CS100J FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
What
Do
Who
Why
Where
May
How
Home
Announcements
Staff&Help
Material
Exercises
Exams
Information
Syllabus
Times&Places
Examples
Projects
Grading
WHAT...
What is a FAQ? Look here.
What might I be missing that isn't listed here? Consult the Overview and Advice pages.
What if I have an exam conflict or special requirement? Contact Laurie Buck two weeks in advance.
DO...
Do I need to submit my output? Usually, yes.
Do I need to use TokenReader.java? No.
Do I need to use CodeWarrior? No, but we will not help you with other software unless we say otherwise.
WHO...
Who is Laurie Buck? Laurie Buck is the course administrator. Review the Staff page.
Who is my section instructor? Review the Staff and Times&Places pages.
Who do I contact if I have a question about my course grade (letter or S/U)? Contact the course instructor, not the course administrator.
WHY...
Why do we use Java? See Some Questions and Answers about using Java in Computer Science Curricula by Doug Lea.
Why do we use MATLAB? We wish to expose you to another high level language. CS100 teaches programming, not just specific languages. So, skills you learn in Java should transfer to other languages. MATLAB offers a very powerful and elegant language for performing numerical analysis. We encourage you to explore similar packages, such as Maple, Mathematica, MathCad, and TKSolver.
Why do we use CodeWarrior? In a perfect world, we would program perfect code that never contains mistakes. But, we usually don't. Even if we could, managing large scale projects with many different components presents a great challenge even to those with amazing memories. CodeWarrior provides a robust programming environment for compiling and running code. For CS100, you should try the debugging facilities CodeWarrior offers.
Why give bonus points? Bonus points encourage students to enhance their learning beyond the scope of "required" topics. A semester is too short to teach all that a subject offers. Bonus points also encourage quality work, something all students should strive for.
Why do I have to do core questions? If I can do the bonus questions, doesn't that show I know the material? We grade partly on relative performance, so we need to know how you and the rest of the class perform on the same questions. If you really know the material, then you should have no problem doing the core questions.
Why do the assignments look like that? See the article Building Freshman Intuition for Computational Science and Mathematics by C. Van Loan.
Why should I retrieve and save my graded work, even if I got a  good/perfect score? You need to check for accuracy in grading and summing of points in case you need to submit a regrade. Also, in case of a lost score, we would need proof that you completed the assignment. You should also use previous work to study for your exams. You can also learn about mistakes to avoid in the future from the project grading guides.
WHERE...
Where are the computer labs?
Where's Carpenter Lab?		 Look at CIT's information page here.
Where's your office? Look at the Staff page.
Where's Laurie Buck?
Where the CS Undergraduate office?		 The CS Undergraduate office is in 303 Upson Hall. Also, see the Staff page.
Where are the solutions? We post solutions on the same page as Exercises, Projects, and Exams.
Where are the handouts? Most handouts are on the Material page. Also, some are posted in examples. For assignments and solutions, look at Exercises, Projects, and Exams.
Where is my graded homework/prelim? If you did not pick it up in Section, go to Carpenter Lab. Bring your ID!
Where do I request a regrade? Go to Carpenter Lab within one week after we return your work. You must hand the regrade request back to a consultant in Carpenter Lab.
Where is almost everything located? Look in Carpenter Lab or on this website.
Where can I find more practice problems? Refer to the exercises in your textbook. You can also find many problems in archived course websites from the CS Home Page. Also, look in the library for other programming textbooks. You might even consider trying a Schaum's Outline on C or C++ for many worked-out problems: try programming the same problems in Java!
MAY...
May I use the old edition of the current textbook? No. We will cover the new edition. If you choose to use the older version, you will have a harder time with the course. However, we can't force you to purchase a book, so you have to make that choice.
May I change my partner? You may have different partners for different projects, but you may not have multiple partners for any given assignment. Please review the Projects page. Review the Advice section on this website if you hate/want to divorce your partner.
May I use something other than CodeWarrior?
May I program in a different language?		 You may not use another language. You may use something other than CodeWarrior for Java, but then you are on your own: We provide support only for CodeWarrior.
HOW...
How should I submit my homework? Follow the submission guidelines on the Projects and Exercises pages. Please, we want printouts of your work, not floppies or email. Yes, in an ideal world we would have the graders check your programs by running them, but we don't have the staff or equipment quite yet....
How many projects should my partner and I submit? One.
How do I use CodeWarrior? Download the Guide To Using CodeWarrior.
How do I access the newsgroups? If you're in a public lab, look here and/or ask a CIT operator. If you work from a private machine, contact the CIT Helpdesk.
How do I print in a public lab?
How do I use Net-Print?		 Review this page about Net-Print from CIT.
How do I print an output window that CodeWarrior might generate? See the Printing page in the Guide To Using CodeWarrior. 
How do I use a class file in CodeWarrior? Short version: Save the file to your computer, add it to a project, and change the target setting.  Need more help? Here's the long version:
  • Find the file on the appropriate webpage.
  • Click on the hyperlink for the file.
  • Save the file to the desktop or a directory you can access.

    • - Your browser might show a Download Window.  If so, click on Save this file to disk.
    - For convenience, save to a directory with easy access, like the desktop.
    - In Filename, write the file as something.class.
    - In Save as type, select the All Files option.
  • Open CodeWarrior and create a new project as a Java Stationary->CUCS Java Application project.
  • Add the file to the project by doing either of the following:

    • - click on the file with your mouse ONCE and drag into either the Sources or Classes folders of the current project.
    - select the menu sequence Project->Add Files. In the Add Files WINDOW, find the directory that contains your file and select All Files in Files of type.
  • Open the Target Settings window and change the Java Target to the name of the file without the .class portion.
  • Run the program by clicking on the right arrow ("play") icon.
    • Note: If you choose to double-click on the class file, you might be able run the program, but there are different steps involved.
    How do I start this? Read the assignment a few times. Don't expect to absorb it all at once. While reading the assignment, look for clues on what you need to do. When you've figured out the larger tasks, break those large problems into smaller and smaller tasks. Eventually, you can program those smaller tasks! Also, review the Advice section.
    How do I catch up? I'm lost. Seek help from the CS100 Staff immediately. We can help you figure out what you need to do. You should review the Advice section.
    How do I become a consultant? Take CS211, do well, and see Laurie Buck.


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