheme web server with mysql on PC
• use of tryCatch to handle errors more nicely ... here is an example: run it or see source code
• Go over Final Project and have people present their ideas
• Discuss Quiz on Thursday that will cover HTML forms, positional CSS, and servlets that send email.
• Start work on Final Projects in class. Students will present/describe their work at the beginning of every class from now on...

Thursday 6/26/2008 - Group work on Final Projects

• Each group reports on their progress so far, their goals for the project, their goals for today, and then answers questions from the class
• We work on Final Projects and do group debugging
• The last 45 minutes will be a quiz on servlets that send mail.

Monday 6/30/2008

• Start with group reports on the final projects
• Next, introduce new material on computer architecture and operating systems
• Continue working on final projects with group debugging
• Quiz on database-backed servlets (like parts of hw5)

Tuesday 7/1/2008

• Presentations of Final Projects
• Overview of other technologies from the language level (PHP, Python, Perl, Java, ...) to content management systems (Drupal, Zope, ...)
• Review for Final Exam

Wednesday 7/2/2008
1:00-4:00

FINAL EXAM in Farber cluster. The exam will require you to write several webpages and servlets using the techniques discussed in class and that you have applied in your homeworks and final project.