COURSE TIMES:

PREREQUISITES: None.

INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Mark Allen Weiss

OFFICE HOURS: You are free to stop by my office (ECS-355) any time you can find me. My office hours represent a time when I am (more or less) guaranteed to be available. This semester this is Monday and Wednesday, 2:00 - 3:15 PM, and after 6:15PM (except on August 31, September 2, and the following hockey nights: October 28, November 4, November 25). My office phone is FIU-2036.

On other days, and after hours, you are better off trying email: weiss email address. You will generally get an answer within 10 minutes of my reading the message, and I do tend to be connected often and at very late hours.

I have three standing rules:

  1. I will not debug programs. Debugging is part of the assignment. If you are very confused about some compiler error messages, you can ask, but read the error message carefully and ask as a last resort, not a first. Also, check the announcements page, since I occasionally post answers to common problems reported to me.
  2. If you miss class, get the class notes from a classmate or check the lectures page. Do not ask me what you missed.
  3. I am very unsympathetic toward questions that are asked on the program due date. You should be done by then.

LANGUAGES AND PLATFORMS: This course will be conducted in C++. No prior experience is needed. We will use Microsoft's Visual C++ 5.0 compiler.

C++ Book Cover

TEXT: The course text is Problem Solving, Abstraction, and Design Using C++ (Vector Version), by Friednam, Friedman, and Koffman.

COURSE GRADING: Grades will be based on ten programs, occasional pop quizzes (unannounced), at least one exam and a final examination. The exam(s) are worth 2 programs, the final is worth 3 programs, and each quiz is worth half a program. You need 70% to get a C. I reserve the right to change the method of assigning grades, including changing the number of assignments or exams, but in no case will a curve be applied.

PROGRAMS: Barring tragedy, I will not accept late programs. Your submission must include source code, sample output, and a virus-free 3.5" floppy. I will generally specify what the data is. Your work must be your own, and you must attest to this in a signed comment that begins each program. The assignments and if appropriate, input data, will be placed here.

Course Topics We'll try to get most of the way through the book. I expect to go sequentially.