To the faculty page of James Tam Return to the course web page

CPSC 231: Course outline spring 2025

Index (shortcut to major sections of the webpage)

 

Free resources for all U of C students

Using the computers in the tutorial room

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

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

 

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

Day/Time

Lectures will be held live during the scheduled day/time (passcode for both = hope)

Instructor contact Information

James Tam

Office time: Tuesday and Thursday 4:00 - 4:30 PM via Zoom (different meeting link than for the lecture but the same passcode):

Email: tam@ucalgary.ca (Make sure you specify the course name and number in the subject line)

   
General information [Official course information sheet (summary of official course requirements)] (includes the university approvals for topics such as grading)

 

General assignment information

Grade calculator to estimate your term grade: [Excel spreadsheet]!

[Academic misconduct vs. collaboration: what is allowed for this class]

[Practice assignments]: They won't be for credit but they're extra problems that you can try in order to improve your programming and problem solving skills

Official recommended textbooks Print, available via the UC bookstore: "Python for everyone: 3rd edition(Cay S. Horstmann, Rance D. Necaise) Wiley, 3rd edition. 

Electronic text, available via a PDF: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-18873-3

 

Link to other UC licensed textbooks Also you can search the UC library website [Link 1] or [Link 2]  for 'free' python eTexts (requires authentication).

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

 

Tutorial

Location

Instructor name

Contact information

T01: MW  12:00 - 1:50 PM MS 160 Danissa Sandykbayeva (Windows user) 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

Week
 
Activities for the teaching tutorials
Tutorial week 1: May 4 - 10 (in person tutorials start Wed./Thur. this week): [locations/days/times]    
Tutorial week 2: May 11 - 17    
Tutorial week 3: May 18 - May 24    
Tutorial week 4: May 25 - 31    
Tutorial week 5: June 1 - 7    
Tutorial week 6: June 8 - 14    
Tutorial week 7: June 15 - 21 (last day of the term is Monday June 17)    

 

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

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

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
    • IFIF-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

 

  • 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 release grades 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 TBA) Thursday May 29 2:45 - 3:45 [Midterm information link available later]
  • [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)

     

  • 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 release grades 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 A5]  Due Monday June 16 (TA deadline to release grades 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 - available later]