Preparatory Work

Classes for this module begin in week 3 (25-29 September). To prepare you for the start of the module, you need to do the following between now and then: 

Text book and basic preparation

1. Get hold of the text book "A First Course in Computer Programming Using C" by King, Pardoe, & Vickers, pub. McGraw-Hill, 1995, ISBN 0-07-707913-2. You can pay anything between £20 and £25 for the book depending on where you buy it. Blackwell's bookshop by the Roman Catholic cathedral has copies (£24.99 I think), but you can pay less (£22.39 last time I looked) by ordering from WH Smith Online (www.bookshop.co.uk - its title there is given as "A First Course in Programming Using C", or click here to find it directly). Note, Amazon (for complicated reasons) list it as out of print.
   
   You will also use this book for the semester 2 module, CMSCD1004 Programming and Problem Solving.

2. Read the first three chapters of the book and attempt the exercises on paper for chapter 2.

3. Ensure you have a valid computer username and password as you will need to access the JMU network for the practical sessions.

4. Make sure you are familiar with logging on to the network and editing and creating basic text files (e.g. using Notepad in Windows).

5. Try finding and running the Borland C++ compiler on the JMU network.

Learning style questionnaire

We want to conduct research into the way people learn so that we can find out more about the best way to teach subjects like programming. Therefore, you should complete the on-line questionnaire that is accessed by clicking here. Your answers to this questionnaire will be treated in strictest confidence and your assessment will not be affected by it. Note, this questionnaire can only be accessed from a JMU networked computer (it is not available outside the JMU firewall).

Paul Vickers