Jan 7, 2019 -- Notes

IT 211 -- Jan 7, 2019

Announcements, Table of Contents, Professor Information, Syllabus, Lecture Notes, Documents, Exam Info, Projects, Exam Info, D2L

The official prerequisite for this course it IT 130. The unofficial prereq is some programming experience.
If you have already taken two or more programming courses in a high level language like Python or Java, you are overqualified for this course. See your advisor about getting those courses substituted for IT 211 and IT 212.

The course textbook is Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist by Allen Downey.
You can buy a hardcopy or use this online version.

What is your experience with these computer items?
- Microsoft Explorer, DOS Command Prompt, Notepad, Brackets.
List computer file extensions that you know (Microsoft Windows or Mac) and the meaning of each extension.
Ans: Here are some of the many common Windows file extensions:

Document Files: .txt (Text), .docx, .doc (MS Word), .rtf (Rich Text Format).

Data Files: .xml (Extensible Markup Language), .csv (Comma Separated Value), .json (Javascript Object Notation)

Internet Page Files: .htm,.html (HTML Page), .css (CSS File), .aspx (ASP.Net), .js (Javascript File).

Binary Machine Language Files: .exe (Executable File), .dll (Dynamic Link Library), .class (Java Byte Code File).

Source Code Files: .java (Java), .c (C), .cpp (C++), .cs (C#), .py (Python), .rb (Ruby).

Image Files: .jpg (JPEG Image), .gif (GIF File), .tif (TIFF File), .tga (Targa File), .bmp (Windows Bitmap File), .pbm (Portable Bitmap File), .pgm (Portable Graymap File), .ppm (Portable Pixelmap File), .pnm (Portable Anymap File).

Sound Files: .wav (WAV), .midi,.mid (MIDI), .mp3 (MP3).

Movie Files: .avi (AVI Movie File), .mpeg, .mpg (MPEG Movie File).

Microsoft Application Files: .mdb, .accdb (Access), .xlsx (Excel Worksheet), .pptx (Powerpoint Office Open XML).

Compressed Files: .zip (ZIP File), .rar (RAR File), .7z (7 Zip File), .tar (TAR File).

Topics:
Variables Operators Assignment Statements
Functions (called standalone methods)
If Statements Loops
Sequential Processing Lists User Defined Methods
File Processing Dictionaries
Data Formats (e.g., txt, csv, xml, json, pnm)
Projects:
1. Compute Monthly Payment for Loan
2. Rock-Paper-Scissors Game
3. Compute GPA Using Sequential Processing
4. Use Double Loops to Draw a Letter
5. Unscramble Jumble Strings
6. Design and Implement a Class
7. Create List of Dictionaries from Input File
Exams:
- In-class Midterm Exam on Monday, Feb 4.
- In-class Final Exam on Wednesday, Mar 18, 11:45am to 2:00pm.

Four ways to run a Python script:
1. Use the Idle Editor to create and run a script.
  1. Open the Idle Editor.
  2. Create a new file with the contents
```
print("Hello, World.")
```
  3. Use File >> Save As to save the file with the name hello.py.
  4. Run the script with Run >> Run Module.
2. Use Idle to enter Python commands interactively:
  1. Open the Idle Editor.
  2. In the Python Shell Window, enter Python statements, for example:
```
>>> print("Hello, World")
```
    When you press the Enter key, this output appears:
```
Hello, World.
```
3. Run the script with Interactive Python:
  1. Open a Windows Command Prompt Window or Mac Terminal Window.
  2. Open an Interactive Python Window by typing py.
  3. At the >>> prompt, type
```
>>> print("Hello, World.")
```
  4. Exit Interactive Python with exit( ).
4. Run the script from the Command Prompt Window:
```
> py hello.py
```
Note: when using Python Version 3, parentheses must be used for every method call, in particular with print:
```
print("Hello, World.")
```