This is a first course in C++ for people who are comfortable with Java. I'm not exactly sure what comfortable means, but you probably should be able to tell me about abstract and concrete classes, objects, interfaces, inheritance, visibility, encapsulation, polymorphism, exceptions, packages and some procedural programming constructs like condtionals, iteration, and recursion. I also expect that you are familar with the Java environment including the compiler (javac), the classpath environment variable (CLASSPATH) and the Java virtual machine (java). It's not that we'll be using Java, but familarity with compilers and development environments is a must.

With a straight-shot programming course it seems innapproriate to require a final, so I'd much rather write a lot of code and then talk about our experiences in doing it. In general I like questions and discussion to guide the lecture. I promise to have a completely polished lecture in hand at the commencement of class, but if we deviate, that's fine.

I really want the first few lectures to be a solid introduction to C++, and the final few to be a friendly, involved discussion about the language. There are seven lectures, so that leaves us about three lectures to ooze into on both sides. If the class turns out to be one big question and answer session after the first few periods, I'd be thrilled. If it doesn't, that's cool too.

Just so you know, I'm not really into hand-raising. General shouting, interruption, voice-clearing, or other methods of attention seem to work best for me. If you want to raise your hand, there's a non-trivial chance I'll call on you. Just realize you don't need to go about things that way.

How about Tuesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 to 17:00 in Room 264 of the new computer science building. Send email anytime.

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