[ANU] [DCS] [COMP2100/2500] [Description] [Schedule] [Lectures] [Labs] [Homework] [Assignments] [COMP2500] [Assessment] [PSP] [Java] [Reading] [Help]

COMP2100/2500
Home

Course Co-ordinator: Dr Alexei Khorev

Lecturers: Dr Alexei Khorev & Dr Ian Barnes

Tutors: Sumudu Mendis & Alexei Khorev

Announcements

Monday 19 June 2006 — What's inside the notebooks, the final exam venue

The content of the ("engineers") notebooks which you are allowed to bring to the final exam is all PSP forms, your notes related to any work done within this course (ie, labs, homeworks, assignments), print outs of the homework code solutions.

To clear possible confusion: the exam will take place in the lab rooms on the ground floor of the Department of Computer Science building (rooms N115 etc). "DR" in ANU Timetabling Information Centre announcement apparently stands for "Departmental Rooms".

Saturday 17 June 2006 — The lab notebooks will be permitted

The decision has been taken: the lab notebooks will be allowed during the final examination. The A4 sheet of paper with notes on both sides is no longer among the permitted materials (you can include everything into the lab notebook).

Responding to student's enquires about "when the Assignment 2", I say: next Monday around lunch time (except for a few groups which had compilation problems — their marks will be delayed by one day).

Friday 09 June 2006 — 2005 Final lab exam solutions? (I don't think so)

Some students have asked for publication of the solutions to the final lab exam in 2005. I am afraid but I cannot do it. You have been given the questions (except for Question 4 which covered the topic not to be included into this year final exam), so that you could practice solving them. Do try it, and try using the resources which will be available during the exam. See how hard it is for you, how long it takes. This way, you will find out what you know and what you still need to learn. Giving away the solutions would rob you the opportunity to have a proper preparation. An argument that the lab exam solutions were made available in yesteryears is not valid: prior to 2005, the lab exam was not a final exam, but a midsemester exam. We had a theory midsemester exam this year, and the sample solutions were published. If you have any questions or suggestions (someone had found those solutions "ambiguous"), please let me know.

On the matter of permitted materials: I am tending to accept the possibility of using the engineering notebooks (or how they are called?) during the final exam. What still prevents me from committing to this is how are we going to check what is inside those books during the examination? Can it be done in non-disruptive manner? After finding out and after getting more advice from senior colleagues, I will announce my final decision.

Lastly, one student had asked me to change the assessment scheme, because "...most people do not satisfied with the middle exam's mark..." (the orthography is preserved). Again, I can only repeat what HAL said (the onboard computer from the "2001: A Space Odyssey"): I am afraid but I cannot do it. The lecturers are not permitted to change an assessment scheme after it was announced at the beginning. This is not to say that I would want to do it (not at all!). The assessment scheme will be the same as it was defined in February.

Friday 02 June 2006 — Mid-semester exam solution

The 2006 mid-semester exam solutions are now available to assist you in preparation for the final examination.

Monday 29 May 2006 — Revision lecture, survey form, exam 2005

Some corrections/additions regarding of what was told and done on the last Revision Lecture.

• The survey form is now working: a "subtle" error in the PHP script has been corrected, so now the messages are being constructed and sent as they should. Please, find few minutes and do the survey. Apologies to those who already tried. Have another go, please. We will be greatful.

• The final exam 2005 paper (yes, there was a hard copy paper, and it's likely there will be a hard copy exam paper this year, too) is now available on the revision lecture web page. It contains all but one questions. I could not trace the missing Q4 yet, will try to find it soon (it concerned with the recursive data structures). Contrary to what have been said on the lecture, there were some theory questions last year, namely Q5.a on professional ethics (covered in PSP IV lecture), which means that Ian's words were true — it is assessible. Ready yourself! The solutions for 2005 exam may be made public after I discuss this issue with Ian. The midsemester exam solutions will be made available this week, on Wednesday. I will keep your informed.

• The hours devoted to consultation for the coming exam will be on Wednesday and Friday, all during the same time 11.30am – 13.00pm. Other times can be arranged by email. More details about the assignment 2 progress and the final exam issues will be provided in due course.

• Finally for today: I need to resolve some issues regarding the first assignment. Therefore, I would like to meet the following students (preferably, during official consultaion hours):

  1. Dong Xu Ren (u4126999) and Danny Zi Mao Wang (u4317436)

  2. Jacob Brodie (u4222295) and Tristan Kelly (u4210985)

  3. Daniel Polkinghorne (u3175801) and Wensi Wei (u4282087)

  4. Scott Rosevear (u4228007) and Nick Withers (u3959018)

Friday 26 May 2006 — Assignment 2 changes, Final Exam date, MidSemester Exam papers

There have been changes regarding the Tasks from assignment 2. Namely, the Task 7 has been removed from the specification. The details in the Assignment 2 FAQ paper. The deadline has been extended by 24 hours.

The date for the final lab exam has been set: June 21, Wednesday, 14pm. The exam will be run locally, in the DCS lab rooms. The venue shown on the "ANU Timetabling Information Centre" webpage is incorrect. We shall ask them to change it. The details (scope, permitted materials etc.) will be discussed during the last lecture next Monday, May 29.

The midsemester exam papers have been (long) marked. The marks are available on StReaMS. The papers can be examined in my office (N322) during business hours (the papers will be not given away). The problem solutions will be posted on the course webpage soon.

Thursday 11 May 2006 — the yet another but last lecture reschedule

This week Friday lecture time (12 May, 3pm) will be free: too few questions so far have been raised. Instead, it will take place in one week time, Friday 19 May, 3pm. From that day, there will be still more than a week till the assignment submission deadline. If you need to clarify something well before, then send me email with the mark "urgent".

Another reschedule concerns the Recursive Data Structures IV lecture: It will take place on Wednesday 17 May, 4pm. The lecture will be given by Dr. Ramesh Sankaranarayana, who is Senior Lecturer and Associate Dean (Undergraduate) in the DCS. I will use the occasion and register the attendence of lectures by students.

Monday 8 May 2006 — Forum for comp2100/2500, second guest lecture, FAQ II

The much asked for forum discussion panel has been set up. To use it, go to the Forum page. It is open for reading and contributing to the enrolled students only; it is unmoderated; but I can cancel it at my discretion.

The second guest lecture will be held this Wednesday, 10 May, 4pm. It will be given by Shayne Flint. Its topic is Aspect Oriented Thinking. This will be a popularized introduction to the Comp3110 course on Software Analysis and Modelling. Come yourself and bring along your auntie :). Do come! It will be assessible (may be) :). Do come!

Since the questions about Assignment 2 were slow coming (those how already asked me in emails, please wait another day or two), and the deadline is still some way ahead, I am thinking of rescheduling the FAQ II lecture from this week Friday to the next week Wednesday, 17 May. Let me know if you think it's too late.

Friday 5 May 2006 — Assignment 2 group list, forum etc

The Assignment 2 group list has been finilised. The branches/groupXX directories in the subversion server will be created today in accordance with the groups list. I tried to accomodate all the requests for groups changes which were made to me through emailing. If you see any problems, inform me promptly.

I received a student petition for setting up a forum for comp2100 (never too late, eh?) The number of signees vouchsafes that the forum will be set up ealier next week. It will be available through STREAMS system. I have no plans to moderate it, but leave the right to cancel it if the discussion will take obusive or otherwise inappropriate form.

Those eager sudents who want to have the lecture notes published in advance, please see the previous year web page.

Monday 24th April 2006 — Welcome back etc.

Welcome back everybody, hope to see you on the lectures and the labs. The both activities are resuming this week This is the week 8 of the University autumn semester cycle. The following announcements are in order:

• The assignment 1 papers have been processed and currently are being marked. According to the ANU guidelines, marked assignment papers have to be returned to students two weeks after the submission deadline. That was on Friday week 7. Two weeks plus (also plus Saturday and Sunday), this makes the return day Monday 8 May (week 10), which is nice because on that week we will have the lab 5, and the lab time is the most appropriate time for you to get your papers back. The marking guide will be placed on the website on Monday 24th April.

• The assignment 2 will be introduced on the Lecture 17, Monday 24th April. The topic of the assignment will be GUI and (very little) Ant. The level of difficulty should be lower than assignment 1, but it will require from you to learn quite a bit of stuff about using the Swing library. The Lab 4 which is dedicated to GUI will help you to get started. Which brings me to the next item:

• The Lab 4 this week will be missed by the hard full time working students from the Tuesday17-19 group. Sorry! The 25th April is the Australia's national holiday (the Anzac Day). You (students from Tuesday group) will have to make good on the missed lab somehow. If you have time, try to come to our labs on a different day, and if this is impossible, do it on your own. But do do it! Should you have any difficulty, consult me (via email or at the consultaion hours — Wednesday 11am to 12.15pm and Friday 12.30pm to 13.30pm).

• The homework problems for the week 8 and the week 9 are published. Don't forget to do it. You know why it is important.

• Finally, the mid-semester exam. Currently, it stands as it was originally scheduled (see below). Despite the fact that a number of students informed me about a possible clash with another exam (ENGN3211), we (comp2100/2500, that is) have the priority because we were first to schedule the exam with the ANU examination office. People who planned the ENGN3211 exam should have been aware of that, and it's up to them to make an alternative arrangement. Let's hope that the remaining time is enough to settle this issue to everyone's satisfaction. I will keep you informed, but do prepare for our exam by the date it's current scheduled. You may get some help if you check the last year mid-semester exam questions and answers at 2005 mid-semester exam.

Friday 31st March 2006 — Mid-semester exam date, time and venue.

The mid-semester exam will take place on Tuesday May 2 2006 at 5.30pm in Melville Hall. The reading time will be 15 min. The writing will begin at 5.45pm. The examination will end at 6.45pm. The permitted material will be one A4 page with notes on both sides.

Monday 27nd March 2006 — Last(?) lecture rescheduling and the group list issue

There have been another lecture rescheduling. Today's (Monday, March 27 2006) lecture time 10.00–11.00 will be free. The FAQ-I lecture will take place on Wednesday, March 29 2006, 16.00–17.00. It will address the questions related to the Assignment 1, provide some practical advice on how to use Subversion in the context of the assignment, and elucidate the assignment tasks using old and new "samples-examples". The students are advised to put their questions via email to comp2100. The students are also advised NOT to use the groups.txt file in their Subversion group branches for the information regarding the group allocation. This files are totally out of date. The only up-to-date group list file is in this file. I realise now that it was a mistake to upload the group list to the Subversion repository in the first place. The group list file will be made available on the Assignment web page, and it will be the only correct and up-to-date file. The group list from the trunk will be soon removed. I advise all the groups to remove the groups.txt file from their branch directories to avoid confusion.

Wednesday 22nd March 2006 — COMP2500 seminar this Friday

COMP2500 students: The second COMP2500 seminar will be this Friday.

Speaker:	Dr Mark Grundy, Consolve Pty Ltd
Title:	Software Quality and Your Career: Why CMM 5 isn't enough
Abstract:	Software quality management focuses a great deal on standards, verification and validation, and on measuring and improving bug-rates and rework. However, there is a gap between what an IT practitioner sees as a quality product, and what the customer sees as a quality product. Your ability to fill that gap can mean a difference of $50K per year in your salary. This talk discusses why CMM 5 is neither necessary nor sufficient for delivering quality outcomes to customers, what the real gap is from a customer perspective, and what you as an IT practitioner can do to fill it.

In the second hour, Group D will be talking about Python and Group E will be talking about Zope (& Plone?).

Wednesday 15th March 2006— Assignment 1 first corrections and additons.

The source files for assignment 1 are now placed in the Subversion trunk in the subdirectory comp2100 (in accordance with the package structure). Now, you can check out individual class files and put it inder the version control. Also, the javadoc class declarations in the source files have been fixed, so now the javadoc utility can find the class information (and, perhaps, Eclipse will not frown, too). You can generate the javadoc documentation by running make docs (because the source code is also generated, it will take a little while; be patient). A propos, make sure you turn each oops and run_test into executables (issue the command chmod +x oops). Also, the assignment 1 specification paper has been corrected (silly editing errors, some clarifications). Expect few of such "editions" in the next week or two.

I also want to remind everybody to make sure you and your deisgnated partner do have formed the working group. Once the group branches are set up, I will not modify them. The groups branches are expected to be set up not late than this Friday, March 17, 2006.

All (relevant) queries regarding the assignment and its tasks are to be sent to the course email box. I will compile them, and review in the FAQ lecture late next week.

Monday 13th March 2006— Assignment 1 is released.

The first assignment is now released, and placed on the Subversion server at Assignment 1 . Read the specification paper for the assignment. The branches for working groups (for your work to commit to the server) will be created by next Wednesday, March 15, after some logistical and technical problems are solved. Use the time from now till then to check that you can find your partner and form the working group. If there are problems, let us know prior to Wednesday, March 15 afternoon. Meanwhile, download the source code (and other appendages), compile and run it to see whether there some problems of a serious kind (run-time errors, inconsistencies in the code and the assignment tasks, etc). Let us know if there are problems.

Wednesday 8th March 2006 — COMP2500 software engineering seminar this week

COMP2500 students only: the first of four special software engineering seminars will be held this Friday 10th March from 12 noon to 2pm in Manning Clark Theatre 5. Attendance is required; the roll will be marked. The other sessions will be held at the same time and place on the Fridays of weeks 5, 9 & 13.

Wednesday 8 March 2006 — Java mini-course, pairing for assignment, lecture rescheduling

• Students who registered for Java mini-course are reminded that it will take place later today, Wed. March 8, at 18.15, in the lab room 114. The convener is Sumudu Mendis.

• The two-member group formation for your assignment work will be done by us, lecturers; the rationale for this decision will be explained in the Assignment 1 specification paper due to be published next week. Cross-pairing (one student from comp2100 and another from comp2500) will be allowed (contrary to the earlier advice).

• The lecture schedule is now changed: Lecture IV on Recursive Data Structures is moved to the week 11. Next week Wednesday lecture will be free, and next week Friday lecture will introduce Unit Testing.

Tuesday 28 February 2006 — Java Revision Workshop, Lab conflicts and all that

News regarding the crush course on Java and related topics, some suggestions for those students who could not find the right time for labs, wrong enrollement alert, official consultation hours.

• The special late session on Java will take place on Wednesday March 8, at 18.15–20.15 in the room N114. The session wil be run by Sumudu Mendis, and will be both a quick Java review and a FAQ session. Since those students who would like to attend should know what particular Java programming issues their are interested in, they are advised to prepare questions in advance, and put them for discussion. Advice: check the local Java web page Java to find out what would you like to ask, check also the lectures on Java which were ran in previous years: lecture 1 and lecture 2. In addition to what is discussed in these lectures, we can include the "new" Java 1.5 features, Java APIs (and how to get to them), IDEs (DrJava and others). But you should guide the agenda (send me email on what you wish to be included).

• Some students are quite unhappy with the lab hours which they've got. They work part or full time, and can attend other lab hours which are currently full. Unfortunately, we cannot add yet another group. I would advise those students, who cannot do the labs in the "official" hours, to attend another lab which suits them better. Sumudu and I will do our best to accomodate you. Bring along your laptop (if you have one, and if it allows you to do all comp2100/2500 things), since the terminals may not be available. At worst case, do labs in your own time (outside the official hours), and if there will be problems see me in the consultation hours. Official re-assignment between the labs may be possible soon since (as experience shows) some students may drop out. Which brings me to the next item:

• The following hours will be dedicated to the student consultations: Wednesday, 11am–12.15pm and Friday 12.30pm–13.30pm. If you need a different time, this can be arranged by appointment on a case-by-case basis. All consultaions will be held in CS N322 (my temporary residence).

• Finally, some students are enrolled into the wrong course (apparently). I have notified you using your ANU email addresses. Take notice, check it again, and re-enroll. The thing is that you are only allowed to do comp2500 if you are studying for Software Engineering degree. Everybody else can only take comp2100. Check the formal requirements explanation at comp2500.

Thursday 23 February 2006 — Java Revision and Audio Recording

After some deliberation the following decisions have been taken:

• There will be no a previously planned lecture on Java Revision. It was originally scheduled for Friday, 3 March. Now this time will be free, and we all will be having a break on Friday afternoon. Instead of a lecture, we can arrange a one-off tutorial (say, from 6pm to 8pm) which can be used to present a crush course introduction into Java and other topics which we originally planned to cover in the lecture. Students, who are interested in attending this sort of class, are advised to register their interest via the course email comp2100@cs.anu.edu.au. If there will be sufficient number of requests, this plan will go ahead. Keep watching this place for future announcements.

• The number of students have expressed their wish to have the lecture audio-recorded. They requested quite insistently, but their numbers were quite few (three, actually). We have decided NOT to do the audio recording. The most important reason is that the audio version of lectures in a course like this, which often contains live demonstration has a very limited value. What those who attend the lecture can see on the screen, cannot be reproduced even remotely on the audio tape. The rest of the lecture content is reproduced on the webpage more than adequately. At the same time, the audio recording does represent the logistical problem for the lecturers. This decision is not final, and we will monitor your response.

Monday 20th February 2006 - MATH2301 Games, Graphs and Machines

The mathematics department has a second-year course MATH2301 Games, Graphs and Machines, that was designed especially for students in information technology and software engineering.

• If you're doing a different pass-level mathematics course, consider changing. MATH2301 is tailored to your needs.

• If you're not doing any mathematics, shame on you. Mathematics is push-ups for your brain. Your mathematics results are a better predictor of success in IT than your IT scores. Drop your other elective and enrol in MATH2301 instead.

• If you're doing honours level maths, then stick with it. That's even better than MATH2301.

Monday 7th February 2006 - COMP2500 vs COMP2100

COMP2500 will be mostly the same as COMP2100 and the two courses will be run together. There will be some different (extra) content, and some different (extra) assessment for software engineers - as befits your elite status, abilities and responsibilities.

There is no choice as to which of the two courses you enrol in. If you are enrolled in the Bachelor of Software Engineering, you must enrol in COMP2500. If you are not a software engineer, you are not allowed to enrol in COMP2500 (and if you want to do Software Construction, you must enrol in COMP2100 instead).

Monday 7th February 2006 - Welcome

Welcome to COMP2100 Software Construction (and COMP2500 Software Construction for Software Engineers) in 2006. This web site will be the definitive source of information about COMP2100 & COMP2500. We will post all course announcements on this page, so make sure you check here regularly.

(Note that for the moment this is just a dummy front page, so none of the links will work. The rest of the site will appear over the coming weeks.)

Textbook. There is no textbook for COMP2100 Software Construction. There are several recommended books, including your COMP1110 text from last year. Don't rush out and buy all of them unless you really have lots of money.

Waivers. We will not grant waivers to students who have failed COMP1110. We may grant waivers to students who have failed MATH1014. Go to see Pamela at the DCS front office and fill in a green form.

See you all at the first lecture, on Monday 20th February at 10am in Chemistry Lecture Theatre 1.

[ANU] [DCS] [COMP2100/2500] [Description] [Schedule] [Lectures] [Labs] [Homework] [Assignments] [COMP2500] [Assessment] [PSP] [Java] [Reading] [Help]