Syllabus for CIS 251 • C++ Programming

Jefferson State Community College • Shelby-Hoover Campus • Fall 2010

Catalog Course DescriptionThis course is an introduction to the C++ programming language including object oriented programming. Topics include: problem solving and design; control structures; objects and events; user interface construction; and document and program testing.

TextbookI highly recommend that you bring your textbook to each class meeting, as I may refer to examples that are present in the textbook.

Problem Solving with C++, seventh edition, by Walter Savitch.
ISBN-10: 0-321-53134-5; ISBN-13: 978-0-321-53134-6.

Note: If you have already purchased the sixth edition (ISBN-10: 0-321-41269-9), that will suffice for this course.

This textbook may be available in different bindings and / or with different ISBNs. Please consult with your instructor should you wish to buy such a variation on the textbook.

SoftwareWe will use Microsoft Visual Studio.net in class. Students enrolled in CIS courses at Jefferson State may obtain the software free-of-charge through the MSDN Academic Alliance; be looking for an e-mail message in your Pipeline account with your login information. The software is also installed in the CIS labs on the fourth floor. However, you may use any C++ compiler that uses standard C++ code.

Course ContentThe majority of class time will be lectures on C++ syntax constructs and their relationships to coding algorithms. Interspersed in the lectures will be opportunities to apply C++ syntax to a particular situation, with individual and / or group exercises culminating in a discussion of what possible correct answers exist.

GradesRefer to the following table for the contributions of each course item to your grade.

Item Number / Points Total Pts.
Lab Work 10 @ 20 pts. each 200
Projects 2 to 4 @ 50 to 100 pts. each 200
Exams 4 @ 150 pts. each 600
Total Points 1000

ExaminationsAfter roughly every two to three chapters there will be an examination. These examinations will test both your understanding of underlying concepts and your knowledge of C++ syntax. Examinations may feature multiple choice and / or short answer questions, but they will certainly contain programs whose output / functionality you must demonstrate, as well as exercises where you must provide a complete C++ program as a solution to a problem. Unless otherwise specified, examinations are closed-book and closed-note, and they are administered on paper; you must bring your own writing utensil (pencil, blue ink, or black ink) for each exam. Because of the cumulative nature of computer programming, you are advised to maintain a thorough understanding of topics covered early in the semester so as not to hinder your performance on examinations covering later chapters.

Make-up examinations must be scheduled with your instructor within one week of a missed examination and will only be offered for those with significant grounds for missing the exam (illness, family emergency, an automobile accident that occurs on the way to class, etc.).