CSci 2101: Data Structures

CSci 2101: Data Structures - Resources.

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This page has resources and examples for the course and links to other helpful materials. The materials will be added as needed.

In-class examples

How to compile and run Java programs: when using jEdit to write your program:
- In the lab: open a terminal window; on a Windows machine start a command prompt window.
- Type cd followed by space followed by the location of your Java file. For instance, in the lab it may be
```
cd 2101/lab1
```
  and on Windows
```
cd Desktop\2101\lab1
```
  Press enter, make sure the command executed successfully.
- Suppose your file is FirstJava.java. Compile it by typing
```
javac FirstJava.java
```
  If this gives error messages, correct the errors, save the file, and recompile. Use "up" arrow key so that you don't have to retype the command. Note that if you get "file not found" error, you are in the wrong place or are mistyping the file name. If you get an "unrecoginzed command" or a similar error, make sure that java compiler is installed on your system.
- After the program compiles with no errors, type java FirstJava (assuming that FirstJava is the name of your program). Note that you don't put .class or .java after the program name.
May 24th: FirstJava.java
May 25th: Conditions.java, Randomness.java, Loops.java
May 26th: Factorial.java, TestStack.java, Postfix Calculator, FindMistakes.java
May 27th: IntArray.java, StringArray.java, Starting code for "waves"
May 28th: TestArrayList.java, Exercise on ArrayList
June 1st:
- Writing your own objects: Person class example, The Person code we wrote in class.
- The very beginning of implementing a card game "War": The beginning of the Card class and the TestCard class.
June 2nd: Postfix calculator redone using switch, Review for Midterm I, Solutions
June 4th: Java interfaces, Java exceptions.
June 7th: Linked List starting code.
June 8th: Iterators examples
June 9th: Queue interface (our queue implementation will be added there as well).
June 10th: Sorting methods
June 11th: non-comparison sorting. Counting sort files (uses abstract classes), A good description of counting sort, A very nice visualization of counting sort (just disregard the title "radix sort").
June 14th: Review for Midterm II., JUnit example
June 16th: Radix sort animation (very slow - be patient!), Priority queue
June 17th: Priority Heap, Binary Search Tree.
June 18th. Tasks for today: finishing the binary search tree, writing in-order traversal (the result returned as a List interface). The BinarySearchTree code so far.
June 21st: AVL tree interactive animation, Hashtables starting and testing code.
June 22nd: Finished AVL Tree (with tests), Hash table with separate chaining.
June 23rd: Starting code for graphs.
June 24th: Java graphical user interfaces (GUIs)

Standard Java classes and interfaces used in the course

Java String class
Java class Random
Java Stack class
Scanner
ArrayList
Iterable interface, Iterator interface, NoSuchElementException
Object class
Queue interface
Collection interface
Arrays class provides a variety of soring and searching methods for primitive types and for objects.
Comparable Interface is used in Java methods and classes that require an ordering. An alternative is to use a Comparator: a class that compares objects.
JUnit Assert class
JUnit FAQ, including Best practices
Sun's Swing (GUI) tutorial: the best (and perhaps the only) way to learn Java Swing.

Downloads

jEdit text editor. You may need a recent version of Java run-time environment (JRE) before you can install jEdit.
Java Development Kit (JDK). On Windows you may also need to set the PATH environment variable. Instructions for accessing the PATH variable. After you click on Edit, put ; at the end of the current value of PATH and then copy/paste the path to javac after the ;. The path usually is: your Program Files folder, then Java folder, then the JDK folder that you have just installed, and then bin. For instance, on my Windows 7 computer the path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.6.0_20\bin.
Eclipse download> This is a general eclipse downloads page: http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/

Reading materials

History and overview of the Java programming language: http://www.freejavaguide.com/history.html (required reading, May 24th).
Comparison of programming languages popularity (not scientific): http://www.langpop.com/
Compilation, Interpretation, and the Java approach. (required reading, May 24th).
Just in time compilation