TCU CoSc 10403
Introduction to Programming
(with Java)
Course Introduction
Agenda
• Roll
• Course Overview
– Finding information (www.cs.tcu.edu/classinfo)
– Getting help (instructor & TA’s)
– Succeeding in the course
• (study + hard_work + programming) = success
• Computer Accounts - everyone MUST have a TCU
computer account (not Gmail, not HotMail, etc.)!!!
• Turn cellphones OFF – no texting, emails, or
phonecalls!
• Programming and Java Background - no assumption is
made about previous programming experience!
Course Overview
• Programming
– For the Web (Java Applets)
– GUIs (using Swing classes)
• Object-oriented paradigm
• Problem solving
• Learn by doing
– Demonstrate through
• labs, experiments and exams
• Time intensive and unforgiving!!!
Sources of Information & Help
• Programming Help
– Textbook
– Instructor (initial help sessions in TTC 335 - next Tuesday)
– Lab assistants
• Account help
– Information Services
• Course information
– http://www.cs.tcu.edu/10403/
• Your classmates
– discuss syntax, design, debugging
– deliverables are your own work!
• Sun Microsystems & web (www.java.com/en/)
• Eclipse IDE:
www.eclipse.org/
and
http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/ (select your platform)
For Next Tuesday’s Class Period – without fail!!!!
(1) Go to the class
website:
http://www.cs.tcu.edu/10
403
(2) Explore the website
links.
(3) Bring the copy of the
Eclipse tutorial with
you to class next
period – we will meet
in TTC 353 – DON’T
Forget!!
Accounts and Software
• TCU Computer Accounts
– Information Commons area of the library (1st floor)
• Software
– Eclipse IDE - Java component
– Internet Explorer
– TURNIN
• Locations
– TTC Labs (353 & 357)
– Library PC Lab (first floor)
Succeeding in the course
• Make backups of your files
• Keep up with assignments and reading
• You can’t learn by just reading
– Riding a bike
– Playing the piano
– Programming
• The machine is the master
About Java
• Designed and implemented by Sun Microsystems, Inc.
• A very young language - 1st brought to the attention of the
public in 1995.
• Designed as a device independent language (originally named
Oak) for use in consumer electronic devices (microwaves
ovens, smart TV’s, thermostats, etc.)
• In 1992/93 the WWW arrived - since the language was device
independent, Sun soon realized that Java would be suitable for
writing programs to run on different computers connected to
the Internet.
• It was the 1st language to provide features to allow programs
to be downloadable as part of a web page (and run on a user’s
computer).
Java: Just Another Vague Acronym?
• Originally called Oak by James Gosling
– For internet appliances (interactive TV,…)
• Inspiration was a large oak tree outside his office
• But Oak was the name of an existing programming
language
• Inspiration struck one day during a trip to the local
coffee shop
• DNA and Silk were suggested for the trademark
search. Someone said “We might as well suggest
something as silly as ... Java.”
History of Programming Languages
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1940s
1954
1960
1967
1970
1972
1980
1986
1995
Machine Language
Assembly Language
FORTRAN & COBOL
ALGOL, explosion of languages
Simula
BASIC & Pascal
C
Smalltalk
C++
Java
Why learn Java?
• Simple (relatively!)
– programmers can grasp the concepts in a short span of time and
start producing good applications quickly
• Object-oriented
– programmers have access to ready-made and tested object libraries
• Automatic storage management
– no pointers; garbage collection built in
• Secure
– security model prohibits certain types of access
• Architecture neutral
– Java Virtual Machine (JVM) can be installed on any platform
• Ease of migration
– looks and feels like C++
More about Java
• The language is small in size and simple to learn.
• The power of the language comes from the extensive library of
software components that have already been developed and are
available for use.
• Java programs consist of pieces called “classes”.
• There are two things to master in order to learn to program in
Java:
– Learning the Java language itself so that you can program your own
classes, and
– Learning what is already available in the extensive Java class
libraries and how to use them.
• The language can be used to develop both “stand alone”
applications and “applets”.
Java application vs. applet
• Application
– Stand alone (e.g. MS Word, Firefox, …)
• Applet
– Embedded in a web page
13
This course teaches how to
create applets, but not too
difficult to change between
application/applet