One of the classes that I can tell I will be devoting a lot of time to this semester is my computer programming class, CSCI 201 (Principles of Software Development). The class is taught in Java, which is a nice change of pace from the last two programming classes I took at USC which were both taught in C/C++. It’s a nice review for internship interviews too, because I haven’t used Java much since high school!
The interesting thing about this class is that, in addition to the biweekly small homework assignments, we have a big group project at the end of the semester! It will be exciting to see what sort of project my group will be working on in a few weeks.
I also am using the Eclipse IDE (integrated development interface) for the first time, and so far I really like it. I included a sample picture below, and you can see how easy it is to keep large projects organized with all the outlining and organization features it provides:
Eclipse IDE Sample
I spent most of today finishing up our latest homework assignment, which is a simulation of a bank. The focus of this assignment is to practice polymorphism and inheritance, while also working on our file input/output and user interface skills. The bank has to be implemented according to the inheritance diagram above, which can be challenging at times because there are a lot of variables that determine which sort of account should be created, and these variables are always changing. Once the main inheritance structure has been worked out, the main challenge is getting input from the user. This is always a challenge in any program because you have to safeguard against any possible input. One thing you’ll get good at very quickly as a Computer Science student is trying to break your own program during testing!
I’ll be using most of this bye weekend to catch up (and hopefully get a little ahead) on homework, so I can enjoy next week’s game against Oregon State relatively stress-free.
Have a good week and Beat the Beavers!
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