Assignment 0

Welcome to CISC370! The purpose of this first assignment is to familiarize you with Java. We want to make sure that you are comfortable with Java and its environment before you start to program.

Your Environment

You are not required to work in any particular OS: UNIX, Linux, Mac, Windows, .... However, you must be familiar with your environment and be able to troubleshoot problems on your own. You can use whatever development environment (editors, IDEs, terminals) you want. I encourage you to try using a development environment, such as NetBeans or Eclipse, during this course because you will use one in an industrial job. There is a learning curve as you begin using any new development environment, but it will speed up your development in the long run. See the course resources page for more information and links about available editors and IDEs.

You must use Java 1.5. You can download Java onto your personal machine. (As of May 28, 2006, you want to download JDK 5.0 Update 7.) Optionally, you can get the version that is bundled with NetBeans, if you want to use an IDE.

If you are using one of the UD Composers, make sure you're using the correct version of Java by running java -version If you're not using 1.5, see the lecture notes about fixing your path.

Your first Java program

Write a Java program that contains at least one print statement and run the Java program. Your program can be as simple as complex as you want, but you should keep it simple to start! Take this opportunity to get familiar with some of the compiler (e.g., syntax) errors that you will encounter during the semester in a simple program.

README

For every assignment this semester, you will provide a README file that contains information about your assignment. Your README file will contain Maintain reasonable width in your README so that the entire README is viewable in your script. In Emacs, you can use 'esc-q', which inserts appropriate line breaks so that the lines do not exceed 80 characters and the paragraph looks neat. You will have to do this for each paragraph.

Script file

Create a script file showing the version of Java you're using, your README, your code, compilation, and execution of your program. If you develop on Windows, Linux, or anything else, just find a way to show everything you are required to and print it out. This may be the script command, it may be a simple text capture from a command prompt under Windows, or anything else that shows what you need to show.

Submission

There are two parts to every assignment: a printed and an electronic version.

Submit a printed version of your assignment (script file, Java file, and README) at the beginning of class on Tuesday, June 13.

Email a gzipped tar file of your assignment directory named lastname-assign0 and which should include the script file, the Java program, the class file, and README) to Ke (kli at cis.udel.edu) before next Tuesday (June 13) at 11:59:59 p.m. The subject line should be "[Your Name] CISC370: Assignment 0 Submission".

A tar file is simply a "bundle" or "archive" of your directory in one file. To make a tar file of a directory called "assign0", run the commands:
tar cf assign0.tar assign0
gzip assign0.tar

On Linux, you can perform both of these steps in one:
tar cfz assign0.tar.gz assign0

Alternatively, on Windows, you can use Winzip to create the zip file.

If you have any questions about submission, ask early!

Grading (100 pts)