Elements of Software Construction

Calendar

Abbreviations

JSP = Jackson Structured Programming

DPLL = Davis-Putnam-Logemann-Loveland (algorithm)

SQL = Structured Query Language

SES #	TOPICS	ASSIGNMENTS	PROJECTS
1	Introduction Basic Java syntax and semantics; overview of objectives and structure of the course		Do lab 0.1
2	Classes More Java: exceptions, input/output, classes, access control, static	Exploration 1 out
3	Subclassing and interfaces Subclassing, inheritance, overriding, interfaces, packages; distinction between declared type and actual type; downcasting; anonymous classes		Do lab 0.2
4	Designing state machines State machine design; graphical and textual notation; state machine semantics; parallel combinations of machines	Exploration 1 due Problem set 1 out
5	Implementing state machines State machine implementation patterns; concurrency and queues; modularity and interfaces
6	State machine invariants Safety and liveness properties; state properties and invariants; inductive reasoning; computing the product machine of a parallel combination; state explosion; fault tolerance; interlocks and the idea of a trusted base
7	Designing stream processors Stream processing programs; grammars vs. machines; JSP method of program derivation; regular grammars and expressions		Project 1 out Do lab 1
8	Decoupling and interfaces Modularity, decoupling, information hiding; module dependence diagrams; using interfaces for decoupling	Problem set 1 due
9	Testing and coverage Why software testing is hard; input space partitioning, boundary testing, state machine coverage, code coverage; test-first development and regression testing
10	Designing a SAT solver, part 1 The SAT problem and SAT solvers; a new paradigm of functions over immutable types; use datatype productions to model structured values; patterns for implementing datatypes (Variant as Class, Interpreter)	Exploration 2 out	Project 1 due
11	Designing a SAT solver, part 2 Review of basic datatype patterns; a naive solver with backtracking search; design improvements with Facade, Option types, and a 3-valued logic
12	Debugging Techniques for avoiding debugging: assertions, modular development with unit testing, code reviews; strategies for debugging: reducing test cases, hypothesis-driven debugging, binary search; Heisenbugs	Exploration 2 due Problem set 2 out
13	Designing a SAT solver, part 3 Abstract data types; representation independence; characterizing types by operations; encapsulation; examples of types used by DPLL solver; Factory Method pattern
14	Rep invariants, equality, visitors Advice on implementing types; rep invariants and abstraction functions; equality for immutable types; Iterator and Visitor patterns		Project 2 out Do lab 2
15	Little languages Representing behavior using data structures; language datatypes, visitors, functional objects, higher-order functions; solving a problem by creating a domain-specific language	Problem set 2 due
16	Basics of mutable types Heap semantics (aliasing, assignment, field setting); reachability and conceptual storage leaks; the Object Contract and equality properties; hash maps and their representation invariant; problems caused by mutation of keys	Exploration 3 out	Project 2 due
17	Event-based programming Fundamentals of programming graphical user interfaces; view hierarchy, Composite pattern, Publish-Subscribe pattern, Model-View-Controller (MVC); pitfalls of event-based programming
18	Designing a photo organizer The relational paradigm; conceptual modeling; object model syntax and semantics; Mitchell and Webb on “unity of purpose”	Exploration 3 due Problem set 3 out
19	Implementing a photo organizer Implementation as object model transformation; key issue of where state resides; standard patterns; navigation, immutability and encapsulation; MVC considerations
20	Concurrency Shared-memory and message-passing paradigms; race conditions and deadlock; using threads and blocking queues in Java; concurrency issues in graphical user interfaces		Project 3 out Do lab 3 and team building lab; Swing lab optional
21	Usability User interface design principles: learnability, visibility, efficiency, errors, simplicity; iterative design; sketching and paper prototyping; user testing	Problem set 3 due
22	Relational databases Using a database to represent an object model; relational algebra and SQL; transactions
23	Conclusion Final words; courses and internships that might follow 6.005; winners of Project 3 awards; 6.005 quiz game		Project 3 due