CPSC 231: Course outline spring 2025

Index (shortcut to major sections of the webpage)

• A brief overview of the programming language you will learn
• Contact information:
  • Course instructor
  • Tutorial instructors
• Course administration: grading information, textbooks, instructor contract information
• Tutorial information: scheduled teaching tutorials along with tutorial examples, drop in help tutorials (in both cases the schedules can be found here)
  • Getting help from tutorial instructors via the Help tutorials/Continuous Tutorials (CT)
• Main grid (includes the lecture schedule/materials): course schedule for the lecture, lecture notes, assignment & exam information

Free resources for all U of C students

• Microsoft Office 365 (note this lecture is for MS-Windows)
• Licensed online books (U of C Safari website - requires your university login information)
• Also one of the recommended textbooks (electronic) is available via a web link at no cost: [Information about course texts]

Using the computers in the tutorial room

• CPSC grad and undergrad access and storage are provisioned nightly via automated task and based on registrar information.
• CPSC server and lab access is granted if an IT account exists and program/course enrolment meet qualification criteria. It may take 24-48hrs after course registration for access to be enabled.
• Enter username only, not email username@ucalgary.ca
• For more details: Please go to the [information link] provided by UC-IT

Technical requirements for students in the distance learning version of this course (paraphrased version from what was provided by the university).

• A reasonably new computer with the newest operating system (Windows 10), it's unlikely that those with a slightly older version of Windows will have problems but of course no guarantees are provided.
• A reliable high speed Internet connection.
• (It goes without saying that you should strongly reconsider registering in a remote learning version of this course if you can't meet these technical requirements because you won't get special considerations if you cannot work on your assignments and submit them properly).
• For operating systems other than Windows: If you have problems or questions then we will do what we can to help. However, you need to keep in mind that we are limited to the resources we have available. (The university won't provide instructors with a MAC and windows computer for instance so I can only use educated guesses or web searches to find answers because I just have Win. OS computer at home and in my office). But with that being said because of the tool that we will support this semester (IDLE which is provided by the same group that developed the programming language python), operating system specific issues are far less likely to show up.

A brief overview of the programming language (python) you will learn

• All evaluation components must be completed by writing a program using Python version 3.x (not version 2.x)
• Official python website:
  • Top level URL (last visited 2021): http://www.python.org
  • Getting started with the language  (last visited 2021): https://www.python.org/about/gettingstarted/
• How to work on your assignments
  • You have 24/7 access (UC identification card required) to your tutorial labs where python is installed. You can work on your own machine but make sure you test your submission here before finalizing your submission because the computer lab will be the final arbiter used during grading.
• Information about installing and accessing python on your computer: [Tam's quick guide, PDF] [Tam's quick guide, PowerPoint]
• Changing the default file location for the IDLE editor (Windows: not mandatory to change but it's a handy shortcut): [Tam's quick guide, PDF] [Tam's quick guide, PowerPoint]

Course administration (grading, textbooks, the course instructor's contact information)

Tutorial information (teaching and help tutorials)

To use the computers in the first floor Math Sciences lab you will login using your CPSC account. By default the account name and password will be identical to that of your university account. For more information about your CPSC account (such as how to change your password) see the following [Information link]. The labs are accessible 24/7 using your UC ID card If you have access problems then contact [Campus security] to your card can be enabled.

Teaching tutorials (you registered for a section with you signed up for the course): Teaching will be in person in the computer labs - below - starting the week of [first tutorial week]). Teaching materials will be available in D2L under 'content' in D2L and under Content->Teaching tutorials

• Tutorials include mandatory information for the course. Time will be spent on the following: TA's teaching new skills, discussion of assignment requirements.

 

Tutorial	Location	Instructor name	Contact information
T01: MW  12:00 - 1:50 PM	MS 160	Danissa Sandykbayeva (Windows user as well as the  Ubuntu version of Linux)	danissa.sandykbay1@ucalgary.ca
T03: TR 10:00 - 11:50 AM	MS 160	Mika Ong (primarily a Windows user, secondary OS is Linux)	mikaelahope.ong@ucalgary.ca

Teaching schedule for the teaching tutorials (additional links will be added during the semester)

Shortcuts for each week of tutorial

• May 4 - 10  (in person tutorials start Wed./Thur. this week):
• May 11 - 17
• May 18 - 24
• May 25 - 31
• June 1 - 7
• June 8 - 14
• June 15 - 22
   

Week		Activities for the teaching tutorials
Tutorial week 1: May 4 - 10 (in person tutorials start Wed./Thur. this week): [locations/days/times]		Students: Get your [login information squared away] before tutorial First tutorial: No tutorials on Monday/Tuesday Second tutorial: [Examples] [Exercise descriptions] [Starting files for the exercises] [Exercise solutions] Time to work through [A0] with the tutorial instructor available for help. Going over the [Mini1a] requirements Going over the [Mini1b] requirements Running the IDLE python editor Display of output Triple quoted output Common operators Operator precedence, the order of execution for python operators Code details of documentation and variable naming conventions Coding details of named constants Getting user input Variables & information types
Tutorial week 2: May 11 - 17		First tutorial: [Examples] [Exercise descriptions] [Exercises: starting programs] [Exercises: solutions] Documenting your python programs Making backups and program versioning Going over the [Full A1] requirements IF IF-ELSE Logic (AND, OR, NOT) and branching Second tutorial: [Examples] [Exercise descriptions] [Exercises: starting programs] [Exercises: solutions] IF-ELIF Multiple IFs Examples of logic errors in branches WHILE-loops FOR-loops Counting FOR-loops (iterating through a number sequence). FOR-loops iterating through the characters in a string Nesting: a branch in a loop, a loop inside of a loop Going over the [Mini_A2a] requirements
Tutorial week 3: May 18 - May 24		First tutorial: Monday May 19: Victoria Day holiday, no classes  today. Tuesday May 20: "Open tutorial". No new teaching will occur. The tutorial instructor will be available during the [scheduled tutorial time in the usual tutorial room] (not the CT area beside MS 151) to answer student questions. Second tutorial: [Examples] Going over the [mini-A2b] requirements Going over the [mini-A2c] requirements Going over the [Full A2] requirements Bug hunting: Tips for finding and fixing the errors in your programs. TAs will clarify what is and is not allowed in terms of helping others (collaboration) vs. academic misconduct. Presentation material [PDF] [PowerPoint]
Tutorial week 4: May 25 - 31		First tutorial: Function basics: Tracing simple programs employing functional decomposition (order of function calls). Defining and using a Boolean function. [Examples] [Exercise descriptions] [Exercises: starting programs] [Exercises: solutions] Intermediate and more complex examples: return values, local variables, global variables, scope, tracing the order of function calls, parameter passing mechanisms (value), the importance of programming style (tracing an example employing bad style in order to illustrate) [Examples] [Exercise descriptions] [Exercises: starting programs] [Exercises: solutions] Going over the [mini-A3a] requirements Going over the [mini-A3b] requirements Second tutorial: Introduction to composites: One-dimensional lists. [Examples] [Exercise descriptions] [Exercises: starting programs] [Exercises: solutions] Creating lists Iterating through lists Adding new elements to lists Accessing/modifying list elements Going over the [mini-A3c] requirements
Tutorial week 5: June 1 - 7		First tutorial: 2D lists Creating fixed sized lists, creating lists dynamically & randomly List references and passing lists as parameter Basics of lists vs. strings. Using the chr function and ASCII codes [Examples] [Exercise descriptions] [Exercises: starting programs] [Exercises: solutions] Second tutorial: Going over the [Full A3] requirements File I/O examples including a multi-version example illustrating how programs with logic errors when reading from a file can be debugged. [Examples] Composites: tuples and strings [Examples] Exercise: [Finding candidate functions]
Tutorial week 6: June 8 - 14		First tutorial: Going over the [mini-A4] requirements Going over the [Full A4] requirements Splitting a python program into separate modules: procedural implementation, global constants declared within a separate module. Implementing a program using the Object-Oriented approach: Single file/module and multiple files/modules. Defining a class with attributes and methods. Creating instances of classes (objects). The 'self' reference, accessing methods and attributes inside and outside the class constructor. [Examples] Exercise 1: [Description] [Solution] Exercise 2: [Description] [Starting program] [Solution] Compressed Archives: [All examples from the 1st tutorial] [All exercise material from the 1st tutorial] Second tutorial: Object-Orientation (more complex concepts): [Link to all O-O examples] Using the self reference: [Example] Comparing objects via the __eq__ method: [Example] Example with multiple classes, displaying the current state an object via the __str__ method: [Example] Recursion: [Link to all examples related to recursion] Basic recursion: iterative implementations written recursively. [Example1] [Example2] [Example3: error handling] Intermediate recursive example: the Fibonacci number sequence. [Example: iterative] [Example: recursive] Advanced recursion employing 'back tracking' (maze traversal):  [Example] Going over the [mini-A5] requirements Introduction to graphics and GUIs (graphical user interfaces) using the python Tktiner module [Examples]
Tutorial week 7: June 15 - 21 (last day of the term is Monday June 17)		Monday June 17: "Open tutorial". No new teaching will occur. The tutorial instructor will be available during the [scheduled tutorial time in the usual tutorial room] (not the CT area beside MS 151) to answer student questions.

 

Help tutorials = Continuous tutorials (or CT for short) where you can go for help outside of class

• These in-person sessions will typically be staffed by the tutorial instructors but they are not mandatory for students and are provided so that you can get help.
• Location: First floor Math Sciences computer lab (near MS151 at a long table).
  • The CT is not inside of MS151 (the sign on the wall is out of date)
• You are NOT restricted getting help from the CT session staffed by the person whose tutorial you are registered in (you can go to any TA for help).
• If you have questions then it's best to ask them during the CT unless it's a question that can be answered fairly quickly via email.

Continuous tutorial schedule: [Schedule for spring 2025]

 

Main grid: course schedule for the lecture, lecture notes, assignment information (additional links will be added during the semester)

Shortcuts for each week of lecture

• Pre-lecture: student orientation
• Week 1: May 4 - 10
• Week 2: May 11 - 17
• Week 3: May 18 - 24
• Week 4: May 25 - 31
• Week 5: June 1 - 7
• Week 6: June 8 - 14
• There are no lectures during week 7

Approximate time each topic will be covered in lecture	Lecture topics & schedule	Relevant textbook chapters: "Python for Everyone (3e)" Wiley Also you can search the UC library website [Link] for 'free' python eTexts (requires authentication).	Graded & ungraded component due during the week: Note that all assignments are due at 4 PM
Student orientation	Getting started as a new CPSC student. Includes information on how to access the CPSC computer network when you are working from home. A portion of these lessons will be covered in tutorial later in the term other resources are available for your reference. [Orientation link]	Not applicable	[Link to practice problems]
Lecture week 1 (1st lecture is Tuesday May 7): May 4 - 10	Introduction to the course, administrative about how the course will be run such as grading information. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] Introduction to computer programming Part I Writing and running a python program, variables, displaying information to the user, common math operators. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Introduction to computer programming Part II Getting information from the user, simple text formatting. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Introduction to computer programming Part III Named constants, documenting programs, prewritten python functions, common programming errors, programming style: layout and formatting of your program. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples]	Introduction to programming: Section 1.4 - 1.6, Chapter 2, Appendix A, B, C.	[A0] due Thursday May 8, not graded but still important as it can affect graded work. [Mini-A1a] Due Friday May 9 (TA deadline to release grades May 16)
Lecture week 2: May 11 - 17	Introduction to computer programming Part III (continued from last week)   Branching Part I IF, IF-Else, Logical-AND, Logical-OR, Logical-NOT. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Branching Part II Logic and branching, multiple IFs, the IF-ELIF structure, nested branches, the  IF-IN operator, using an epsilon.[Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] [Branching: Exercise]   Looping/repetition Part I While-loops, for-loops, sentinel controlled loops. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples]	Introduction to programming (as listed above).   Branching: Chapter 3       Repetition/Loops: Chapter 4	[Mini-A1b] Due Friday May 16 (TA deadline to release grades May 23)
Lecture week 3: May 18 - 24 (Monday May 19 is a holiday: no office hours or CT sessions)	Looping/repetition Part I (Continued from last week) Looping/repetition Part II Nesting branches and loops the break instruction and why it generally shouldn't be used,  infinite loops, testing loops. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] [Case study: branching, looping, nesting in a simple adventure game] [A few practice traces to try on your own] Optional extra resource, nesting and loops. This semester some of this material was incorporated into Part II of the repetition notes: [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint]   Functions/decomposition Part I Part I: The top down approach to functional decomposition, defining functions, calling functions you have defined, scope (local and global), declaring variables locally, benefits of declaring variables locally. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Functions/decomposition Part II Parameter passing, function return values, function specific style requirements, documenting function. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples]	Repetition/Loops: Chapter 4               Functions: Chapter 5 (don't worry about the material in Section 5.9, 5.10 yet)	[Full A1] Due Friday May 23 (TA deadline to have grading sent to instructor May 30)
Lecture week 4:  May 25 - 31	Functions/decomposition Part II (Continued from last week) Functions/decomposition Part III Return to scope, what level/where to declare variables, Boolean functions, splitting up long functions, common errors with functions, program design & testing functions. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Functions/decomposition: Helper exercises/programs: [Helper 1]:  Determining the level in a functional hierarchy should variables be declared. [Helper 2]:  Decomposing a nested structure into multiple functions. [Helper 3]:  Inter-function communication. Information from what function needed in another function.	Functions: Chapter 5	[Mini-A2a] Due Tuesday May 27 (TA deadline to release grades June 2) In class midterm examination (location ICT 516) Thursday May 29 2:45 - 3:45 [Midterm information link] [Mini-A2b]: Friday May 30 (TA deadline to release grades June 4) [Mini-A2c]: Friday May 30 (TA deadline to release grades June 4)
Lecture week 5: June 1 - 7	Composites Part I Declaring list variables, accessing a list vs. elements in a list, passing list as parameters, methods of parameter passing, avoiding list bound exceptions. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] [Exercises] Composites Part II Using multi-dimensional lists, creating 2D lists, accessing a 2D list and its parts, basic list operations. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples]	Composites (Lists): Chapter 6	[Full A2] Tuesday June 3 (TA deadline to have grading sent to instructor: June 10) [Mini-A3a] Due Wednesday June 4 (TA deadline to release grades June 11 [Mini-A3b]Due Friday June 6 (TA deadline to release grades June 11)
Lecture week 6: June 8 - 14 (last lecture is Thursday)	Composites Part II (continued from last week) [Intermediate exercise: two parallel lists] [More advanced exercise: accessing the neighbouring elements of a particular list element]   Introduction to problem solving (if there is time) How to come up with a program when the solution or even a definition of the problem isn't immediately self-evident. [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples]   Files & exceptions Reading from and writing to text files using python's iterating for-loop as well using the more generic algorithm employing a while-loop. Exception handling to deal with common run-time errors. Creating dynamic 2D lists when the dimensions are unknown ahead of time (such as reading the data from a file). [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Object-Oriented programming): [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Recursion: [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples] Composites Part III (last two types of composites)  Other composites such as strings or tuples, accessing the entire composite vs. elements of the composite variable, passing strings and tuples as parameters, mutable vs. immutable types, how functions only return a single piece of data (tuple): [Notes: PDF notes] [Notes: PowerPoint] [Examples]	Lists (as above)   Problem solving: Not applicable     Files: Section 7.1 - 7.2, 7.5 - 7.6	[Mini-A3c] Due Wednesday June 11 (TA deadline to release grades June 18) [Full A3] Due Thursday June 12 (TA deadline to have grading sent to instructor June 19) [Mini-A4] Due Friday June 13 (TA deadline to release grades June 20)
Lecture week 7: June 15 - 21 (17th is the last day of the term).	Lecture material you can learn on your own time (not covered live but instead will be pre-recorded). No lecture this week as the last day of the term is Monday June 17	Not applicable	[Mini-A5] Due Monday June 16 (TA deadline to release grades June 23) [Full A4]  Due Monday June 16 (TA deadline to have grading sent to instructor June 23)
Final exam period: June 18 - 21	Final exam information: it will be scheduled by the Office of the Registrar ([Final exam from the office of the Registrar]). [Final exam information]