IT 6403 Windows Application Development
Spring 2003
Tuesdays 7:30PM until 8:45PM J217 and Via WebCT

Rich Halstead-Nussloch
is solely responsible for this page.
Last changed 1/13/03

• Have a great term!
• Note my office is now in the new Architecture Building (N154)
• Final Project Options for Spring 2003 Please choose by 1/21/03.
• Read the final project requirements
• Read the whole syllabus--understand the assignments and grading
• Strategize about how you will operate with WebCT

Text | Class Notices | Objectives | Projects and Assignments | Lecture Notes | Documents/Handouts/Zip Files |
Class Schedule | Journal | Class Attendance | Graded Work | Policies | Hyperlinks
Disabilities (ADA) | Schedule Questions and Registration Problems |

Lomax, P. VB and VBA in a Nutshell . O'Reilly Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1565923588
Called here VB or the red book.

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Objectives

Upon successful completion of the course, each student will be able to:

• Define and discuss major concepts and processes of windowing applications.
• Utilize modern tools, techniques, methods, and development environments for developing windowing applications, including those for analysis, design, development, testing and implementation.
• Plan, design, and implement a significant windows application development project.

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Projects Assignments and Graded Work

• Course and Book Discussion covers timely questions from the course and its text, the Red Book. This discussion will be carried out via WebCT threaded discussion. Each student is expected to keep current in the reading, and participate in the threaded discussion for the week by Friday of that week.
• Weekly Exercises due each Friday and submitted via WebCT threaded discussion. During the following week, each student is expected to spend at least an hour by 6PM Friday involved in WebCT threaded discussion on the prior week's exercise as well as other activities.
• Three Concept Papers. The concept papers will be submitted via a WebCT threaded discussion. Each student is expected to read and comment upon three other concept papers for each round of submission, which will be assigned to you. Your commenting will be reflected in your class contribution grade. Remember, be consultative and professional in your comments.
• A Final Project requiring submission of
  • a proposal
  • a project report
  • a project presentation, e.g., slides, "presented virtually" during a two-week threaded discussion. Final projects must be done in teams of 3 to 5 students.
• Participation in and contribution to class discussion and activity is required. This might take place in person-to-person meetings that student teams will manage on their own and report via WebCT or through threaded electronic discussions via WebCT. As previously mentioned, you are expected to spend at least one hour per week engaged in threaded discussion on the course WebCT site. You are also expected to meet with your project team for at least an hour each week. These meetings can be either face-to-face or electronic (or a combination of both).

Weights for graded components

• Final Windowing Application Development Project Proposal 5%
• Weekly Exercises 10%
• Concept Paper with Highest Grade 20%
• Concept Paper with Second Highest Grade 10%
• Concept Paper with the Lowest Grade 5%
• Final Project (Windowing Application, Presentation and Report) 30%
• Class Participation and Contribution, 20%, Ongoing

Note: All written work must be submitted electronically preferable using Word, HTML or PDF. Use the spell-checker. Deductions will be taken for persistent misspellings, etc.

Note: A final project proposal handed in on time that is evaluated as a B+ or lower might be re-written for potential grade improvement. If this assignment is handed in after the due date, it may not be re-written for potential grade improvement.

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Lecture Notes Available

• Lecture slides on Windows Application Development

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Useful Zip Files, Documents, and Handouts

• Our modification of Bill Venners' Design Process
• Final Project Options for Spring 2003 Please choose by 1/21/03.
• Final Project Requirements and Specifications
• Final Project Proposal with Examples
• Final Report Outline
• A quick guide to presentations
• Ethics: Hints and Tips for Research and Testing
• Timer Project in VB--Zip File
• Web Project files using VB Script--Zip File
• Summer 2002 Syllabus

We will have virtual lectures and labs. We will use WebCT for discussions. You will be expected to meet with your project team to complete your project work. During each week, will have a threaded discussion, allowing everyone to contribute to class through a planned exercise.

Tab Stops at Class Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Week Ending	What is to be covered
17 January Introductions	Introduction to IT6403 Review the course objectives, requirements, assignments, grading, and policies described above. Review the Final Project Requirements and Specifications Review the Final Project Proposal with Examples Final Project Options for Spring 2003 Please choose by 1/21/03. Course and Book Discussion due Friday by WebCT IT6403 Threaded Discussion: Ask any questions you might have about the course, requirements, assignments, working together via WebCT, etc. A questionnaire to complete to introduce yourself in this course. You might attach your completed questionnaire to one of your discussion postings. Your instructor's portfolio web page. What professional strengths and experiences would you like your instructor to emphasize in the course? Turn to page 7 in your book. Reviewing your objective, "At the end of the course...," which of those tasks pertain to your goal, and why? What windows application would you like to develop for your final project? Exercise one--looking for VB Read Chapter 1 of VB Book
24 January Making Friends	Weekly Exercise Discussion due Friday by WebCT IT6403 Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week where did you find VB, VBA, and VBScript? Do you think you will be able to make friends with VB, VBA, and/or VBScript? Do you think you will be able to make friends through VB, VBA, and/or VBScript? Course and Book Discussion due Friday by WebCT IT6403 Threaded Discussion: Have you found other resources for learning VB in addition to the course text--the Red Book? What are they, and can you recommend them? Have you identified other members of the course, with whom you can team and work together friendly on the final project? Have you made friends with WebCT? Do you have a windows application project in mind suitable for this course? How do your potential teammates feel about it? Are you ready to start on your Final Project Proposal? Exercise 1.1--Find some teammates for the final project, meet, download the Final Project Proposal page, complete as much of your final project proposal as you can, make assignments with a schedule for getting the rest of the information and completing the proposal.
31 January Development	Development Cycles & Processes Our modification of Bill Venners' Design Process Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Where you able to meet with potential final project teammates? What on your final project proposal could you complete now? What information needs do you have before you can complete your proposal? What is your team's plan and schedule to complete your proposal? What is your role in completing your team's proposal? Exercise two--looking for events and programming a handler Read Chapter 2 of VB Book
7 February Application	Applications: Terms & Concepts Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your result in programming an event handler? Did you use VB, VBA, or VBScript? What is the most important phase in Venners' design process? Briefly describe another design process that you have used. What windows application would you like to develop for your final project? Final Project Problem Domain Analysis--How should it be done? Does your team need a form? Exercise three-- programming a simple windows application for a timer Read Chapter 3 of VB Book Final Project Proposal Draft number 1 is due
14 February Application Development	The Fundamental IT Question for Application Development: "Make or Buy?" Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your result in programming a simple timer using event handlers? Did you use VB, VBA, or VBScript? What role did variables and data types (as discussed in Chapter 3 of the Red Book) play in your program? What is the most important determiners of application development quality? What role does developer understanding of the following factors play? The human users, their problems, requirements, and tasks. Computing systems' capabilities to meet users' needs. Development environment support of design and implementation to needs Name some characteristics of windows application development environments, e.g., integrated environments, open-source, etc. Exercise four-- Make or buy decisions Read Chapter 4 of VB Book
21 February Application Development	The Fundamental IT Question for Application Development: "Make or Buy?" Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your result in programming a simple timer using event handlers? Did you use VB, VBA, or VBScript? What role did variables and data types (as discussed in Chapter 3 of the Red Book) play in your program? What is the most important determiners of application development quality? What role does developer understanding of the following factors play? The human users, their problems, requirements, and tasks. Computing systems' capabilities to meet users' needs. Development environment support of design and implementation to needs Name some characteristics of windows application development environments, e.g., integrated environments, open-source, etc. Exercise four-- Make or buy decisions Read Chapter 4 of VB Book Concept Paper number 1 is due
28 February Windows Application	Windowing application versus Microsoft (tm) Windows Application Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your answer to the Fundamental IT Question for Application Development: "Make or Buy?" What is the structure of any windowing application as illustrated by Microsoft Windows applications? What role do the following factors play? Objects; Class and Component Libraries, e.g., MFC; Applications; Threads; Windows; Devices; Handles; Classes; (Member) Functions; Virtual Functions; ActiveX; Controls; Events; Event Handlers; Messaging. What (representative) role do VB Class Modules (Red Book Chapter 4) play in windows application development? Final Project Solution Space Construction--How should we approach? Exercise five-- Data Access Read Chapter 5 of VB Book Final draft Final Project Proposal due.
7 March	Spring Break.
14 March Windows Application Development	Windowing application development and visual programming Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your result in connecting a windows application to a data source using VB, VBA, or VBScript? What is involved in "visual programming" for windows application development as illustrated by Microsoft Visual Studio Suites? Compare and contrast: Microsoft Visual Studio versus the Java Developer Kit Microsoft Visual C++ versus VB versus Visual InterDev Microsoft .Net versus everything else What role does the Object Model play in windows application development? Final Project Solution Space Construction--Continued Exercise six-- ActiveX Read Chapter 6 of VB Book
21 March Windows Application Development	Windowing application development and visual programming Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your result in connecting a windows application to a data source using VB, VBA, or VBScript? What is involved in "visual programming" for windows application development as illustrated by Microsoft Visual Studio Suites? Compare and contrast: Microsoft Visual Studio versus the Java Developer Kit Microsoft Visual C++ versus VB versus Visual InterDev Microsoft .Net versus everything else What role does the Object Model play in windows application development? Final Project Solution Space Construction--Continued Exercise six-- ActiveX Read Chapter 6 of VB Book
28 March Windows Application Development in Practice	Windowing application development and robust programming Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your result in developing an ActiveX component for a windows application using VB, VBA, or VBScript? What is involved in (from the Red Book Chapter 6) error handling and robust programming for windows application development using VB and ActiveX? Final Project Solution Space Construction--Continued Exercise seven-- Collections Review Chapter 7 and Appendixes of VB Book Final Revision of the Final Project Proposal is due.
4 April Windows Application Development in Practice	Windowing application development -- The Home Stretch Weekly Exercise, Course and Book Discussion on WebCT Threaded Discussion: Turn to your exercise from last week what was your result in using a collection for a windows application using VB, VBA, or VBScript? Any questions or comments on the Red or VB book? Was it useful for learning programming for windows application development using VB? Project Workshop--Continued Second Concept Paper due.
11 April Windows Application Development in Practice	Windowing application development -- The Home Stretch
18 April Windows Application Development in Practice	Windowing application development -- The Home Stretch
25 April Windows Application Development in Practice	Windowing application development -- The Home Stretch Third Concept Paper due. Final Project Presentation Period Opens.
2 May Windows Application Development in Practice	Windowing application development -- The Home Stretch Last class 4/29/03 Course evaluation Book evaluation Final Project Presentation Period Closes.
2 May Final Exam Day	The Final Exam Day -- Final Project Reports (and all oustanding work) Due 8:10 PM on Thursday 1 May 2003.

NOTE: The professor reserves the right to adjust the schedule to meet the needs of the class.

Keeping a journal is highly recommended for this course. Include in it descriptions of your readings, your reviews of your readings and activities, tips and techniques for doing windows application development, the results of your research, testing, and trials, logs of, e.g., Internet activity, etc.

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Class Attendance

Class participation and contribution will account for a significant portion of your grade. Since one cannot contribute to and participate in the class without attending, attendance is recommended. Regardless of attendance, each student is responsible for keeping up with materials and information from each class period. This means it is up to the student to arrange with another class member, obtaining notes, handouts, etc., from any class meeting, or portion thereof, missed.

NOTE: All students are expected to attend the final presentation session(s) in their entirety. Any un-excused absences during this period will result in the loss of a whole letter grade from your final course grade. If you're going to miss mandatory class(es), let me know ahead of time!!!

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Policies

1. No late submissions for full grade credit except for documented emergencies.
2. All work assigned to be turned in is due at the beginning of the class.
3. Assignments turned in late will be accepted, but at a grade discount. Multiple late assignments will result in additional discount applied to your final course grade.
4. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.

Note that you will be leaving the Southern Polytechnic website by taking these links, and neither Southern Polytechnic nor Richard Halstead-Nussloch has control over what you will encounter.

• O'Reilly's VB Page
• Microsoft Visual Basic Page
• Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Page
• ACM Home Page
• IEEE Home Page
• Galileo Home Page
• The largest freely accessible literature database in computer science
• Bill Vernners' Introduction to "Design Techniques" from 1998 JavaWorld

Disabilities--Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance

Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the counselor working with disabilities at (770) 528-7226 as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

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Schedule and Registration

If you are majoring in Computer Science and have questions about your schedule or you are having registration problems, please contact the CSE Student Services office located at J 393 or call (770)528-7406 and ask for an appointment.

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