Programming in C/C++ (Part I)

Lecturer:

dr. Frank B. Brokken, phone: 050 363 9281,
Computing Center University of Groningen,
Zernikeborg, room 375, Nettelbosje 1, Groningen.
(email: f.b.brokken@rug.nl).

Purpose:

This course covers the basics of the C/C++ programming language. Upon completion of this course, you'll be able to develop basic programs in the C/C++ language.

There are three courses on C/C++. These courses are integrated, show no overlap, and together they very thoroughly cover the C/C++ programming language. It is highly advisable to aim at attending all three courses. In individual cases a selection may be more appropriate. Contact the lecturer when in doubt.

Note in particular that the first course is important in that it creates the foundation upon which the other two courses are built. Do not assume that this first course is not for you if you're already a proficient C programmer. Of course it's true that the first course offers many aspects of the basic grammar of C++, which are generally highly comparable to C's grammar. However, there are many aspects and approaches in C++ which are vastly different from what you already might know from C. Do not underestimate these differences: coming from C, you will have a hard time catching up when you skip this course, and only plan to attend the second and/or third course. Again, if you have any doubts about what to do, contact the lecturer.

Audience:

Most likely, the C/C++ courses are offered in English. Foreign students are explicitly invited to join this course. Of course, when all participants are able to use Dutch, Dutch will be used. This course can be taken to reach the entry-level for the second course on programming in C/C++, and offers the perfect preparation for that course. The second course, in turn, is the perfect preparation for the final, third course on C/C++.

Those who are interested in receiving an initial, basic training in the C/C++ language are also welcome to join.

Assumed entry-level:

A basic experience in working with computers (e.g., running Linux or MS-DOS/Windows. In this course no special attention will be devoted to a particular (operating) system. It is assumed that participants are (willing to become) familiar with the concepts piping, redirection, and environment variabelen. These days few users of MS-Windows appear to have this knowledge. Where necessary a basic introduction to these topics will be offered in the course as well. The inner workings of computers or the starting and shutting down of computers are topics that are not discussed here.
Experience in working with a screen-oriented editor, producing plain text files.
Experience with other programming languages (e.g., Pascal, Java); or with command languages of programs like SPSS or sql; or with scripting languages like Perl and the Unix-shells helps, but is not strictly required.

Study Load:

Approx. 140 hours, 5 ECTS credit points,

The study load includes the lectures as well as the average time required to complete the exercises.
In this course, 7 lectures will be organized.

Summary of covered topics:

C/C++'s basic grammar has the main focus in this course. After the initial lectures in which the basic elements of the language are discussed functions and procedural programming are introduced. Following this, an introduction to object-based programming will be offered. Note that object oriented programming will not be covered here. That topic will be introduced during the second course.

Organization:

Lectures, covering specific problems, form the core of the course. All participants will be members of a email mailing list to promote the discussion of topics related to the C/C++ programming language. Exercises to be completed in between the lectures and summaries of the lectures will be provided. The lecturer may be contacted to discuss problems which may be encountered while solving the exercises.

Literature:

The following books are used for this and the other two C/C++ courses:

De Programmeertaal C,

by F.B. Brokken en K. Kubat. This book is in Dutch. However, for participants who don't read Dutch, any introductory book on the C programming language will do. A classic is the book by Kernighan and Ritchie:

Kernighan, B. W., Ritchie, D.M., The C programming language
Prentice Hall, 1988, ISBN 0-13-110362-8.

The main book for this course, however, will be the

C++ Annotations.

The C++ Annotations contain the relevant aspects of the C++ programming language, and assume a firm knowledge of the C programming language. The books can be ordered via the lecturer. They are offered for EUR 65.-- (both books). For separate copies, the charges will be EUR 25.-- for `De Programmeertaal C' and EUR 40.-- for `The C++ Annotations'.

Completion:

The course has been completed successfully when approximately 60 % of the (weekly distributed) exercises have been completed, and a (short) final talk with the lecturer has been attended as well.

Registration:

The first course on the C/C++ programming language starts in week 38.

General information: RC-ICT onderwijsaanbod (http://www.rug.nl/rc/onderwijs/cursusaanbod/).
times and locations: see the schedule (http://www.icce.rug.nl/edu/1/rooster.shtml).
the registration: see the registration form (http://www.icce.rug.nl/edu/1/register.shtml).
Note that the registration is not handled by Progress.
the course's setup: see the setup information (http://www.icce.rug.nl/edu/1/setup.shtml).

Tariff for external participants:

Students and employees of the University of Groningen and of the `Hanzehogeschool' can register while there are vacancies. The tariff for them is defined by the standard tariff-regulation for educational services in the `beta'-studies.

External participants will be billed EUR 650,--

Progress code: RC-C++1

Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl)
09 November 2011