Lecture notes for the Introduction to computers by James Tam Return to the course web page

CPSC 203: Tutorial Schedule

Week

Topics to be covered
May 17 - 23
  • Orientation to the UC-IT computer system
  • Review exercises for the "Introduction to Computers" lectures
  • Introduction to Blackboard and the assignment submission mechanism
  • Description of Assignment 1
  • Introduction to MS-Excel 2007: the ribbon interface, formatting effects, adding cell comments, using the auto fill feature, freezing cell panes1

 
May 24 - 30
  • More advanced features of MS-Excel 2007: using pre-created functions, defining arbitrary functions, determining the format of cell data, using lookup functions, defining tables, absolute vs. relative cell addressing, creating charts, performing what-analysis of data, using pivot tables, working with older/newer versions of Excel spreadsheets, performing multi-threaded calculations, tools for visualizing data2
May 31 - June 6
  • Description of Assignment 2, Logic (AND, OR, NOT): evaluating logical expressions and logic circuits. Basic database theory, overview of the ribbons and the office button in Access 2007, working with a database in the design, form and datasheet view, forming queries, relationships between tables and multiplicity3
June 7 - June 13
  • Using the wildcard in queries, ERD representations of queries, normalizing a database, cross-queries and creating reports3
June 14 - 20
  • Description of Assignment 3, Introduction to JES, the required structure of a Jython program, using the help the system, input and output, variables and constants, creating picture and sound variables, program documentation, branching, commonly used graphical functions, generating random numbers.
June 21 - 27
  • Loops and repetition

 

Relevant text book chapters to help you with the materials being taught in the tutorials
1) Basic orientation (Chapter 1 & 2), Freezing panes (page 134 - 135),  Cell comments (Page 919- 920), Auto fill (Page 398 -402)
2) More advanced features of Excel:  defining and working with tables (Chapter 8, Page  132- 142), tools for visualizing data (Chapter 9 Page 132 - 174), Pivot tables (Chapter 10), creating charts and graphs (Chapter 15), working with prior versions of Excel (Chapter 19), working with formulas (Page 387 - 388, 395 - 408, Chapter 21), Absolute vs. Relative referencing (Page 388 - 391), using pre-created functions (Chapter 22, 23, Page 529), enabling multithreading (Page 950)

3) Note: that in this case the Access book is to be used more as a reference for how advanced features of Access can be invoked. You will be depending heavily on the tutorial and lecture instruction for getting started with the basics. Because database principles are fairly complex you will need to learn the theory behind databases work prior to actually working with and creating an actual database. (The book will show you how these database concepts are actually implemented in Access 2007).

(Before reading the book you need some basics on databases):

  • Creating a database: design vs. datasheet view
  • Creating a simple database using the datasheet view
  • The role of the design view (ensuring data integrity)
  • Laying out the structure of a database in design view

Textbook readings

Chapter 1: Read the section that provides an introduction to the ribbons, skip the rest

Chapter 4 (lecture): What is the purpose of a database, what advantages does it provide over other programs for storing retrieving information. (Skip the material dealing with fourth and fifth normal form).

Chapter 5:

  • Relationships between tables (Page 181 – 185, Page 237 - 240)
  • Field properties (Page 209 – 219)
  • Ensuring referential integrity by using input masks (page 223 – 224). A pretty good coverage of common cases although it doesn't provide quite as much detail as I might have prefered.
  • Selecting primary keys (Page 241 – 242)

Chapter 9 (you may need to spend a bit of time getting familiar with the sample database, but the key topics in this chapter include):

  • Creating queries via the Wizard (and the limitations of this mechanism)
  • Forming queries from scratch using the Query Design Window

Chapter 11

  • (Advanced topi) Crosstab queries: page 503 – 512)

Chapter 14 (creating forms)

Chapter 16 (creating reports)