CS100J, Spring 2001
Thurs 12/6
Lecture 27
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Announcements:
+ regular consulting ends at 6:00 on 12/7
+ final consulting hours: 2-5pm, MTW (12/10-12/12) 
+ Prelim 3 regrades due by 5pm on 12/12
+ Project 6 regrades due by 4pm 12/14 in UPSON 303 (front desk person
  will collect them)
+ see grade postings in Carp -- to correct something, bring graded work to 
  Laurie Buck during her office hours
+ makeup exam tonight, 7:30-9:30 (Beth Howard emailed the location)
+ final exam info posted in Exams-->Final (read it!)
+ review material for final in Exams-->Review Final
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Topics:
+ MATLAB wrapup
+ $main$ and $args$: NO MORE MAGIC LINES!
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MATLAB Function wrap up (see previous notes)
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$args$:
+ command-line arguments: strings input to program
+ how to access?
  - CodeWarrior: Main Class Target arguments
  - Use JDK and command-line prompt
    > java <filename> <args>
  - use MATLAB
    >> classname.main('stuff')
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Done:
Congratulations! You now know EXACTLY what the following means:

public class Blah {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
   }
}
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Semester wrapup/Course summary:
+ programming: automating problem solving
+ problem solving process:
  (1) find problem
  (2) brainstorm
  (3) research
  (4) outline
  (5) draft
  (6) polish
+ why follow this process? sooner to computer, longer it takes!
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Computer language:
+ convert human language into written language
+ language components:
  - alphabet --> keyboard characters (character set)
  - words -> tokens
  - sentences -> statements
+ elements:
  - tokens:
    comments, whitespace, strings, numbers, operators, identifiers, keywords
  - statements:
    empty, expression, assignment, selection, repetition, function, ....

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Problem Solving Process:

(1) finding problems? 
    - think of physical and abstract situations
    - something starts it, something goes in, something comes out,
      something stops it

(2) brainstorm
    - thinking about a problem
    - search for specifications, which are stated and implied

(3) research
    - find nouns (become variables, fields, classes)
    - find verbs (become operations and methods)

(4) outline
    - the algorithm (a collection of short, instructional steps, written
      in a general fashion as pseudocode to solve a problem)
    - may have to make many algorithms for complex software
    - special trick: write your algorithm as comments inside file(s)
      and then convert comments to code

(5) draft
    - write code
    - do a little at a time (STEPWISE REFINEMENT)
    - approaches:
      + topdown: start at top of algorithm and work "downwards"
        (test code before moving to next step)
      + bottomup: start with each operation/function and write
        (test each function separately with dummy inputs)
      + reuse: find something similar and swipe it (with proper credits)
      + mixed: most common approach: do a little bit of each!
    - for mixed approach, write names of functions without actually 
      writing the bodies (called STUBBING) -- then gradually fill in the 
      "missing pieces"
    - always remember to break big problems into smaller ones!

(6) polish
    - debug and test code
    - try to "break" things to develop robust software
    - improve efficiency of algorithms
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Software engineering:
+ iterate the design and testing process
+ may have to return to several stages of the process!
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Style:
+ clear, consistent commenting and user manuals
+ comment major variables, functions, control structures
+ indentation of substructures
+ avoid redundancy but not at cost of cryptic code
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Advice: What to do next:
+ beyond CS100: inheritance, I/O, interfaces, GUIs, recursion, 
  efficiency (O(n) stuff), data structures
+ review P6 -- add Diner stuff, linked lists, learn/improve I/O, write GUI
+ programming and life (break problems down into smaller problems...)
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Mystery event ???
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