Programming Assignment Checklist: Hello World

Questionnaire

Part of this assignment is to fill out the following brief questionnaire.

Goals

The goal of Assignment 0 is to make sure that you can:

• Edit, compile, and execute a Java program.

• Compute with strings, integers, real numbers, and boolean variables.

• Submit your assignment electronically via the course web page.
  Note: you won't be able to submit an assignment until you are registered in our system for a precept.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a checklist? The programming assignment specifies the general programming assignment. The checklist contains supplemental information, and you are expected to read it prior to submitting your work. Some examples include: links to any preliminary code, a readme.txt template, hints, and frequently asked questions.

It's the first week of class. Do I really need to start reading the text? Yes. Getting off to a good start will save you alot of energy in the long run. We urge you to stay on top of the material from the beginning. If you don't understand something, email or visit your preceptor for assistance. Don't be bashful about asking for help.

What's the difference between the textbook and the booksite? The booksite contains short summaries of the material in the textbook, with links to code and solutions to some exercises. (Some of it is still under construction, so there are gaps.) The textbook provides a complete narrative, with more details, examples, and motivation.

Am I required to use DrJava? No, if you've programmed before and prefer a different integrated development environment, go right ahead.

How should I read in user input? Use command-line arguments as described in Sections 1.1 and 1.2. We will learn about other ways to handle input in Section 1.5.

Can I assume all user input is valid data? Yes. We will learn about dealing with erroneous data next week.

My RGBtoCMYK program doesn't work when all 3 command line inputs are 0. That's ok - that's why we specified that not all 3 inputs would be 0. (The correct result in this case is 0 0 0 1, but you need to learn about if-else statements to avoid dividing by zero.)

I don't understand the Box-Muller formula. Don't worry. The purpose of this question is for you to translate a mathematical formula into Java.

What's Moodle? Moodle is the system you will use to submit assignments and check grades. We use it instead of Blackboard since processing large numbers of electronic submissions in Blackboard is not feasible.

When I login to Moodle, my browser asks me whether I should accept a "security certificate." How should I proceed? Accept it permanently. We need to establish a secure connection so that you can submit assignments and check grades with reasonable privacy.

When I submit files, the system does not seem to check off that I have submitted them. Why not? Be sure the file is named exactly as specified. The capitalization and .java extension are important. Also, be aware that DrJava creates backup files with a .java~ extension, so be sure that you don't submit these. If you use Windows, we recommend configuring your system to unhide the filetype extensions. (Go to Tools or Control Panel, and uncheck Folder Options -> View -> Hide extensions for known file types.)

Warning: Moodle reports File uploaded successfully regardless of whether the file was uploaded successfully, so don't be misled.

What's the "Run Script" button on the assignment submission page? It compiles your programs and reports any errors. You must submit all of the required files before it activates.

Submission

Here are some guidelines. You will lose a substantial number of points if you don't follow these instructions.

Writeup. Here's a link to this week's readme.txt file. The readme.txt file must be a text file - create it using the same editor that you use to write your Java programs. Do not submit .doc or .pdf files.

Submission. All assignments submissions are electronic.

• Use the web-based submission system. We do not accept email or hardcopy submissions.

• Be sure that every file you submit includes your name, login, and precept number. All .java files should also include a description of the program.

• The assignment specifies exactly which filenames to use. These names are case-sensitive.

• After you have submitted all of the required files, be sure to hit the Run Script button (and correct any compilation errors).

Formatting.

• Format your code consistently. We recommend using 4 spaces for each indentation level. (If you followed our instructions, DrJava will already be configured to do this.) DrJava can automatically re-indent your code: highlight a block of code and hit the Tab key.

• Do not use hard tabs. (If you are using DrJava, you are all set.) Different systems and tools display and print hard tabs differently. Hard tabs are obsolete: in ancient times, they were used for data compression. Modern text editors support soft tabs, which automatically substitute spaces for tabs.

• Do not exceed 80 characters per line. Long lines are hard to read and will annoy your grader. Use line breaks as needed. This rule also applies to the readme.txt file.

Enrichment

Here's the ACM Hello World Page. It contains everyone's first program in over 200 programming languages.