Read Me First (IST Specific)

PRG/218v4 Introduction to C/C++

Read Me First

Introduction

In this class, Introduction to C/C++, you will use the C++ language and Visual Studio® editor to grasp the concepts needed to write basic programs in C++. It is required that you install Microsoft® Visual Studio® Express. (See the Course Software link on the student website for more information on obtaining this software. The link to this page is in the resources.) All course programming must be done using a C++ Win32® Console Application (Empty Project) template in Microsoft® Visual Studio®.

Course Overview

This course introduces the student to C/C++ programming. The syntax and semantics of the C/C++ programming languages are used to produce simple computer programs.

Main Concepts

The primary concept of this course is to give you the opportunity to learn the basics of the C++ programming language. Thus, allowing you to use and troubleshoot software code, as well as understand object-oriented programming (OOP).

In Week One, we will cover the basics and fundamentals of writing programs. We will learn the architectural tools needed to layout and design programs prior to utilizing the editor. These tools allow you, the student, to choose which one best suits your programming style. Pseudo coding is essentially listing the logical steps, as you would place them, in your program. Flow charting uses a graphical display for those with visual learning styles and accomplishes similar objectives as pseudo code. We will also install the Visual Studio® Integrated Development Environment (IDE) on our computers to prepare to program in the coming weeks.

In Week Two, we will use the IDE installed in Week One and begin programming within this environment. The primary focus this week is to learn how to create a program, managing data input into the program, performing computations required by the program, and outputting data requested by the user. We will use data, variables, and calculations to run basic mathematical operations.

In Week Three, we will learn how C++ can help us with decisions based on logic and how to use loops to ensure the end user obtains the appropriate output requested by the program. Looping structures have several different variants and we will learn about Boolean variables in order to define control flow, as well as, the different looping structures most common in programming. We will also explore arrays, strings, and pointers; which are some of the most powerful tools you will learn in this class. These constructs help provide data storage and retrieval using collections.

In Week Four, we will examine structures and classes; which represent the foundational components of object-oriented programming (OOP). The class construct in C++ allows us to modularize our code in an effective way and design our programs so they accurately reflect our real-world experience. Member variables and methods, which are the constituents of class design, are investigated and utilized to manage the properties and behaviors of the objects created from classes.

In Week Five, we will apply our accumulated knowledge of C++ coding practices to create well-designed programs whose purpose will be clearly understood and structure will be easy to debug and troubleshoot. We will have a final project due at the conclusion of Week Five which will allow you to create software that incorporates all the key topics learned throughout the course.

This Course in relationship to the program

This course will not only prepare you for more advanced C++ programming courses, but will also allow you to more quickly learn one of the other C-based OOP languages, such as JAVA™ or C#.

Career Connections

Programming is used in a number of industries. Additionally, the basic concepts of developing logical code and using algorithms can be utilized in virtually all computer-based jobs.