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cs2370 Notes: 38 Semester Summary

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CS2370: Introduction to Programming - Semester Summary #

Course Overview #

This semester, we’ve covered the fundamentals of programming using Python. We started with basic concepts and gradually built up to more complex topics, including data structures, algorithms, object-oriented programming, and practical applications.

Key Topics Covered #

Programming Fundamentals #

  • Python Basics: Variables, expressions, statements, and control flow
  • Functions: Design recipe, purpose statements, types, testing, and implementation
  • Data Types: Numbers, strings, booleans, and their operations

Data Structures #

  • Lists: Creation, manipulation, and standard patterns
  • Tuples: Named tuples for structured data
  • Sets: Unordered collections with no duplicates
  • Dictionaries: Key-value mappings for efficient lookups

Program Design #

  • Design Recipe: A systematic approach to function design
    • Stub with names and purpose statement
    • Types
    • Tests
    • Standard pattern
    • Function body
  • Recursion: Self-referential functions for elegant solutions
  • File I/O: Reading from and writing to files

Algorithms #

  • Sorting: Insertion sort, selection sort, merge sort, quicksort
  • Searching: Linear search, binary search
  • Computational Complexity: Understanding algorithm efficiency

Object-Oriented Programming #

  • Classes and Objects: Encapsulation of data and behavior
  • Inheritance: Building hierarchies of related classes
  • Operator Overloading: Customizing how operators work with objects
  • Polymorphism: Using objects of different classes through a common interface

Advanced Topics #

  • Boolean Expressions: Representation, evaluation, and transformation
  • Web Programming: HTTP, HTML, requests, and web scraping
  • AI Applications: Using pre-trained models for various tasks
  • GUI Programming: Building interactive graphical applications

Projects and Applications #

Throughout the semester, we built several practical applications:

  • Flappy Bat: A simple game demonstrating graphics and event handling
  • Snake Game: A classic game implementing more complex game mechanics
  • Web Scraper: Extracting and processing data from websites
  • AI Demos: Using machine learning models for text, image, and audio processing
  • Web Server: Building a simple HTTP server to serve dynamic content

Programming Practices #

We emphasized good programming practices:

  • Documentation: Clear purpose statements and naming
  • Testing: Writing tests before implementation
  • Code Organization: Structuring code for readability and maintainability
  • Debugging: Strategies for finding and fixing errors

Looking Forward #

As you continue your programming journey, consider:

  • Exploring more advanced Python features and libraries
  • Diving deeper into algorithms and data structures
  • Contributing to open-source projects
  • Building your own substantial applications
  • Learning additional programming languages to broaden your perspective

Remember that programming is a skill that improves with practice. The concepts you’ve learned in this course provide a foundation that will serve you well in future courses and projects.

Final Thoughts #

Programming is both a practical skill and a way of thinking. The problem-solving approaches you’ve learned here apply beyond just writing code. As you continue to develop as a programmer, focus not just on making things work, but on making them work well - with code that is clear, efficient, and maintainable.

Thank you for your participation and hard work this semester!