CS 331 Spring 2013 > Syllabus

CS 331 Spring 2013
Syllabus

COURSE:	CS 331 Programming Languages. 3 credits.
Time & place:	2:15–3:15 p.m. MWF, 104 Chapman.
Prerequisites:	CS 311.
INSTRUCTOR:	Glenn G. Chappell, Dept. of Computer Science.
Office:	201B Chapman.
Office hours:	11:45–1:45 MWF, 9:30-11:30 T, 2:00-3:00 T on spring 2013 class days, or by appointment.
Office phone:	[474-]5736. This is also voice mail.
E-mail:	`ggchappell@alaska.edu`
Paper mailbox:	Inside the CS Department office, 202 Chapman.
TEXT:	There is no required text. Supplementary readings will be provided by the instructor.
WEB PAGE:	`http://www.cs.uaf.edu/2013/spring/cs331`

Course Topics & Goals

CS 331 is a survey of the field of computer programming languages. We will look at how languages are specified and how such specifications are used. We will examine programming language features, comparing and contrasting their appearance in various languages. We will also take a closer look at some particular languages that differ significantly from those covered in the early CS courses.

After taking this class, students should:

Understand the concepts of syntax and semantics, and how these can be specified.
Understand basic lexical analysis and parsing, and have experience writing code to do these.
Understand the various kinds of languages and the primary ways in which they differ.
Understand various standard language features and forms they can take in different languages.
Have a basic programming proficiency in multiple significantly different languages.

Important Dates

Mon, Jan 21	No class (AK Civil Rights Day)
Wed, Mar 6	In-class Midterm Exam
Fri, Mar 8	Class cancelled
Mar 11–15	No class (Spring Break)
Fri, Mar 22	Last day to withdraw
Fri, Apr 26	No class (UAF SpringFest)
Mon, May 6	Last regular class meeting
Fri, May 10	Final Exam 1–3 p.m. in the classroom

Procedures

Class meetings—Class meetings will be conducted using a lecture-discussion format.

Homework—Homework will be assigned every week or two, and will consist of both programming and answering questions. Some assignments will be done individually; others will be done in groups. Homework turned in late will generally be penalized.

Quizzes—Short in-class quizzes will be given, unannounced. However, possible quiz topics will always be announced in advance. No make-up quizzes will be given.

Presentations—Near the end of the semester, students will give a short (15 minutes) in-class presentation on a programming language.

Exams—Two exams will be given: midterm and final. The final will be comprehensive, emphasizing material covered after the midterm. See “Important Dates”.

Grades

Course grades will be based on points earned, using a 90-80-70-60 scale. The +/– grading system will not be used. The lowest quiz score will be dropped. Point totals will be as follows.

Assignments, Quizzes, and Presentation (total)	225 pts
Midterm Exam	75 pts
Final Exam	100 pts
TOTAL	400 pts

Policies

Students are expected to be at every class meeting on time, and are responsible for all class content, whether present or not. If absence from class is necessary, in-class work (other than quizzes) and homework may be made up only if the instructor is notified as soon as possible; in particular, absences due to scheduled events must be arranged ahead of time.

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and will be dealt with according to UAF procedures.

Students in this class must pay the CS lab fee. Payment allows access to the Chapman 103 lab.

UAF academic policies: http://www.uaf.edu/catalog/current/academics
CS Department policies: http://www.cs.uaf.edu/cs/Policies.html