Course Web page: http://faculty.elgin.edu/mpelczarski
Name: Mark Pelczarski
Phone: (847) 214-7498
Office: ICT-124
Campus E-mail: mpelczarski@elgin.edu
Office/Lab hours:
Monday 4:00-6:00pm
Tuesday 12:45-4:45pm
Wednesday 3:00-6:00pm
Thursday 12:45-1:45pm
Class Hours:
Monday 6:00-9:40pm, ICT-130
Required Books:
Teach Yourself PHP in 24 Hours, 3rd Edition, Zandstra, SAMS Publishing
Also required: USB Flash drive
Software(if you plan to use a computer at home): All the software that we use for this course is free and open source. We will download and install most of the software needed in the first week of class.
This is a beginning course in computer programming. You will learn all the basics of how to write computer software: variables, conditional statements, loops, functions, and arrays. In this section we will use the language PHP for programming. The syntax of PHP resembles C++ and Java, although it differs from those languages in how variables and arrays are used. However, the biggest difference is that PHP is used to create dynamic websites. The programs you write do not typically run on your own computer; instead they run on a web server and you see the results in a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. One result is that the programs are a little less interactive than something executing on your own computer, but on the other hand you can write programs that anyone in the world can access via the Internet.
You will learn to write computer programs using variables, conditional statements, loops, functions, and arrays. You will take problems and develop program solutions for them. You will learn how to test and debug your programs so they work reliably.
The assignments will be a mixture of practice problems and actual programs that you write. Of these, there will be approximately 16 programming assignments. Each will be relatively short, practicing the topics discussed that week. You may not always get every assignment 100% complete and correct, but it is essential that you hand in at least your partial work each week, because most of your grade will be based on your performance on assigned programs. Late assignments will be accepted only for partial credit, as solutions will have already been discussed.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Anything turned in after that time is only for half credit.
You are encouraged to correct incomplete assignments and turn them in later for additional credit.
To give adequate time for final projects, grading, and corrections, all late assignments and corrections MUST be turned in prior to the final three weeks of the semester.
Each assignment MUST be entirely your own work. While you may discuss assignments with others, you should NEVER exchange code, write portions of someone else's program, nor modify someone else's code for your own program. Most of learning to program is learning how to design solutions and debug your code once it is written. Copying or collaborating defeats both those goals. The penalty for being caught is minimally a zero on the assignment for ALL PARTIES involved, and may be failure for the course or dismissal from the college.
In addition to assignments, you should expect short quizzes and a final exam or project. The final will be worth approximately 15% of your grade; the remaining 85% will be points earned on your assignments and quizzes. Your grade will be based on the percentage of points you earn out of the total number possible, on the following scale:
90-100% is an A, 80-89.9% B, 70-79.9% C, 60-69.9% D.
You are expected to be in class. If you must miss, leave a message on my office phone (847)214-7498, or send me an e-mail at mpelczarski@elgin.edu. Unless previous arrangements have been made due to extenuating circumstances, after five absences the instructor has the right to drop you from the class with a failing grade. For evening sections that meet just once a week, after three absences you may be dropped with a failing grade.
1. Creating a basic web page: HTML, PHP, FTP, and Apache
2. Variables, data types, operators, querystring, random numbers
3. HTML forms for input
4. if statements, dates and times
5. compound conditions
6. while loops, HTML tables
7. other loop options, random numbers
8. nested loops
9. functions
10. creating images with graphics functions
11. reading data files, searching strings
12. string functions
13. writing text files
14. reading and writing together, splitting strings
15. arrays