CIS 680MC Python Syllabus

Course info

CIS 680MC is a four-unit online Python course that is given during the Summer session. There are no face-to-face meetings for this class. Please read this syllabus carefully before registering for this course.

Instructor

Douglas Putnam

Email

putnamd@smccd.edu

Web

smccd.edu/accounts/putnamd

Course

CIS 680MC

Semester

Summer 2012

Dates

June 18 -- Aug 9

CRN

54481

Units

4

Grade Option

Credit/No Credit or letter grade

Syllabus

Syllabus

Course web site

http://smccd.mrooms.net/

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Prerequisites

CIS 254 Exit Skills

At this time, there are no prerequisites for CIS 680MC. However, if you do not already have CIS 254 exit skills, you will not do well in this class. This course is not a beginning programming course. You should be able to:

• Analyze and explain the behavior of programs involving the fundamental program constructs.
• Write short programs that use the fundamental program constructs including standard conditional and iterative control structures.
• Identify and correct syntax and logic errors in short programs.
• Write short programs that use arrays.
• Design and implement a class based on attributes and behaviors of objects.
• Construct objects using a class and activate methods on them.
• Use static and instance members of a class properly.
• Identify and describe the properties of a variable such as its associated value, scope and lifetime.
• Describe the parameter passing mechanisms and method overloading.
• Analyze and explain is-a relationships among objects using a class hierarchy and inheritance.

HTML

In this course we will be using Python as a Web programming language. You should be familiar with HTML, or be willing to become familiar with it during the course.

What you will learn in this course

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

1. Install Python3 on your computer.
2. Use Python's builtin data types, including strings, tuples, sets, arrays, and dictionaries.
   
3. Create functions, lambda expressions, and modules.
   
4. Employ control structures to write dynamic Python programs.
5. Use Python's object-oriented features to create custom classes and objects.
   
6. Employ Python collection and mappings to store and manipulate data.
7. Use Python to connect to database resources like MySQL, SQLite3, and MongoDB.
8. Develop server-side Python CGI scripts for publishing on the Web.
9. Create an basic web application using Python and a web application on Google AppEngine using a framework such as Django or web.py.
   

Text books and resources

Required texts

Other reading

All of the O’Reilly Python books are worth owning, and there are many free Python books that you can add to your Python library.

Python resources

• Python Official Website
• Download Python
• Python3 Documentation

CSM server account

Each student is assigned a shell account on a CSM Linux server. Though you can create your Python scripts on any computer, they must run on your CSM Linux account. Your CSM shell account is for your CIS 680 course work only. All students are expected to adhere to CSM's Student Code of Ethics.

Assignments and workload

This is a 4-unit course given over an 8-week Summer session. Success in this course depends on your time management skills and self-discipline. Be prepared to devote substantial time each week to doing reading and coding. Plan on spending several focused hours each day to read, study, and code Python. In a normal 15 week semester it is customary to recommend 3 hours of study per week for each course unit. That would amount to 12hrs/week. Since this course is accelerated and compressed into 8 weeks, you will have to adjust your study time accordingly.

Grading

Forum participation    3%
Labs                  55%
Weekly Quizzes        32%
Final Exam            10%

90..100   A    
80..89    B   
70..79    C
50..69    D  
below 50  F
                        

Class forums

Forum participation is important in online courses. In this course, 3% of your grade will be based on your contributions to the class forums. Class participation means making or replying to at least 4 different forum posts during the class, not counting introductions. (3% of final grade)

Homework

The bulk of the homework assignments (labs) consists of weekly assignments based on the core exercises and reading. (55% of final grade)

Late assignments are graded down 25%. Assignments more than a week late receive a grade of zero.

Weekly quizzes

The weekly quizzes (Sanity Checks) are short quizzes intended to give an indication whether you are keeping up with the coursework. (32% of final grade)

Final exam schedule

The final exam will be given in the last week of the course. (10% of final grade)

Communication

Since there are no face to face meetings for this course, we will communicate through the class website forums. When you have a question about the course work, whether it be the something in the textbook, the labs, or other course-related topics, post it to the class discussion forums where everyone can see the question and answers. If you have a personal question regarding your grade or other personal matters, please send it to my SMCCD email address. I will monitor the forums Monday through Friday.

Before you submit your questions, make sure that your question has not already been asked in the forums. When do post to the forums, take the time to re-read your questions or answers before actually posting them. As usual, offensive language or other breaches of CSM Computer Policy are not acceptable.

I am hoping that as you become comfortable with the online only format, you will ask questions and contribute to discussions more than you might in a classroom environment. However, please remember the limitations of online communication. If you like to talk a lot, please do not talk too often or too long before giving others a chance to respond. If you are a quieter person, please take a chance and ask or answer some questions.

Course work

The table below shows a weekly goal chart for the semester—keep in mind that this schedule is an approximation and may change as the semester progresses.

Week	Topics	Reading Quick Python Book	Quizzes/Coding
1	History of Python Install Python3 Editor and Terminal Overview Sanity Check Quiz	1 Starting out 2 Installing Python 3 Quick Overview 4 The Absolute Basics	Lab 1 Sanity Check
2	Data types variables operators precedence Scope	5 Lists, Tuples, Sets 6 Strings	Lab 2 Sanity Check
3	Control Flow Functions	7 Dictionaries 8 Control Flow 9 Functions	Lab 3 Sanity Check
4	Modules and Scoping; Python programs Packages Using Python Libraries	10 Modules and Scoping 11 Python Programs 18 Packages 21 Using Python Libraries	Lab 4 Sanity Check
5	File System	12 Using the Filesystem 13 Reading and writng files	Lab 5 Sanity Check
6	Object-Oriented Programming Testing Code	14 Exceptions; 15 Object-Oriented Programming 21 Testing Code	Lab 6 Sanity Check
7	Regular expressions SQLite and MySQL MongoDB Python 2	17 Regular Expressions 18 Packages	Lab 7 Sanity Check
8	Django Google AppEngine web.py	24 Network, web, and database programming	Lab 8 Final Exam