Important People in Computer Science

 

 

Objective

This project will make sure that you have installed all of the class tools, that you can check-out projects, save your work, and submit projects.  You may also learn about a couple of interesting figures in the history of Computer Science.

 

Founders of Computing

Most people credit the invention of the computer to Charles Babbage.  You should know about him.  Please read this.  (Be sure to read the part labeled "Eccentricities".)

"Ada Lovelace is best known as the first computer programmer.  She wrote about Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine with such clarity and insight that her work became the premier text explaining the process now known as computer programming."  She understood the possibility of the “Analytical Engine” as a general purpose computer able to manipulate symbols that could be used to represent anything.  She wrote that it had possibilities beyond that of any calculator.  You should learn more about her, so please read this.

Alan Turing is considered the "Father of Computer Science".  You should know about him too.  Please read this.  My favorite factoid about Alan Turing is that he is the inventor of "Around the House Chess," which works like this:  You set up a chess board somewhere in your house near the door to the outside world.  After you make a move, you have to run out the door, around the entire house, and then back in to where the chess board is.  You can then immediately move again -- so your opponent had better make his/her move before you get back (and vice-versa).  It's a chess game and a footrace at the same time.

 

Overview of What You Must Do For This Project

We have written a project called "Fall09Proj0", which has been copied to your personal CVS repository.  Your job is to do the following:

1. Download and Install Java, Eclipse, and the course plug-ins onto your computer (unless you are working in a lab on campus or if you have already done this step for the lab exercise).
2. "Check out" the project.  (That means copy it from your CVS repository onto the computer you are working on.)
3. Edit the project (as described below) and save your work.
4. Submit the project for testing and grading.
5. Check on the server named submit.cs.umd.edu that you have received all of the points.
6. If you failed any of the tests listed on the submit.cs.umd.edu, go back to step 3.  If you did not fail any tests, you are done!

Detailed descriptions of the first of these steps follow:

 

1.  Install the Course Tools

Detailed instructions for installing the course tools can be found by following this link.  It is important that you follow those instructions very precisely so that you will have the correct versions of all of the tools.  In a nutshell, you will do these things:

• Install the Java SDK.
• Copy the Eclipse zip file to your computer.
• Extract the contents of the zip file.
• Run Eclipse and install the course-specific plug-ins.

 

2. "Check Out" the Project

• Get your class account.  If you have not already done so, login to the grades server (grades.cs.umd.edu) to obtain your class account and password.  The account ID will have this format:  cs131XXX.  (You will need your University of Maryland directory ID and password to access the grades system.)
• Create a CVS Connection.  If you have not already done so, you will need to create a "CVS connection" in the CVS repository perspective of Eclipse.  You only need to do this once on any particular machine that you want to work on.  (The same CVS connection can be used on that computer for the entire semester.)  Here's how to do it:  After changing to the CVS repository perspective, right-click the left-hand portion of the screen (under the tab that says "CVS repositories") and select "New, Repository Location".  This will bring up a dialog box with lots of things for you to fill in.  Fill in the fields so that they look exactly like this screenshot.  You should use your class account ID in the two places where it says "cs131XXX", and you should type the corresponding password into the box that says password.  Everything else should be copied so that it looks exactly like the screenshot.  Note that the connection type must be changed to extssh.
• Check Out the project.  Click the little "+" or triangle next to the CVS connection that you created.  Then click the little "+" or triangle next to the word "HEAD".  You should be able to see an entry that says "Fall09Proj0".  Right-click this folder, and select "Check Out".  That will copy the project files to the computer that you are working on.
• Switch to the Java Perspective before editing the file.  You should be in the CVS perspective when checking out the file, but always make sure you are in the Java perspective when you go to edit or run the program.

 

3.  Edit the Project and Save

• Remember: switch over to the Java perspective.  On the left side of the screen (under the tab that says "Package Explorer") you will see the project "Fall09Proj0".  Click the little "+" or triangle next to the folder.  Now click the little "+" or triangle next to "default package".  You should see a file called "ImportantPeopleInComputerScience.java".  This is the one and only file you must edit!  Double-click this file and it should open in the editor in the largest window of the screen.
• Try running the program.  Make sure that the file is open in the editor, and then select Run, Run As, Java Application from the menu at the top.  You should see the output in the "console" window at the bottom of the screen.
• Modify the contents of the file so that it "makes sense" based on the information in the web pages given above.  You will find more specific instructions in the file itself -- you'll see what we mean when you open the file.
• When you're done, save your work by clicking the little disk icon at the upper left or by selecting "File, Save" from the menu at the top.
• Run it again to make sure it works as expected -- if not, edit the file to repair it, save, and try running it again.  If you get stuck, drop by to visit one of us during office hours!

 

4.  Submit the Project

• To submit, right-click the project folder (in the "package explorer" from within the Java perspective) and choose "Submit Project".  If you do not see the "submit" option, then your plug-ins were not installed correctly and go back to step 1! 
• Go to the submit server (submit.cs.umd.edu) to see if you passed the tests.  If you didn't, fix up the project file and submit it again!

 

Grading

There are five release tests that you must pass for this project.  Together these comprise 100% of the project grade.  If you don't pass any tests, you don't get any points.